My $100 evaporates into the AIR!

[pojo]

June 8th, I took my car in to Car-X to get my oil changed and I had them check the A/C... it was blowing hot air! I spent $120 A/C and Oil Change. Anyways, they check it (dye and all!) and found NO leaks. So they filled up the freon tank.

Yesterday (june 30th), I was driving home from campus and was sweating (it was 80* out) and wanted to turn my A/C, but was blow away from HOT AIR. I'm dead serious, A/C went out AGAIN!

Anyways, I called Car-X and *tried* to politely ask why... the guy there is saying that I have to bring my car back in to Car-X so they can hook my car back up to the computer to find the leak. Apparently they will not charge me, but we'll have to see.... My step-dad looked at it again and was furious, the A/C piping was HOT!

Needless to say, wednesday night was NOT a fun night!

Leaking of unused freon into the atmosphere is illegal!

Oh by the way, my car is a 1998 chevy cavalier!

[GalvestonDuck]

$120 for an oil change and to charge your A/C and check for leaks? ? ? ?

Unless I'm missing something and they did more than just charge it and check for leaks (which they obviously missed), smack 'em upside the head next time you see them! My mechanic charged a friend of mine only $40 for the A/C, plus some other minor repair.

Get under the hood with them and take a look at things. With a newer model car, yours must take R-134. It shouldn't cost as much as the old R-12 systems. They DID use R-134, right? Not R-12? Make sure they check all three hoses connection the condensor, the compressor, and the evaporator and the belt.

I used to deal with a real snake here on the island until I found my current mechanic -- honest as the day is long. He'll show me everything he has to do or is going to do and he'll talk about what parts would be better to get new and which ones could just as easily come from a used, junked car. He advised me to give up the ghost on my old car that I used to have when I first moved here (the one that the other guys charged me over $2000 to do repairs on). He said it wasn't worth putting anymore money into it and I was better off just letting it go.

Shop around if you can -- sometimes the little shade tree mechanics are better than the big chains. Good luck!

[Josephine96]

Sorry to hear that Shannon.. Sounds like you have a beautiful car.. Hope the AC gets fixed on it

[pojo]

I'm probably going to take my car to his trusty mechanic... That might help. I'm going to talk with him this afternoon when I get home.

[Lindaloo]

Sometimes and most of the time there is a hose that can't be detected for leaks unless it is targeted. MOST do not look at this hose which 99.9% of the time is the culprit.

Duckie, most cars are already converted over to the 134. The 12 is just about obsolete and just too expensive to buy even though you have to have a license now to buy freon anywhere.

[GalvestonDuck]

Yup, that was part of the problem with my old car (before my Malibu). I never got the A/C in it fixed, even after I moved here, because it was too costly to convert.

Speaking of A/C...I think I need mine down to a cooler temp now. It's hot in here.

[george_r_1961]

Shannon Im not an expert but I would think that any mechanic trained to work on AC ahould have been able to fix your problem on the first visit. Did they check the compressor as well? Last time I had car AC problems the compressor was shot. Luckily it was still under warranty. Oh im not trying to make fun of you, but around here 80 degrees is considered cool in the summer