Going on 4th compressor

Had a shop replace my original compressor (faulty seals) with a Four Seasons compressor w/ clutch. They also replaced the dryer. I was told that they filled the system with R-134A.

Well, that same day as I was driving on the highway the compressor locked up. Went back and had it replaced. The air was very cold.

California winters are mild and in February the compressor locked up on me again. I took it back and they replaced the compressor / clutch assembly.

Then I was told that there was a clog probably in the expansion valve, evaporator & even possibly the condenser. So I had those replaced. The weather was not warm enough to test the new components.

Well, a few days later, the weather was maybe in the 80’s. So I turned the a/c on and it wasn’t cooling very well that afternoon as compared to how it operated the very first time I had the compressor replaced. Well, the compressor locked up on me again later that afternoon.

The other thing that has me upset (other than my car eating up compressors) is the amount of zipper ties that are used as mounting and restraining for the a/c hoses in the engine bay. They also broke a screw in the hole while replacing the evaporator and didn’t tell me that they had accidentally done it.

I don’t have any other problems with the car that are noticeable. I’m just looking for different opinions as to what is happening. The owner of the shop keeps blaming defective compressors. Right now I’m trying to get the owner to purchase a different brand of compressor and recoup the cost from his parts supplier for stocking such crappy compressors if it truly is the compressor / clutch to blame.

The shop is not replacing the compressors, the odds that many compressors go bad is practically impossible. Are the compressor being replaced under the shop warranty or is the shop only charging reduced labor.

Check the shop with the BBB or the chamber of commerce for any complaints against the shop.

I heard that the compressor swap of choice is Sanden.

Good luck

well i guess i can live without ac for however long i want. I just use the sunblock shield on the windshield and leave the windows down for a while. it seems to be working fine for me from the past summer.

yes it does sound funny when the compressors are going bad everytime the shop puts it on. its just funny.

well, the chances that 4 different new compressors were all defective are very low. It also sounds like you have replaced most of the major parts in the system.

I would try that different brand and see how things go. Remember that any time the system is discharged and exposed to the air, the dryer needs to be replaced. Once that dryer is exposed to humitity, it becomes saturated and severly reduces the cooling efficiency. That's probably why the 3rd and 4th compressors didn't feel as cold as the first one.

Are they charging the systems properly? drawing a deep vacuum, checking for leaks, charging the system with the proper oil, then charging with 134a to the low side?

im assuming they checked your system for leaks by this time(i hope)...the compressors are not the problem ! they are not doing things right ... tell the shop to make sure there arent any blockages in the lines... and have them clean the ac system... there is probally debris in the system that is causing the compressors to fail.... a good shop would have known to do this .... they make chemicals to clean out the system, just make sure the right one is used or they can cause more problems, also make sure they are putting oil into the system...(the correct oil also) and that there is no air in the system

if i remember correctly, our compressors can't handle R134. there is only one compressor that can handle it. it is written up in FAQ.

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Originally Posted by shepherd79

if i remember correctly, our compressors can't handle R134. there is only one compressor that can handle it. it is written up in FAQ.

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our compressors can handle R134 just fine. a compressor is a compressor. As long as you build and charge the system properly, there shouldn't be any problems.

Well, got the new compressor from Honda installed. Its the kit that includes the hoses and everything. I didn't have to pay a dime out of pocket (other than the first time I payed for them to put in that piece of junk Four Seasons compressor). Just payed with my time of not having a car.

No major complaints. its been a week or so and it is running good. It dosen't get as cold as a system with R13 but that was expected. The system is running on R134 now and I have to use it on the 3rd and 4th setting for it to feel nice. On long rides, the temp gets lower, don't know if its cause of freeway driving or if it takes that long with the system running to really start chilling.

If anyone is considering how much a Honda dealership would charge ... $1,434.55 bucks and that gets you a new a/c compressor, clutch, coil, and reciever dryer. Plus what ever tax of course.

Now its time to move to other stuff like tint. Now that I can drive with the windows UP>.

I replaced my compressor with the Honda kit a few months back. no problem so far. I was told by numerous mechanics, that it is essential that the system be flushed prior to installing the new compressor or your are wasting your money. The system needs to be flushed with the expansion valve bypassed. You need to take the evaporator out to do this. I used refrigerant flush fluid from autozone.