not getting cold air. Tech up the street is telling me the compressor is shot. quoted 1900 bucks. anyone done this themselves?

 

Is the compressor bad or the clutch?

Turn the AC on and try hitting the outside with a long broom or something. If the AC turns on the clutch is bad and sometimes you can replace those for a few hundred dollars or reshim them vs. a new compressor.

You'd have to evacuate the system, replace the parts, might want a new reciever/dryer, hook it to a vacuum, and then put new refrigerant back in. You can probably do the manual labor and have a mechanic do the refrigerant part for you.

 

This is one of those items that is best diagnosed by a couple different mechanics unless you really trust the one you went to. One might say the entire AC system needs replacement, another might be able to replace the compressor pulley bearing, another one might find a leak thats causing the issue. You have to decide which guy has the right diagnosis based on the info and proof they provide to you.

You can do the work yourself depending on your DIY skill level, but as coffeysm mentioned a mechanic is best to handle the evac/recharge portion.

 

Agree with G-force. You definitely want to get a proper diagnostic from someone you trust. My a/c compressor wasn't coming on, but I noticed the outside air temp sensor wasn't reading properly either. Turns out they are directly related. If the air temp sensor reads too low, it won't allow the compressor to turn on. $20 for a new air temp sensor on Amazon, 5 minutes to install, and now my a/c works as it should.

Just saying that it could be the compressor or clutch, but it could be something simple as well. It has happened before that a shady mechanic has charged for an expensive repair that wasn't needed.

Best of luck.

Justin

 

You can get an aftermarket compressor for around $500. Can't see $1400 in labor.