Okniep

Hello, I'm new to doing this. I have an '01 Civic LX which I've been told by a mechanic that it has a bad compressor. I only have ac (no cold air) problems. I've read most all of the thread posts in regards to the DIY on here and I'm just looking for some clear newbie help. I have a handful of questions that I don't see clear answers for.

1. What is the OEM brand for this compressor?
2. What other parts (drier,expansion valve, condenser, gaskets) are necessary to buy OEM and are those the same brand as the compressor?
3. How can I tell if my condenser needs replaced?
4. Is it really feasible to be able to replace the ac without removing the alternator, power steering pump, bumper, and light? (Again, I'm new. The only "challenging" things I've changed on this car myself is the radiator and valve cover gaskets, and I know those aren't all the hard, lol)
5. How do you know if your compressor has "blown up"? I don't hear any particularly strange noises and so I don't know if there would be metal in the system. The only problem I know that it's causing me is the obvious, no cold air.

I'm just having a hard time finding clear answers to these questions. I'd be very grateful for any help.

ezone

Much would depend on what actually failed on the compressor.

If it needs a clutch/pulley/coil, Honda sells those separately from the compressor (aftermarket usually makes you buy an entire compressor) and if you have tools to do the work these can be replaced with the compressor mounted on the engine.

Okniep

I don't think I want to just replace parts on the compressor. I'm pretty sure it's never been changed on the car and it's 16 years old. If I'm planning on changing anything about the compressor I figure most of the components need replaced, except the lines and hopefully the evaporator. Honestly I havent read up much on the evaporators just yet, I just hardly hear them mentioned. Whatever's not replaced needs flushed too right, and I read you can't flush a compressor. I just want to make sure I do it all right in a way that isn't going to lead me to need to do it again for years.

NDNV

You better give us the symptoms to better diagnose.


You want to be certain it is the compressor that has failed before replacing.


I had fading out of cold A/C after 5 minutes of driving and turned out to be the clutch and coil spacing needed a simple adjustment closer together to fix this.

Okniep

All I know is that I took it to a very reputable local mechanic and he tested the system for free. He doesn't charge unless he actually has to recharge the system or do something else to it. He told me that the compressor was bad and needed replaced and said before fully quoting the job that it would be about $800-$900 to replace it and get the ac running. I said I wasn't prepared to pay that nich and that was that. A shade-tree mechanic friend of mine said he couldn't hear anything wrong with it so I don't think there's a bad noise coming from the compressor. I sure don't notice anything bad but I'm not exactly up on what to look for. I can believe it though because I haven't had it working for about two years and I think we over-filled it when we tried to add freon back when it first went out.

ezone

Free diagnosis......LOL

REAL internal compressor failures are rare on Honda IMO.
Many people replace perfectly good compressors just because they don't know there's other ways, or they can't actually diagnose deeper than "it don't work".

Most, say maybe 85% of the AC complaints I deal with are electrical related or clutch related.

So the AC works now?

Okniep

Ok, we'll I do appreciate the attempts to help but my basic questions still aren't getting answered. I verified the first question's answer through the same question I submitted to an Amazon.com seller that Sanden is the OEM for the 2001 Civic compressor. They sell a kit with the OEM compressor and BuyAutoParts (seller's name) own manufacturing of drier, expansion valve, gaskets, and a bottle of the correct oil in a kit for just $182.76. Are those BuyAutoParts pieces not trustworthy? They have the same warranty as the compressor. If changing just a part on the compressor is a lot easier/cheaper, how can i determine what needs changing? What parts would then also need to be changed with the compressor part/s? I was under the impression that bits of metal would likely be stuck in the other parts and that regardless, the drier always has to be changed with it. Also, no one mentions the evaporator. How do I know if that needs changed too and can I really flush it? I've read they don't really flush right, kind of like the condenser. I don't want to set up for a system to just clog again or one part to mess up the rest. The kit and a condenser (and possibly the evaporator, I don't know) seems like the best/safest route at this point to me. Again, I'm new to this though so that's why I need the suggestions/help.

ezone

In order to figure out what is wrong, you really need to have a working knowledge of how it all works........and how it works together. Then you need to know how this particular system is set up to work.....
and be observant, and ....can you do testing yourself?

You've had two mechanics look at it, but I have no idea what they saw or tested on your car.

