vonnieda

Hey folks, my AC compressor seized in my '04 the other day. Happened totally out of the blue. Was using the AC the night before when I parked it and the next morning I started it and it blew. I just got a quote from the dealer and they want $2137 to replace it.

The breakdown is:
Compressor $1268
Belt $48
Tensioner $151
Labor + random stuff $670

I have found prices for remanufactured compressors online for $365 and when I checked the tensioner it didn't seem trashed to me.

So, I'm thinking I will try to do this job myself. I know I will need at least the compressor, the belt and a friend has recommended I also replace the air drier and the expansion valve because the compressor may have blown bits of metal into these.

Does anyone have any other suggestions, warnings, etc. for me? I searched the forum and didn't find any threads on people doing this job.

Thanks!

Jason

gabrod72

Can you define comressor siezed / blew? If it seized or locked up, then you'd likely get some very weird sound like belt whining or maybe a clutch burning smell when it's engaged. Is the dealer the only reference you have for diagnosing the issue? Is your electric fan working??

Reason I ask is because there are limit switches and detectors for the system on both the high pressure and low pressure side that can be overlooked by technicians sometimes. These switches won't let the compressor operate if the refrigerant pressures are too high or too low. Unfortunately, once they replace the compressor they charge the system to a normal level and *voila* the system works...

A good example is my wife took her minivan to a new mechanic without me knowing and they did a free diagnostic on our MPV. They said compressor was bad. It was actually cycling on for a minute or so then turning off, so I added R134A. No help, actually would not stay as long as before when cycling. During this, I noticed the temp gauge was getting high, and this led me to the real issue - the e-fan wasn't working.

Long story short, I changed out the e-fan and recovered refrigerant out of the system... AC blows cold as heck now and my wife is happy she didn't swallow their bullshit. I still can't believe they didn't even diagnose the e-fan, but sometimes I think maybe they wanted to hook her on the compressor change-out then have us go back in a week later for the e-fan - who knows.

jrx13

Is the air compressor seized internally or is it just the magnetic clutch seized?

vonnieda

Yea, I was trying to keep my initial post small. What happened was I started the car and the AC was still on (from the controls) from the night before. About 5 seconds after the car started I heard belt screeching. I didn't immediately turn the car off cause... it's an RX-8, it would never start again So I waited about 10 seconds. Then smoke started pouring out of the hood and under the car so I killed it. When I opened the hood the AC belt was gone, found half of it under the car. Bits of burned rubber everywhere. The AC clutch bell still moved freely and the tensioner moved freely. So, seemed like a seized compressor to me. Took it to the dealer and they just confirmed that this morning.

vonnieda

Clutch bell still turns freely by hand.

jrx13

Yup, with the info provided, that is a seized compressor. Maybe you can find a low mileage used one? But yes on changing the receiver drier.

EDZRIDE

iTrader: (1)

You don't have a seperate dryer but replacing the expansion valve is a good idea. I also recommend a through flushing of the system after you get it all apart.

vonnieda

The prices I have found on the parts don't bother me too much. It's more that I have never done this job before so I wanted to check if there were any pitfalls I should look out for. I am pretty handy with a wrench, but I've never done AC work before.

jrx13

Your going to have to evacuate the refrigerant before doing any work on it. I don't advocate releasing it into the atmosphere but at my work we have huge A/C units and approx 1lbs charge is nothing compared to what one of them releases when they have a leak so it's up to you.

After it's evacuated, it's pretty much bolt on & lube the seals. Oh and of course recharging it.

As for the no separate receiver-drier, if it's built into the condenser, then I recommend changing the whole unit. Or try to bring it to an A/C specialist that can flush it out, not sure how much money you'll actually save if you do go that way.

But you may get lucky and see that there is no metal in the system, so no need to change any extras.

vonnieda

Thanks for this. Very helpful!

jrx13

Sorry forgot some other stuff. I was typing on mobile.

Your not recharging it yourself are you? Because your going to have to vacuum the system as well so will need a vacuum pump. But you can do pretty much everything up to the point of vacuuming & recharging & adding oil to the system. Also find out if the a/c compressor your buying has the oil already added, some do some don't.

Another thing, when buying a/c compressor, most of the time they don't have the clutch installed so you'll need to swap that out as well. There are shims to adjust it as well, usually just put the same number you had on your old ones. If it's off, you'll notice your a/c clutch either sticking on all the time or not coming on. Just adjust as needed.

Good luck!

vonnieda

I am considering charging it myself. I've been considering purchasing a vacuum pump for a while for another project and this just makes it more worth buying. Not sure one way or the other yet tho.

The compressor I found seems to include the clutch, so that should make that part easier.

I am basically looking at buying the remanufactured compressor and the rest of the parts on this page: http://www.discountacparts.com/addto...t~60-02208.asp

gabrod72

Worthy vacuum pumps are expensive and you'll need to buy a set of gauges with automotive connectors. Have you checked with any other shops? I wouldn't look for any import or AC specialist myself since they're usually only 25% cheaper than the dealer. If you can find a small shop that's been around for a while, they should have some very experienced mechanics who can work on anything. Perhaps you can call them up and just ask what they'll charge to change out the compressor for you - if you do, I'll suggest you be as brief as possible since your quoted price may be proportional to the phone time you decide to spend for them. Just some ideas. Also, sorry to hear the compressor is shot.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

please take it somewhere and have it properly evacuated rather than releasing toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, every little bit helps/matters ...

you should be able to find a used compressor and tensioner for cheap in the FS area ....