Compressor

[MustangGirl]

How do you know when the compressor is bad? What do you usually here when it does kick on if anything?

[Silver R/T]

your idle speed will change and your A/C fan will most likely turn on

[MustangGirl]

ok well i haven't heard or noticed anything like that. stupid garage told me i needed a new one...well let me back up..they said there was a leak, it would cost $30 to fill it then they came back and told me my compressor wasn't working but they couldn't fix it today (well duh, i wouldnt make a rash decision like that anyways to get it done then and there). i asked for an estimate and he said he would call me tomorrow (that would have been yesterday) and i never heard a damn word from him...i told him i was moving in 7 days and he was surprised or whatever so i really wonder if he was trying to rip me off.

also, his business was charging $40 for the initial a/c repair but then in the VALLEY, the same business, is only charging $20.....what the hell? this is meineke by the way. any suggestions on a better shop to go to? any opinions on perfection tire in the valley?

[Silver R/T]

I would try alton's, see if they can do it. Although there's shop up north that does electrical and A/C service.

[Hilly]

Altons? are you insane ?

Is Lloyd's heating and Air still in the Valley? Think it was near Deja Vu. They do/did awesome work and were very reasonable.

[Silver R/T]

at least Altons found problem we had with lexus and fixed it, unlike Schwabs that went ahead and did alignment but said they could't fix the problem. Ball joint had to be replaced, so just a waste of $75 right there.

[MustangGirl]

I hate Alton's....they are the most piece of crap company I have ever dealt with!

I talked to a guy who works on a coworkers cars a lot. He seemed really cool...up on Francis, Watts I think is the name. He said it was pretty unprofessional that Meineke wouldn't give me a written estimate right then and there at the shop (by the way, the crook never called me with a quote either). He also said that usually it isn't the ENTIRE compressor that's the problem...that it's usually a part of it (can't remember the parts of the compressor right now). Anyways, I'm going to his shop tomorrow and see what's going on. I'm hoping it's only a little part that's out on the compressor, if anything.

[Hilly]

It's either the shaft seal thats leaking, the case, where the lines connect or where the high pressure cut off switch is. Depending on mileage it's sometimes better to just replace the compressor.

I worked for Alton's about 12 years ago. Matt Alton is a lying scamming piece of shit. He brag's about how he "gets all the money in peoples bank accounts". Ever notice they always have ads for needing service writers, mechanics and service managers. He wont hesitate to replace someone if he can fond someone who he thinks can do a better job or just work for cheaper. He has no sense of loyalty.

[gregc]

Thanks for the insite Hilly. We usually get our oil in the cruiser changed at Altons, but after reading that, we'll take it some place else.

[Hilly]

"Neighbors Fucking Neighbors" .....

[MustangGirl]

LOL

Well, I just have to rave a little about a little shop that was recommended to me yesterday. I believe it's called Watts Automotive on Francis across from the Fred Meyer. The first thing he looked at was my compressor (which is easy to look at; I didn't know this) took him 30 sec to say yep the compressor is bad and showed and explained to me about it. Bad news: it will cost me around $1000 to fix it = ( He also told me more than likely if I can stand the temps, my car will be ok driving down to AZ in a few days. He said that the compressor can break that belt and if it happens to get this pulley (can't remember the name off hand, though I wrote it down) so that it basically makes it so you don't have a/c. It would only cost me $50 for the part and is semi easy to take off the compressor and install that for the time being IF I need to....crossing fingers that it doesn't happen.

Now, I'm debating if I should get rid of the car once I'm in AZ HOWEVER, I do like the 94's so who's to say if I get another that the compressor won't go bad too??? I owe nothing on this car and it IS a 5.0 .....so I'm leaning towards just pissing out the money in a few months and just get the damned thing fixed. I'm probably going to end up repairing the shit out of it but...that's ok..maybe one day it will be a collector like the fox body LOL

[gregc]

$1000?! Yikes. You can get a reman compressor for <$200. New belt and some R134 should be less than $100. Must be a mofo to change!

[MustangGirl]

that's all brand new parts! Yes, I can get a used compressor for $175-250. R134 is on average $33 a POUND and I would use around 1 1/2-2 pounds. BUT YOU FAILED TO READ IT ALL......you HAVE to inspect and change another part (can't remember the name of it) to make sure compressor shit didn't get INTO THE A/C SYSTEM when it broke! If you don't, the new compressor will be DESTROYED. Labor ain't cheap either you should know that.

[Hilly]

WOW ! You get a kiss with that?

Give me a few, checking into it.

You'll need a compressor, receiver/drier and a expansion valve(maybe).

Compressor labor is only an hour.

[gregc]

Just giving my opinion that your price shopping results still seem high regardless if you think you are an expert at it now or not.

Example: R134 is $6-9/lbs. http://store.lenzdist.com/ has it for $5/lbs ($3.79/12oz).

Whatever though. Go with the pully and windows down method.

[Hilly]

Yah, my freon is $10 lb

[MustangGirl]

That's fine pricing by the pound but that's not what mechanics charge for it. It is also illegal to do it yourself.

[gregc]

No it isn't. If it were, you couldn't just go down to shucks and buy the tool and refrigerant off the shelf. It IS illegal to do R12 without a certification, but R134, have at.

PS Hilly is a mechanic. :)

[Hilly]

It's not illegal to do it yourself if u have the equipment. But I would do it here at work. Where my shop rate is $69 hr. From what I can see, I can beat the prices u have by $300.

MY cost for a reman compressor w/clutch is $330, the receiver/drier is $115 and the orifice tube is like $5. 2lbs of R134A is $20. Labor for the A/C evac/charge is 1.4( $98 ). Labor for the compressor is 1.0 ( $69 ) Receiver/Drier labor is 1.0 ( $69 )