AC Mainit Pa Rin! - New Evap, Exp Valve and Drier

[_Cathy_]

Hi. I drive a 96 Corolla. I just had my AC repaired today. Exactly a year ago I was in the same ac repair shop. Below are the details of what was done to my car:

Sep 2006:
General Cleaning - P850
Flush System - P300
Replace Filter Drier Denso Original - P1500
Replace Cooling Coil Serpentine -P4000

18 Oct 2007:
General Cleaning - P1,100
Flush System - P300
Replace Filter Drier Denso Original - P1,500
Replace Expansion Valve Denso Original - P1,600

I am really frustrated because after all that has been done, my AC doesn't function as well as it did before. It got even worse because before the repair/replacements done today I could do with just number 1, but now I have to switch to number 2 even if I have no passengers at all. I was told that the reason why the drier broke down so easily was because my radiator was leaking (which is true coz I saw it myself). Given that it is true, I just don't understand why it's still mainit. It really isn't just my imagination coz before the recent break down I really don't go above number 1 when I'm driving alone e going home from the repair shop I was a second away from brreaking a sweat. It wasn't that hot naman. Also I noticed that the pitch of my car horn got higher. It sounds so bad. I thought I was just imagining it but our helper didn't even recognize the horn and my dog didn't even bark thinking that it was another car. I feel dyaje to go back to the repair shop just a day after coz they might say that there's nothing wrong naman. Also the mechanic might think that I'm too finicky. Also do you guys know what the temperature inside the car should be when the AC is on low? They didn't show me the temp kasi. Last year they showed it to me before I left. So do you guys recommend that I go back tomorrow or should I just switch to another repair shop? or should my priority be buying a new radiator? The top portion is leaking badly kasi, they said that if I don't have it repaired immediately, it might cause the other parts near the radiator to break down as well (from the heat) . Thanks

[kinyo]

Also do you guys know what the temperature inside the car should be when the AC is on low?

if you stick a thermometer at your aircon vent on the dashboard, it should read around 12 degrees celsius when the compressor is operating, engine idling on shaded parking, low fan ... i would guess >16C is not cold enough

[theveed]

One thing about AC system in automobile is that rarely can it be fixed part by part if something went wrong previously.

Meaning, let's say something went wrong before, you let it slide and you only do freon top-ups... That's a big start of something that'll snowball as years go by.

Everytime you lose freon and recharge it, most smaller shops don't replenish the oil in your compressor at the same time. If I'm not mistaken, all AC system should have a proper ratio of freon to oil in order for everything to run smoothly.

If you only top up freon and not the oil, soon enough, o-rings will stiffen, compressor bearings will lack lubricity, pressure valves will fail, evaporators will leak, etc etc etc.

If you only fix things a part at a time, you're just going to replace things continously.

Based on my experience, as soon as something goes wrong with the cooling system, have it done by a reputable shop, fix the problem and replace the consumables right away like drier, freon and replace compressor oil.

Been there before, AC repairs every 3-6 months for 3 straight years... Got sick of it and got everything fixed in one go. Change compressor, flushed all coolant/oil, replaced what should be replaced (o-rings, expansion valve, drier) and filled it up with proper freon and oil ratio. Problem gone for half a decade with ice-cold cooling.

[seonadancing]

I completely agree. I had the same experience and it's really best to have somebody look at the whole system instead of just replacing a broken part.

[cfatchma]

Try mo pacheck yung ac compressor mo bka busted. Kase kailngan nagpapawis yung tubo ng ac papunta sa loob ng ac condenser. tapos kung ipapaservice mo ulit. try mo pabaklas yung evaporator, tapos yung tubo na papuntang ac compressor pabaklas mo den. Tapos pabugahan mo ng hangin. baka kase my bara na yung tubo. pag ayaw paren. d ko na alam hehehe

[rlp1099]

+100 kay theveed

know everyone wants to save a little here and there

i summed up all my receipts doing that and still ended up having the entire AC system (except hosing) changed on my 15 year old ride

so butas ang wallet and savings pero sobra naman lamig ng auto

moral of lesson:

punta ka sa marunong at reputable na lugar
acquistion cost will really set you back but will pay off later

[wrcastro_ph]

pinaka maganda dyan eh lumipat ka na ng ibang talyer.

[t2erns]

yup tama palit ka na ng shop (they didn't seem to know how to properly diagnose your ac system)

[theveed]

i summed up all my receipts doing that and still ended up having the entire AC system (except hosing) changed on my 15 year old ride

Yup, my "partial" repairs ended up being more expensive than getting a full brand new kit from Coolmate, at that time may promo pa sila lalabas parang 20% cheaper than my tagpi-tagpi repair.

