Rep Power: 0

I have a 2008 Honda Civic LX.

But the past few weeks, I've noticed my A/C is intermittent. Some days it will blow cool, some days it's completely like outside air. Where I live it's about to be getting cooler shortly, but I took it in to see if they could figure out what's wrong. They told me the compressor clutch and assembly needed replacement, and quoted me $1850. Based on KBB and Carmax quotes, the car is worth ~$3200. I'm trying to justify it, but I don't think I can. I'm out the diagnostic fee ($169) no matter what. I've had the car for 3-4 years or so. Got it from my brother, who bought it new. No major issues with it, no accidents, damage, etc.

My questions:
- Is the symptom I'm seeing indicative of the clutch failing, or am I being misdirected?
- Should it really cost that much (part looks to be ~$400 or so brand new based on searching) or should I get a second quote (and pay another diagnostic fee)?

Current mindset at this point I think is to sell/trade it in for $3200, add the $1850 I would've paid for this repair, and see what that would get me as far as a down payment on something new.

 
Rep Power: 100

First off, A/C repairs are always expensive due to the knowledge needed to do it and dealing with the refrigerant. However, for the repair that they're proposing, I think $1850 is very high.

The repair does make sense based on your symptoms. The magnetic part that pulls the clutch in loses its strength over time so the compressor cuts in and out. However, sometimes it's just that the air gap is too big and removing a washer behind the clutch will close that gap. Some cars may require removal of the compressor to accomplish this, which means the refrigerant has to be recovered and recharged (hence the high cost).

Another possibility is that it's very humid where you are and the evaporator is getting close to freezing. This will cause the A/C to shut off until the evaporator thaws out. A very dirty cabin air filter MAY be the cause of this. Or maybe the sensor in front of the evaporator (assuming the 8th gens have one) is faulty.

Before you make a decision here, check your cabin air filter and see how dirty it is. Replace as needed and see if A/C performance improves.

 
Rep Power: 0

Those are good suggestions. I will check both before I decide. Something else that the service manager didn’t tell me on the phone but I saw on the invoice was it looks like the quote actually included replacing the compressor. It said:

”found the a/c relay inop due to fault clutch and coil on the compressor. rec replacing the compressor, dryer, and relay”

…which is not what he said on the phone. That would make it a lot more expensive I would think. If I had known before I picked it up, I would’ve asked about just the clutch/assy while I was there.

edit: rereading, it looks like they checked the “micron cabin filter” so that’s probably not it. I don’t see anywhere they checked the sensor you mentioned, though. Need to look and see if it has one.

 
Rep Power: 100

I checked on RockAuto and it appears you have one of those sensors in front of the evaporator. I don't know how easy it is to access, but that is a possibility for your problem.

The repairs they are calling for seem to be sort of a blanket repair. Just replace the relay and a/c compressor and hopefully that will fix it. But how long did they really diagnose it for? Diagnosis takes time, so maybe not too long. Maybe it's just the relay, or just the coil, or maybe faulty wiring? If they just throw everything at it, then they'll probably get lucky and fix the actual problem and be done with it. This is how shops think (I would imagine). People don't want to pay and wait for diagnosis, they just want it done ASAP.

If you have some knowledge, time, and patience you could save yourself a lot of money and diagnose it yourself. But you may have to evacuate the system and then recharge it. Shops have sophisticated equipment to do this without letting refrigerant into the air.

My approach would be to find the sensor I mentioned and remove for testing. If it tests good, then go to the relay and start testing there...see if the compressor clutch moves in and out when voltage is applied. If so, then replace the relay maybe or test more. If not, then replace the coil. This may require removing the compressor and evacuating the system.
It all takes time and patience, ya know? A/C testing can get involved quickly.

 
Rep Power: 0

find a new shop
1850 to r&r an compressor is nuts
https://www.buyautoparts.com/buynow/...hoCG1YQAvD_BwE

they want $130 for the whole comp+clutch unit maybe too cheap but was the first up

 
Rep Power: 222

thread is 11 years old.
$130 sounds like it will blow up instantly

 
Rep Power: 0

math is not your strong point

less that one year !

 
Rep Power: 222

My mistake, been on nights