GOTTA be kidding!!

[gensic11]

GOTTA be kidding!! (UPDATED W/ PICS)

Well I just realized today my A/C wasn't blowing cold anymore... pissed because less than a month ago i got it fixed. Well, they placed dye in the system to check for leaks in case it went out again.. guess where?? My Accumulator was saturated in the dye.. i'm afraid it went ahead and blew up. I'm sorta happy cause it will finally be fixed and stay fixed. I'm sad cause that's at least another 100$ out of my pocket. I don't wanna do it myself because I don't have the right tools.. so i'm gonna see what happens and ill post back later.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Maybe all of that dye clogged the orifice tube?

 

[gensic11]

I was a little skeptical of the dye clogging things... Anyway what do you guys think? I paid 39.99 for a complete A/C inspection in which they claimed to find no leaks (which i believed them or they would have told me i'm sure). Should I tell them they should have noticed my rotting accumulator? I don't mind paying to have a new one put on, but I don't feel I should have to pay to have it re-charged AGAIN. They should have told me it was going bad and offered to replace it in the first place. I am not an ####### and don't demand anything from anyone incase I feel i'm getting screwed, but what would you guys say are my RIGHTS in this case since I paid for the inspection?

I know my inspection today at 5:30 will be free, but what else should be free since I just got it done a couple weeks ago?

Thanks

Josh

 

[BrooklynBay]

When you went back to them, did they check the high, and low side pressure? This would tell them what is going on.

 

[shamaal]

I changed the condensor in my wife's caravan three months ago, yesterday the evaporator was leaking dye.

Sometimes s**t happens.

Make the best deal you can. As a minimum, you can change the accumulator yourself - 2 hours and see if they'll evacuate and charge for free.

 

[BrooklynBay]

They might say that if a part was replaced by anybody other than one of their own mechanics (the vehicle's owner, or another mechanic), then it might void the warranty (if there is even a warranty).

 

[shamaal]

Perhaps I wasn't clear,

Bring the car back first and make the best deal. If you can't embarass them into fixing it for free, offer a compromise to replace the accumulator if they'll evacuate and charge.

 

[gensic11]

ok well they replaced the Accumulator.. right around 100$.. i don't know what it "should" cost but i heard at least over 70 so i wasn't going to argue 20$.. they didn't charge labor or inspections.. check out the old accumulator..
also check out my awesome spare tire i got on there until tomorrow.. i'm getting 4 new Uniroyal Cross Country tires..

 

[Glacier991]

The rusting accumulator is a common Explorer problem. In this case, it appears to me they flat out missed it, although it could be that it was not leaking at the time of the test, and if the foam was still on it, it might be an excusable miss. If it looked like your pics when they inspected, they should, IMHO, replace it, evac and recharge and only charge you for the materials and labor to replace the accumulator. (Which they would have done had they properly done it last time. My 2 cents.

Be nice, and not nasty, and you might score just that. 134 is cheap.

 

[gensic11]

they already replaced it without charging labor.. only parts. they missed it because they ran all the proper tests and found nothing.. the sniffer found no leaks.. i can't explain it. they even took the accumulator out and did the "water" test trying to get it to bubble and nothing happened.. but anyway it's fixed and all i was charged for was the part

 

[Glacier991]

That's an honest and more than fair shop. THEY DO exist. What's the shop name? You should write them a letter of thanks.... they went above and betond in my opinion. I salute them.

 

[gensic11]

Ok well here's the full story short and sweet..


SHOP NAME: MIDAS


A/C hasn't worked for 3 years - was afraid to check it because I tried recharging it myself (with the shi**y autozone pressure guage) and i couldn't get it working so I assumed it was a bigger problem until i read posts on this site saying to have it professionally done.

With this huge heat wave and working an internship I couldn't take being hot and sweaty anymore. I went in to have it checked out.

First trip - they hooked up a sniffer - found no leaks but saw I was 2lbs short on pressure so they recharged.

A/C worked great for about 3 weeks and then it started to go out again. The compressor kept cycling like it was lot on pressure but it still blew out cool air (confusing to me)..

I went to have it checked out and at the shop it worked PERFECTLY, cool air.. didn't cycle improperly etc. I left with working A/C.. thinking it was just bad luck. (FREE inspection by the way, no charge)

VERY next day - A/C went out completely - no cold air and cycle every 3 seconds. I scheduled a new appointment.

Went in today and they saw there was NO pressure - nice guys, let me watch them inspect.. I saw the dye all over the accumulator - they couldn't find any anywhere else. They evac'd it.. still couldn't sniff out a leak so they tested it in the water and still wasn't leaking (it was obvious bythe dye it was the accumulator)..

He offered me to replace although he couldn't "Guarantee" the accumulator was the problem due to testing it multiple ways.

Replacement was 96$ plus tax and no labor charge or inspection charge. They were very cool guys and now my A/C works again.

That's the whole story.

 

[Dopler174]

The rusting accumulator is a common Explorer problem. In this case, it appears to me they flat out missed it, although it could be that it was not leaking at the time of the test, and if the foam was still on it, it might be an excusable miss. If it looked like your pics when they inspected, they should, IMHO, replace it, evac and recharge and only charge you for the materials and labor to replace the accumulator. (Which they would have done had they properly done it last time. My 2 cents.

Be nice, and not nasty, and you might score just that. 134 is cheap.

134 is about $6.00 a pound.

 

[ma96782]

134 is about $6.00 a pound.

My shop charges me much more per pound.......don't want to say how much, cause I'm embarassed. But, I figure they add a "mark up," on parts...........which bring me to.................

Replacement was 96$ plus tax and no labor charge or inspection charge.

As for the accumulator replacement w/o a labor charge, $96. IMHO............well it sounds like a high price for the accumulator........but, all together not a "bad deal." Figure accumulator $60 and $40 for labor. Considering they did re-charge it (they paid for R-134a), after the replacement of the accumulator.

Aloha, Mark