[banawe]

Sep 2006:
General Cleaning - P850
Flush System - P300
Replace Filter Drier Denso Original - P1500
Replace Cooling Coil Serpentine -P4000

18 Oct 2007:
General Cleaning - P1,100
Flush System - P300
Replace Filter Drier Denso Original - P1,500
Replace Expansion Valve Denso Original - P1,600


i was looking at your expenses ... i think your problem is your cooling coil ... serpentine usually cost 2500 - 3000 ... the problem sa serpentine matagal lumamig ... that may be the probelm ... if your paying for a good cooling coil ... dapat nag laminated ka na ... 4000 - 5000 ..... you don't have to pay 4500 for a serpentine

you can also change oil ng compressor baka kulang na yung lakas niya ...

BANAWE AUTO SUPPLY
regy

[autofrost]

hi, 1st, have your compressor checked for compression, maybe mdyo mhina na bomba nya, it can be checked by installing it with a gauge by a technician, low side at idling speed should at least be 50 or lower, its hi side should at least be 200, considering na nippondenso ang ac system mo, dapat malamig talaga. 2nd, its the evaporator, originally, nippondenso should be laminated, tama si banawe, mdyo matagal lumamig un, as with my experience as a ac shop owner, sa corolla, d match ang serpentine, it should be laminated. it varies with each vehicles kung mag match ang replacement evaporator.

[alwayz_yummy]

have your compressor, aux fan, condenser checked too...

[4JGtootsie]

What happened to me once was the AC shop told me general cleaning ang recommendation. Only to find out after that the drive plate has too much clearance that the magnetic solenoid can not engage the compressor to the pulley. Puno ng freon at malinis lahat when i saw system during dismantling.I was so dissapointed with me and the shop for not seeing the simple problem. Pinokpok lang yung stopper para lumapit. Ayon sayang pera ko for refrigerant, valves and driers. Dual pa naman.

Drive plate is the front most part of the compressor. Pagsumasama ang ikot naka engage pag stationary yon hindi magpupump ang compressor ergo hindi lalamig. Clearance or gap is critical dito.

[_Cathy_]

Yup, my "partial" repairs ended up being more expensive than getting a full brand new kit from Coolmate, at that time may promo pa sila lalabas parang 20% cheaper than my tagpi-tagpi repair.

Where did you buy the full brand new kit? How much did it cost you?

[_Cathy_]

Sep 2006:

i was looking at your expenses ... i think your problem is your cooling coil ... serpentine usually cost 2500 - 3000 ... the problem sa serpentine matagal lumamig ... that may be the probelm ... if your paying for a good cooling coil ... dapat nag laminated ka na ... 4000 - 5000 ..... you don't have to pay 4500 for a serpentine

you can also change oil ng compressor baka kulang na yung lakas niya ...

BANAWE AUTO SUPPLY
regy

Just this afternoon my AC stopped working again! It's as if it was only the fan that was working so I turned it off. After 20 mins I turned it on again -full blast and it started blowing cold air again but then I'd hear whistles every now and then. The type of whistle when you see a ***y lady. hehe. Not just hissing. What could be wrong? Should I just change the whole system? Baka may remedyo? I don't wanna end up wasting the 4,500 that I spent yesterday. The mechanic at the AC shop also told me that I need to bring it back there to have the bearing fixed/changed coz my compressor is kinda maingay daw. He said to let a month or so pass before doing so 'coz they'd have to charge me again for the freon.

[chuaed]

Backjob mo sa kanila ulit... at whag ka mag bayad ni isang kusing...

palit na lahat tapos sira pa... kalokohan.

[seonadancing]

I'm hearing whistling on my AC too sometimes, compressor bearing ba yun? Minsan pag nalulubak tsaka nag whiwhistle e.

[tibo_3rd]

hi, i left my car with coolmate pasong tamo yesterday for compressor replacement. 15 years old na rin ang stock compressor ko. check the topic i posted "denso - is it worth it".

will see how it goes.

[suv]

What happened to me once was the AC shop told me general cleaning ang recommendation. Only to find out after that the drive plate has too much clearance that the magnetic solenoid can not engage the compressor to the pulley. Puno ng freon at malinis lahat when i saw system during dismantling.I was so dissapointed with me and the shop for not seeing the simple problem. Pinokpok lang yung stopper para lumapit. Ayon sayang pera ko for refrigerant, valves and driers. Dual pa naman.

Drive plate is the front most part of the compressor. Pagsumasama ang ikot naka engage pag stationary yon hindi magpupump ang compressor ergo hindi lalamig. Clearance or gap is critical dito.

Ano cause bakit nagkakaganyan

[baludoy]

just underwent through this problem last month. the first shop i consulted qouted me a P6000 bill. gusto madami palitan plus when i asked if the price of the parts to be replaced were fair here and in another fourm, the responses were all the same: taga masyado ang presyo ng parts. so i approached another aircon shop recommended to me by my friends and they just replaced 2 parts tapos mas mababa pa talaga ang singil ng parts. ngayon ok na ok na ang a/c ko

it's a good thing i didn't fall for the complicated explanation of the first a/c shop on why some parts of my a/c needed replacement. otherwise i would have shelved out P3500 more than really necessary (although, i might add, it's a very reputable shop in my area and i already had my a/c cleaned satsfactorily over there before). in matters like these, it really pays to get a 2nd opinion