2005 Honda Odyssey Fan Relay

KKARL

MEMBER
2005 HONDA ODYSSEY
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
61,033 MILES

I have an extended warranty and I am actually putting it to use. (Hold the applause). I took my Odyssey in to the Honda dealership to get it repaired.
I noticed the problem while in a drive-through. I did not have any air on and I bent down to grab my purse and heard the sound of the air conditioner come on. It was cold so it surprised me I straitened and moved to turn air off and saw I was surrounded by a cloud of white smoke blowing through the vents and outside from my hood. I immediately pulled to the side and turned care off. Called my road-side assistance and was towed into the dealership.
They replaced a lot of air conditioner parts: compressor, w-condenser discharge hose, suction hose, condenser assembly, clutch set, stator set, a/c system - evacuate and recharge (what is this) and tested for leaks.
I got my car back by the end of the day. I was not taken out and shown what was done. I didn't know and I didn't know how A/C even worked. I know more today.
I drove home and parked in garage. Peace, I have my car back to chauffeur my 3 year-old, 20 month old and 1 month infant!
Next morning husband called his car died on way to work, may need the Odyssey. I go out and it is completely dead.-
I call roadside assistance. Someone comes out and charges my battery. It starts and we leave it running to help the charge. Roadside assistance leaves. I am trying to feed kids and make sure no one steals my running car outside. Suddenly, pop-pop-pop-pop, like popcorn popping as loud as gun shots. I race out and white smoke coming from my car. And the pop-ing sound is scaring me to death. I reach in and turn car off. DOUBLE CRAP!
I call roadside assistance and have car towed into another dealership because it is closer to my house than the other dealership. I find out at end of day the relay-switch has to be replaced.
Here's my question: my battery is dead, in order to get it off Honda lot it has to be running. They told me this, they know. I said it should be replaced because the part that was not replaced caused car to work harder and drained my battery. I am not asking morally should they change the battery. I am asking can the repairs from the first day cause my battery to discharge? Can not changing those parts cause my battery to discharge.

1 Reply

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,815 POSTS

Hi KKarl,

From the symptom description, the AC clutch relay was probably bad and sticking causing the compressor to be workign when the AC was not turned ON. This would result in the mist coming out of the vents. The smoke from the engine was the compressor working all the time causing excessive pressure to build and resulting in the AC system giving way discharging freon through a burst hose or component.

Evacuate and recharge = vacumning the AC system to remove any air present inside the system and recharging the freon.

The AC relay sticking would cause the battery to be drained and if the battery is in good condition, some running of the engine would get it back to fully charged condition so there is no necessity to replace it, unless test confirms the battery to be bad.

The repairs carried out should not cause the battery to be discharged.