i have a 2000 pontiac sunfire 2.2 liter engine i got the a/c system checked to see why my car will not hold freeon. and one place told me i have a leak in the condensor,compressor,and the evaporator. and one person i spoke to told me that it is impossible for me to have a leak in all 3 major parts and if so i will be the first. is that true.how much am i looking to fix it.
2007-08-24 07:19:09 · 10 answers · asked by mickey 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I seriously doubt you have a leak in a three parts. That one mechanic was right. The first mechanic probably wanted to whack you for changing all three parts because he himself could not figure out which component was faulty.
That, or you misheard him when he said "you have a leak in the condensor, compressor OR the evaporator". It could also possibly be a leak in one of your hoses, but since your car is not that old (2000) we'll disregard that possibility for now.
ANY time you take your car to a mechanic expect to pay upwards of $150. Most shops charge that for a single hour of labor. Keep in mind that this is not including parts.
If you are not mechanically inclined, try to find someone that is who is willing to help you. Autozone sells a product that you hook up to your A/C system that will exit the system wherever there is a leak. It usually has a colored paint (I think it's red) in it so the leak will be easy to spot.
Then, once you find the problem, go back to Autozone, buy the part and install it. That way you'll only have to go back to the shop to have the system evap'd and recharged. About $125 and then whatever you spend for parts. Go to rockauto.com or autozone.com and do a part search. It's really quick and easy.
I would not be able to give you an accurate price range if you were to decide to take it to the mechanic due to the significant variance in prices for labor, parts, etc. You might consider calling around, but expect to get many people that say they won't know until you take the car in for servicing. Obviously if you take it to the dealer, they will almost always charge you more than a regular mechanic's shop like Firestone or Goodyear.
But... the summer is almost over and if you wait another month or two the weather will start to cool down significantly. (At least it does here in NY, not sure where you live...) Best of luck!
2007-08-24 07:46:48 · answer #1 · answered by Mrs. Mustang 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well whether you have a leak in one place, or 3, you obviously have a leak. And no matter what if you want A/C your gonna have to get it fixed. Alot of places with exaggerate how bad somehting is on your car to get more money out of a person so you may not have 3 leaks but no matter what your gonan have to get it fixed. more than likely it's your compressor and that can be anywhere from $100 and up depending on how bad it is and how long it takesto fix it. The majority of the expense will end up being labor costs.
2007-08-24 14:28:02 · answer #2 · answered by Kimi 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Second opinion time then. Some time I don't want comebacks too and sell everything I think the system needs. But If I put on one part saying it will fix the problem and another leaks out the system charge you will want the next repair for free? I am surprized that they did not want to sell the #1 cause of repeat failure is metal stuck inside the rubber hoses. and #2 cause oriface tube cloggage and #3 accumulator has junk in it and any of the three ruins the second compressor.
2007-08-24 19:19:12 · answer #3 · answered by John Paul 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
did they use an electronic sniffer or UV dye?
The sniffers are supersensitive, they even react to coolant or even your breath.
The UV dye is put inside the system and is the best leak detection method. Any dye seen by a UV light is a TRUE LEAK.
Yes, it is possible to have multipule leaks, but most likely it is just some seals that are leaking.
If the system is not holding any refrigerant, My first though is that the condensor is leaking. it is exposed to all kinds of road hazards($400)
2007-08-24 14:38:59 · answer #4 · answered by Gary G 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is possible but not probable that all 3 parts had leaks. Have it checked out by someone else.
Cooling systems can be pretty costly thats why I didn't have mine fixed. It really depends upon where you live and how much you drive.
I live in Northern Wisconsin so it would come in handy for about 2 months out of the year.
2007-08-24 14:24:23 · answer #5 · answered by Bob 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have had one case to where that happened in 15 years and that was because someone had tried to seal the system and what ever they used ate up the rest of the system and it had pin holes in it. - My suggestion is take it to another shop and have them put dye into it and check it out with a black light. Sniffers are ok but you need a lot of experience with them to tell the difference between a leak and a false reading. good luck.
2007-08-24 14:34:02 · answer #6 · answered by jack w 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are not the first to have all three of these places to leak , It really is going to be expensive but not that bad , Have another estimate on the system to make sure, hope this helps.
2007-08-24 14:27:36 · answer #7 · answered by JT B ford man 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not impossible. Have them replace the condenser first, then retest the system but take it to a different place.
2007-08-24 14:26:40 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Highly unlikely that all three would leak. You need a new repair shop.
2007-08-24 14:28:56 · answer #9 · answered by chris m 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
anythings possible but i would get a second oppinion
2007-08-24 14:28:10 · answer #10 · answered by John St.Louis 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