Hi, My 2001 DRV 3500 5.9L has an AC comp. that has been whining for a while (assumably bearings) and will now cool for only a couple minutes before compressor very hot to touch and shuts off (thermal cutoff assumed). It can be restarted like 5 min. later. Van has front and rear AC.

I've been quoted $1500 by Pep Boys to flush system and replace the compressor, oriface tube and receiver/dryer. They are just diagnosing the system tomorrow and say if it has "the black death" I will need a condenser also for an additional $500.

They said prices quoted are "on high side" and may be less. Doess this pricing fall within a reasonable range assuming quality parts and installation? Also what is "black death" and does it seem I should need a condenser?

Thanks

 

Less then 400 bucks in parts...... plus refrigerant...... 1500 seems REALLY high to me.....

 

$190 for the compressor, $20 for the refrigerant, $10 for the dryer, $80 for a condenser is $300 for the parts including a new condenser. That leaves them charging you $1,700 ($550/hr.) in labor for about 3-hours of work. It's not only HIGH, it's HIGHway robbery.

 

Yea that seems really really high. I dunno if you can turn a wrench, but the condenser and drier are pretty easy to do. You would need to empty the system at a shop and then you can start replacing those parts. Refilling the system isn't too difficult either. I think you can rent the equipment needed. The compressor can be tricky.

Get another opinion at a reliable shop.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I actually drove from big city S. Fl. to small town mid state not just to try and get a decent price but better work. So I google shop reviews which I know can be fake but 1 shop comes up good with hundreds of reviews. Tell them I want a compressor, dryer and flush AND that van had after market "AC stuff" added when converted to hitop.. They say around 1200 but bring your van by we gotta do $110 diag to make sure that's what you need but money will go towards repairs. So I'm gonna get screwed money wise but what can I do- it's gonna be 97 degrees next week. They do diag and say you're condenser's busted and we gotta fix it to test you're compressor. So I'm gonna get it right through the pants. Ok yeah do that for another $600. I leave and start to think- call them back and ask where the condenser they checked was. "Right up front where it is on every DRV- we checked it with a thermal camera and got nothing".
Of course they didn't- the after market TransAir condenser is mounted on the side behind the driver's door. The one they checked wasn't even hooked up. HERE WE GO AGAIN.
Does anybody know a decent mechanic anywhere in Fl.? Have van, will travel.

 

Well that is $300 less. Are you capable of replacing these parts on your own? If so buy the parts, and then a vacuum pump and a set of gauges. The tools shouldn't cost you more than $300. So for $300 in parts and another $300 for the tools, you can do it yourself for $600 and have the vacuum pump and gauges should you ever need them again.

 

Autozone even loans the tools and guages but I don't want to risk it and at this point it's not the money. My rant was that this shop wanted to replace a condenser that was not hooked up or any part of my current stock + aftermarket system (which I told them up front) before checking the compressor. I had the condenser scheduled before running down the list of what could go wrong and fortunately came up with they're looking at the wrong condenser. How can I trust these guy's to do good work- I can't. I'm going back today to try and get my $110 diag fee back since they blew it. You know my chances there.

 

Rockauto

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...ompressor,6628

 

I'm scheduled for compressor, dryer, expansion valve and flush next week for $1150. I cut the shop a slide on diag of wrong condenser and am using them with fingers crossed. Good news is that stock condenser was capped at conversion to side condenser right out of the factory so if anything goes wrong I'm already carrying an unused "new" condenser for use. I never use rear AC.
Thanks for your help. I would have been paying quite a bit more not knowing. Fl. has a lot of demand on the "supply and demand" scale and I guess we pay more than average.

 

That's a significant drop in price. It can't be due to the condenser because they quoted a separate $500 for that, so why did they cut so much off?