Perfect timing! Middle of Texas summer and my A/C goes out.

Its a 2002 Civic. I'm going to replace the compressor and probably the drier.

Has anyone done this?

Any pitfalls I need to look out for? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Don't just probably replace the drier - do it. Everytime an A/C system is unpressurized for more than just a few minutes, they should be replaced.

But before you do anything, how do you know your "A/C went out?" What exactly happened?

If you do need to replace the components, fine. Take it by a shop first and have them recover the R-134 first. They should do it for free (they make money on the coolant recovered). Then, if you don't have access to a vacuum pump, and one that can sustain 1 bar, then expect to take it back to a shop to have them pull a vacuum on the system and recharge it. Or at minimum, you could pay them to pull a vacuum and you can put your own R-134 in it.

If your compressor failed it may have contaminated the system and requires a complete flush. If you don't get all the contamination out of the condenser, evaporator, expansion valve, etc. it can cause your new compressor to also fail or simply won't work properly.

Bob,

I've got a vacuum pump you can borrow if you need it. I'm in Georgetown, but work in Austin.

Gary

+1 on having a shop check it out first. The last time my ac failed (99 Grand Caravan) was due to the evaporator core developing a hole. I never would have figured it out on my own. That was a ridiculous repair, but I did it myself to save ridiculous money.

If it is the compressor, get a new one, rather than rebuilt, if you can. I will cost a bit more, but will be worth it. Double check all the parts that should be replaced along with the compressor and drier. Expansion valve, orifice tube, switches... Some of these may also need to be replaced.

Good luck!

I did my son's civic 2 summers ago. YOUTUBE was great. I joined a honda forum and got some help and searched it high and low. Also I found the actual honda How-To online as well.

Here is a PDF for a 99

Honda is like VW with generation changes, mine is a 7th Gen, IIRC. So get the right info for your car. The PDF is how to install AC if the factory didn't, so it is slightly odd about adding stickers and diodes, etc...

I bought a kit at NAPA... $600-ish. Comes with 3 or 4 parts and hoses, PAC oil, condenser, dryer, orifice tube, expansion valve, etc... I broke or maybe stripped the threads on a (not included) hose and had to go to the dealer, so that cost me another hundred, and an extra day.

1 maybe 2 day job.

Almost forgot. Make sure all the electrical connections are tight when done. I can't remember which one I left slightly loose, but the BATT light came on and stayed on. Took it to the dealer and found out that this is typical when working on the AC compressor. What ever it did, the BATT light cannot be turned off without replacing the dash, so black electrical tape was my fix.

CIVICFORUMS.com

AC repair post 7th gen


BTW: I replaced his timing belt last weekend and had to take a lot of the same stuff off the car. You might consider that job "while your in there".

Thank you, I have one too. My neighbor is an A/C tech and has all the tools. She checked it when it 1st went out and thinks it's the compressor.

It was blowing cool not cold so I tried filling with the DIY can of r134. I may have put too much in. Then it started making noise and the pressure reading were weird. I don't remember exactly what they were doing but she thought the compressor seals went bad.

I worry about the $200 units but I don't have a lot to put in to it. Any recommendations?

I agree with not using a commercial rebuilt compressor. I worked for one of the largest AC compressor rebuilders and there units are crap. Price a new unit for comparison. Try to find a shop that rebuilds their own compressors. Many do so they can stand behind the work.

I'm still not sure I'd go tearing into things before diagnosing the problem. So one day it just started blowing hot? If the seals on the compressor are gone, you'd see low PSI from the low side and high side. Need to get some gauges on it and get some kind of a baseline. Or, at minimum, put some UV dye in the system (fairly cheap at the FLAPS) and you'll be able to tell exactly where the refrigerant is coming from. If the seals are gone on the compressor, it'll spew out the front or just underneath the compressor pulley.

It would suck to replace the compressor if it ended up just being a o-ring, or even simpler, a plugged orifice tube/expansion valve. For example, my wife's A/C started blowing cool, not COLD over a few weeks. Turned out to be a plugged orifice tube - a $1.50 part. Flushed the system, replaced the tube, new oil and refrigerant and it was good to go.

I believe Hondas have expansion valves, but those can get clogged too.