My AC has a leaky compressor. I haven't had a working AC in years. I know the compressor is the leak because I had a dealer do the UV dye test and they pinpointed it to the compressor itself.

I want to fix my AC cheaply. I'd like to do the job myself but I'm a little unsure what's involved. I've read some older threads but I'm still scratching my head. I assume there is little to no pressure in my system because of the leak, but would I have to do any draining or collecting of the oil that's in the compressor? Would I need to have the system charged by a shop?

This kit looks pretty good, and they claim their compressor is better than OEM quality. Can anyone recommend for or against this? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1996-...spagenameZWD1V

Thanks for any advice!

 

when you put another A/C compressor yes you need to charge it with r34 freon

 

ive changed it out on two of my maximas and its not hard at all basicliy its removing a couple bolts and puting them back and to add the r34 is pretty easy 2 they sell the kit and all u have to do is attach it to the pipe (but make sure that its the correct pipe) and open the valve it has a gauge on it its almost idiot proof no pun intended.

 

Because the process itself is complexed and expensive, buy the factory compressor. Ask the eBay seller if it is a new compressor. Since the system is basically full of air, you want to replace the dryer also.

Put everything back together and have a shop pull the vacuum and charge it with R134a refrigerant. The oil is specific for this compressor also and I used Castrol.

My A/C was done last summer and it had held up so far.

There is a few long threads here that goes into details.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....334&highlight=
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....204&highlight=

 

dude..... go to the junk yard and buy another one...

 

$400+ on ebay? I got mine as a reman off of ebay for $175 + shipping. Was a great seller too. It's not just swap and charge though... you have to vac the system as well. Not a DIY job unless you have the equipment if you want it done right.

 

SVI30, browsing through other threads you seem to be an expert on the 4th gen AC system so I value your input. That listing is for a new compressor, non-OEM but they claim it is high quality. The kit includes a new drier, new expansion valve, 8 oz of PAG-46 oil, and o-ring kit. $415 shipped.

I don't think I could beat that with OEM. It looks like online they sell remanufactured Calsonic CWV618 for about $200 but would that really be a better compressor? I want to do the job once (i.e. do it right) but I'd rather go new than reman'd. What do you think?

And just to clarify, I can disconnect the old compressor and install the new one myself, right? The only thing I need a shop for is the vac and charge? I read in another thread something about draining the old compressor to know how much oil to put in the new one. Thanks for the links, I'll read through those.

 

agree......400

 

First of all, $415 includes a brand new compressor, a new drier, new expansion valve, 8 oz of PAG-46 oil, an o-ring kit, and shipping charges—essentially everything you need for the job. I could spend $100 for a used compressor at the junk yard but I'd still need to buy a new drier, oil, and o-rings at the very least. And I wouldn't have the peace of mind since I'd be putting in a 10-year-old, used compressor.

 

My mechanic when I asked him about what I needed to get said that the drier wasn't really needed, this I went the cheaper route with the reman'd one for less. Could have gone to the yard to get a used one, but you never really know what condition they are in.

For what it's worth, mine came pre-oiled and got a two cans of the cold stuff for less than $20.

Here's who I got mine through.

http://myworld.ebay.com/cold9air/

 

I think I went thru that same outfit but not thru eBay. The compressor came from Meridian in San Diego and was a new Calsonic with a Nissan P/N on it. You can ask the seller to see if it is new compressor in that kit. I picked up the dryer and o-rings locally at Nissan.

Yes, I mounted everything myself and had a shop do the evacuation and fill. Prior to that a shop worked on it for over a year and I always had to go back. So I did it myself so that it will stay fixed.

One thing to remember is that there are very few electrical interface to the freon system, just the triple pressure switch and the compressor clutch. The relatively complexed interior climate control system interfaces to the thermal side primarily thru the fan by adding heat to the freon.

Also, a set of gauges is well worth the investment since that is the only real way to see what is happing in the system.

Check the oil type carefully as there are mis-information on the web.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I'm finally ready to do the job now...

SV130, is there a difference between discharging the system and evacuating the system? The FSM seems to imply there is. My question is, do I need to have a shop "discharge" the system before I replace the compressor and drier and expansion valve? Or can I replace those without disturbing the system pressure (which in my car is probably at 0 because of my old leak)? I don't want to spill refrigerant.

By the way, the site that SV130 mentioned in another thread (www.autoairplus.com) has an excellent deal on all the parts you need if you replace your compressor. Brand new Calsonic (OEM) compressor, accumulator/drier, expansion valve, and O-ring kit. Total price is $350 shipped! I believe the only additional costs for this job will be the PAG46 oil, the R134a refrigerant, and the AC shop labor for evacuating and recharging.

 

Yes.

Discharge it to relieve the pressure before you open it up. Being you have a leak and the system hasn't worked in a while there is probably very little pressure in the system. Shops have A/C machines that pull any left over charge out and recovers it.

Evacuating the system is done by pulling a vacuum on the system after it's been opened up so the correct amount of refrigerent can be put in while maintaining correct system pressures.

If you open up the system the only way to get it charged correctly is to have it evacuated and charged with an A/C machine. You cannot get a correct charge by using a can of R134 yourself.

The evacuation process pulls most of the air and all of the moisture out of the system and leaves it under vacuum (evacuated) and ready for refrigerent. The recharge process is by weight, an A/C machine is needed to do this. Once the correct amount by weight, tag on your radiator support indicates correct amount, is put into the system, the pressures will remain correct as outside temps vary. You'll have ice cold A/C when this is done. An A/C machine also injects the correct amount of oil as it charges. It's the only way to correctly recharge your A/C system after it's been opened.

You can replace components yourself, but you MUST have the system evacuated and charged correctly in order to have it function correctly.

 

Thanks for the explanation. I certainly will be having a shop evacuate and recharge. At this point I'm coming to the conclusion that I do need to have it discharged before I replace the parts, and then I'll need to go back for the full evac and recharge. The system likely has some pressure because I know the compressor stops running below a certain pressure but that threshold pressure must be above 0. Because my compressor has not turned on in the interim the system may not have leaked (because the leak was in the compressor itself).

You think a shop will be willing to save my remaining refrigerant for a week or so while I replace parts?

 

I would go ahead and get a gauge set. You can discharge thru the valve on the gauge set. Law require you to recover the discharged gas into a recovery system. Since any pressurized gas in the system will have oil in it, it may make a mess if you don't cover it.

Make sure both high pressure and low pressure side valve cover are replaced after everything is done.

 

I ended up going to a shop yesterday and they put a Snap On AC refrigerant recovery machine on it. The guy said there was essentially nothing left in the system; the machine didn't measure any fluid recovered. I'll be going back to have the system charged after I install the new parts.

 

you have to remove it... really easy. then in stall new one then vacuum system and charge it.

 

I had to remove the A/C compressor last week and installed my new alternator this afternoon. It was dangling from the two hoses and resting on a large plastic planter for the past week waiting on the new alternator to arrive.

The Nissan compressor bracket is nicely done with locater tabs so it went back in without a hitch.

A/C Compressor (120K file)

 

That does look like a good price. Did you end up buying from them VQuick? How did it work out?

 

Yes I did, and everything was great, except the O-ring kit is overpriced and doesn't have all the O-rings you need if you're replacing your drier and expansion valve, but you can pick them up from a parts store or a shop. Be sure the new O-rings are EXACTLY the same size as the old ones. Otherwise you will have leaks!

 

When you evacuate the system with an a/c machine at a shop, does all of the oil come out of the compressor as well ?? If the expansion valve is clogged with oil, will it be clean out when they evacuate ??