Observe:
Start the engine
Turn on the fan and AC
Open the hood and check if both radiator fans are running
Check if the compressor clutch is engaged or not
report back with info


EDIT: According to the parts catalog, the original compressor brand was Sanden

Okniep

Thank you for those directions. I went and checked and the fans don't seem to want to kick on and I also don't hear anything from the compressor. Basically no changes occur between turning the ac from off to on full blast. I'm probably being paranoid but I thought I used to at least hear the fans come on when we tried it before the mechanic looked at it... most likely paranoia though, lol. I don't know how to test what part may be broken on it though..

ezone

I would now inspect two more things....and I'm trying to figure how to describe this so you can do it ......it takes me about 15 seconds to evaluate this at work but an hour to put it into words and type it out.

1) I need to know if the system has lost its refrigerant charge, i.e. no or insufficient pressure inside the system,

2) and I would like to know of the compressor is capable of engaging and operating when and if the system tells it to turn on.

How can I kill two birds with one stone......hmmm?
This should do it....










Got a paper clip? Sure you do..


Locate the pressure cutoff switch on the drier bottle next to the radiator on the drivers side...and unplug the connector.

You are going to open up the paper clip into a U shape, use the clip to bridge or jumper the two contacts of the harness connector you unplugged (jumper the wiring, not the switch) and see if the fans kick on and the compressor makes a loud click and the clutch spins.

If it does turn on and run, do not keep it running this way more than a couple seconds because running the compressor with an empty system can cause damage..


Here we go:
Engine running, AC turned on, (don't get your fingers caught in moving parts)
Stick the open paper clip into both harness connector terminals and see if fans and compressor turn on.
If it does turn on, mentally note if the compressor makes a ton of bad noises.
Remove clip as soon as you have an answer, turn off engine.

If it kicked on the fans and compressor, the system is low or empty and now you have to figure out why, or where the leak is and figure out what to do about it.
If nothing kicked on, there's more testing to do.


In this googled pic someone has taken a lot of stuff apart but the pressure switch is on top of the round aluminum can in the bottom right corner, see 2 blue wires:

Okniep

Great instructions! I tested the pressure cut off switch a few times, just barely leaving it on. The fans kick on and I could hear the compressor click on at least one of those times. It's a little hard to hear over everything else in the car running but I think I could detect the compressor running and either way, I didn't hear any "bad" noises. I'm going to be seeing my brother hopefully today. He's pretty experienced with filling up freon in his cars and has the gauges. I can have him check/recharge it, though I imagine the only way to check for leaks is with the dye right?

ezone

Sounds like it's low freon causing the system to not work.....



First look at every area of the system you can see, look for moist dirt stains that would indicate oil has been leaking..........The majority of AC system leaks I see are due to a failing O ring seal, there's one inside each joint/union/fitting, with the exception of the condenser (in front of the radiator) which is very susceptible to damage from road debris such as rocks thrown up by the tires of the cars in front of you.

Inspect for oil stains all around the compressor too, especially the pipe fittings and around the pulley area.

Next, if no oil stains or other obvious clues are seen, a small freon charge is installed and a sniffer type leak detector may be used.

Sometimes dishsoap & water can reveal leakage too, but it would have to be an active pressurized leak to make bubbles.

Dye is installed by someone during charging to aid in FUTURE leak detection, it has to be carried throughout the system as it operates and it has to leak out before it can be found as evidence.
It works great for miniscule leaks that evade immediate detection.
If the system has a gaping hole in it, dye is useless. If it's leaking that fast just follow your ears to the source.


Has someone already installed UV dye?
Do you see a fluorescent sticker placed somewhere in the engine compartment saying someone has?
Remove the cap from the low side service port, see if the inside of the fitting is brightly colored. If so, an ordinary blacklight in a dark garage can work to locate leak.




Or, just shoot some freon in and see what happens. I'd use the type with UV dye, but not the type with sealer because that can cause damage to the system and to the recovery machine a pro has to use....that machine is sometimes worth more than the car it's hooked to.

Civic4me

Our local junk yard has lots of compressors, $20 a piece.. But I would start from refilling some freon and see what happens. If it starts after a refill, that means you just have a small leak, usually it will be the O-ring, considering the age of your car. In that case just change them all, refill again, end of story.