AC blowing warm after dealer replaced compressor 1 year and 1 month ago.

Tiny
MZZZOZZZ
  • MEMBER
  • 2006 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER
  • 61,500 MILES
I think I'm getting ripped off big time. The AC compressor was replaced in my car in February 2011 after the compressor locked up. (THANK GOD FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY) Last July it seemed as if my air wasn't nearly as cold as it was supposed to be, and now it is completely out, blowing warm air. My thing is, when the compressor was replaced shouldn't they have dye tested for leaks? Is there anyway I can prove negligence on their part and have any repairs currently needed covered by the dealer. I don't feel I should be out money when they obviously failed epically to do their job correctly the first time. Please share with me your thoughts, opinions, and advice.
Friday, March 16th, 2012 AT 7:33 PM

11 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
So the a/c worked good before the compressor locked up?Also it worked good after the compressor was replaced?Heres what you have to understand about your a/c system its the most fragile and one of the most expensive parts of your car.
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Friday, March 16th, 2012 AT 7:59 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Also a leak can happen at anytime or a small leak can get bigger at anytime. Also a hose can leak blow etc at anytime you have a expansion valve fail amd cause the pressures to make the a/c not blow cold. There are more variables on the a/c system in your car then any other part of your car I think.I always put dye in the a/c system when charging it or making repairs incase of leaks or future leaks. If they didnt do that it doesnt mean that they are at fault or did something wrong. Alot of things could have happened to the a/c or failed since the compressor was replaced doesnt mean they cheated you or did something wrong. To assume they did something without having it looked at to see what happened is wrong. Thats my take on your a/c and a/c in general.
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Friday, March 16th, 2012 AT 8:09 PM
Tiny
MZZZOZZZ
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Yes, the A/C was working fantastic during the summer season leading up to the compressor replacement. I never had any issue whatsoever, and I'm the sole owner of the car. I can't tell you how great it worked after they replaced the compressor, since it was replaced in February and I live up North where it's freezing that time of year. The compressor locking up caused my power steering belt to snap, which is when I was alerted to this problem. Last July when the issue first came up, the dealer inspected the car and told me they couldn't find any problems. The A/C wasn't nearly as "cooling" temperature wise as it had been previously. And now, today, I have no A/C at all. It's been less than 12,000 miles since the compressor replacement.
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Friday, March 16th, 2012 AT 9:08 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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From my experince of working on a/c I have come across leaks that showed no signs of oil leakage bit was still leaking charge.I have also had a/c leaks that were hard to find with dye the dye wasnt leaking out but there was still a leak. Those were on a/c condensors leaking at the top of them so the dye was settling lower and not leaking out. Again in my expernice without hooking up gauges to read high and low pressures adding dye checking charge levels etc I cant tell whats wrong with the a/c system. Again sorry if I insulted you that was not my intention at all.I cannot assume someones skill level on working cars that I have never met or talked to. Most of the users that ask questions on here arent really knowledable about cars. But are users that ask questions on here range from single moms diyers repair shops etc.
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Friday, March 16th, 2012 AT 9:36 PM
Tiny
MZZZOZZZ
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Update: went and purchased gauges and measured the freon levels. The gauge circled completely around, even have it on video. Apparently when they recharged the system, they over charged it. Compressor won't even kick on, hope the over charge didn't cause blown seals within the compressor.
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Saturday, March 17th, 2012 AT 3:04 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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To tell how charge is in your system now you would have to recover it with a a/c machine and the machine would weigh it. It goes by weight not pressure. Those gauges you get from the parts store may say when the a/C is full but thats not a accurate weigh to know how much charge is in the system. Also the low side will read high until the a/c compressor comes on then it will drop. You also have to check the high and low pressures with the a/c compressor running. One gauge will only tell half the story.
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Saturday, March 17th, 2012 AT 4:12 PM
Tiny
MZZZOZZZ
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Compressor refuses to run. It's going back to the dealer Monday. I don't see any other option.
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Sunday, March 18th, 2012 AT 2:53 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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I know Gm dealers have a 12 month 12,000 mile warranty on all repairs and some items are longer. Not sure about chrysler cars though I only worked at gm dealer.
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Sunday, March 18th, 2012 AT 2:57 AM
Tiny
MZZZOZZZ
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Dealer diagnosis: Blown Radiator.

Wasn't leaking any fluids, temp not running high, no smell, no warning lights. Would have never in a million years seen that coming.
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Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 AT 4:12 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Wow thats crazy the a/c compressor will cycle off if the engine coolant temp gets too high. The reason being is because the ac pressures get too high and the a/c pressure switch cycles the ac compressor off. But you should have seen the higher temp of the coolant on the temp guage. But glad to hear you got it fixed.
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Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 AT 4:38 PM
Tiny
SAMSON30314
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
For you guys having issues with the AC kicking out your engine here's one simple solution recharge your air conditioner I just did it and it completely solve that issue
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Thursday, December 31st, 2015 AT 12:08 PM

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