A/C repair

[Bubbinator]

Alright, its getting hot again. My a/c went out last summer (compressor went out to be exact) and i spent the summer months feeling like a friggin baked potato. I don't feel like doing that again. Last year when I went to get it checked out (thats when i was told that the compressor went out) i was quoted $1300 for the repairs. Holy crap. Thats over 25% of the value of my car.

I was told that when the compressor goes out, so does the drier and orifice tube. The value for those parts oem, not to mention used, is not that high. I know labor accounts for much of the price, but how labor intensive is it to replace the a/c compressor, drier, and orifice tube? Is it something I could myself if I dedicated a weekend to it? Perhaps there might be a guide on how to do it somewhere?

Anyways, any help is appreciated. Im sure such a question has been answered before, but i did a search and didnt find exact answers to my questions.

Oh yeah, what do i need to do a v8 swap ;-) j/k

[slow6]

Re: A/C repair

i wouldnt think it would be that hard, just time consuming.
its hard to get to the back compressor bolts

[BLLDOGG]

Re: A/C repair

hardest part really is dealing with the freon. In a shop, its no problem but at home, its probably a pain. I dont know what kind of kits are sold for recovering and charging your system but dont you need to have a license to purchase the freon and such?

[slow6]

Re: A/C repair

no, dont think so

[BLLDOGG]

Re: A/C repair

Im pretty dang sure you do. O'well

[SilverBirdSeven]

Re: A/C repair

Yes, you do, its called a 609 license. It's not a difficult repair but like blldogg said, removing the refrigerant requires a machine which isnt something you can really pick up at autozone.
$1300 sounds about right if you are including labor, a compressor can cost up to like $600 alone. I just replaced one on a guys corsica and it was about $550. Sucks... try to get one from a junk yard or somethin.

[BobbyZ72]

Re: A/C repair

blow the freon, its such a small amont its not going to make a diffrance. You may or may not need to change the dryer or orface, it depends how bad the compresser went out. How ever before putting new freon in the system you do need to pull a vacuum to remove any moisture and air that are in the lines.

[BobbyZ72]

Re: A/C repair

basicly, i make it sound easy, im a/c tech. but seeing how your not, and dont have any of the tools, i do recommend you taking it to a pro to get it done right the first time, if not youll end up doing it again. and spending twice as much money

[BLLDOGG]

Re: A/C repair

blow the freon, its such a small amont its not going to make a diffrance.

All i have to say is :twak: :twak: :twak: :twak: and i think you know why

[CDNFB]

Re: A/C repair

Is there any freon left in your system? R134A isn't as damaging to the enviroment as the old R12 stuff was. I'd still get someone to evacuate it though.

After you (or whoever you take it to) puts the system put back together you can have the system recharged with a propane based refridgerant. The advantage to this is that you don't need any license to purchase the refridgerant to top up or maintain your system. You can buy recharge kits at your local auto parts store.

My system had lost most of its 134A charge, so I bought a propane based refridgerent recharge kit and recharged it myself. The kit came with a can of leak stop, which I added. System has been working wonderfully eversince!

I used a product called REDTEC.

DZ

[Camaroingfool]

Re: A/C repair

i'm pretty sure i have the same problem, although it hasnt been looked at by a pro, but when i do get around to getting it checked, if it cant be fixed for cheap, i think i might get the A/C delete bracket and just get used to being hott. its a comfort loss but a power gain. so that sounds like a good comprimise to me.

ps would it be possible to take the compressor and unneeded things out, without causeing any problems? or would they be fine jsut chillin there?

[slow6]

Re: A/C repair

i took all my A/c out but my compressor. its chillen.
I need to get the a/c delete bracket/idler pulley

[camaronat]

Re: A/C repair

Could it be that you need a license to do it professionally? Cuz you can buy R134a at Walmart, and any autoparts store.

The best route if you want to do it yourself, is take it somewhere to get it drained, put your new parts in, and then go get it filled.

[BobbyZ72]

Re: A/C repair

yes, but those small cans are mostly just oil and leak sealant and the contain very little freon, so the epa dosent care as much. To buy a 30 pound drum you must have a licence. personaly i would not recommend recharging a empty system with the small cans. like i said, if you dont know what your doing, save your salf the time and money and take it to a pro.

[SilverBirdSeven]

Re: A/C repair

You're an AC tech and you told him to vent refrigerant to the atmosphere....
that worries me.

Also, dont remove your AC components for a power gain, on our newer cars there is very little power to be gotten from that and not enough weight reduction to justify being miserable all summer.