Air Condition Problems

"Honda05" wrote in news:5df52cfd80a79@uwe:

They might mean a rock hit the condenser and it sprang a leak.

Did they show you so you could see there was no refrigerant?

If you're that suspicious, get a second opinion from another garage.

You most likely blew out a lot of your refrigerant oil before your AC shut down because of low r-134a refrigerant. Honda uses Pag oil in their systems which is very hydroscopic (absorbes moisture). You may have a real problem getting all the moisture out of your system because it will be absorbed into the remaining oil. You need to seal the leak with special tape or something else immediatly and get it fixed. A new receiver dryer would also be a good idea because it has now also absorbed moisture from the outside air. Good luck.

-------------------------------

The condenser is in front of your rad, with a pressurized gas in it. The condenser is made of aluminum and other soft metals. You're going 60, the other guy is going 60 toward you. A pebble pops up and hits the rad at a high speed. Picture a bullet going thru a can of spray paint. Pressure is all gone immediately. That's why some folks install mesh on the lower part of the bumper where the condenser is very vulnerable, especially on SUV's.

Yes, It is sad. You could get a quote from a couple of air conditioner shops as well. They might be 30% cheaper.

'Curly'

Let me explain how Air Conditioning works.

The condenser is a like a radiator in front of the radiator. The compressor compresses the R-134 refrigerant into hot gas then the hot gas is condensed into a liquid in the condenser. Condensing the refrigerant into a liquid causes heat to be disbursed into the atmosphere. The liquid, still under pressure, goes to the evaporator in the cabin and then the liquid goes through the expansion valve and heat from the cabin is absorbed......heat equal to the heat that was rejected in the condenser.

A leak causes the system to fill with air and air will not condense into a liquid and therefore the system will not work.

"Honda05" wrote in news:5df5ea43528d3@uwe:

Well, in a few seconds, anyway. The cold will disappear as soon as the evaporator warms up.

Duckbill makes a good point about moisture in the system. The dealer may be assuming your now-open system has taken on enough moisture to cause collateral damage. A second opinion from a reputable garage should help confirm or deny that fear.

I'm so glad my car doesn't have A/C.