2012 Toyota. A/C stopped working. Service center says we need to recharge the system $300.00, Did not fix the problem, brought it back to service center and now being told it’s the compressor. $1,500.
Not being a mechanic, my question is would it have been possible to test compressor before recharging the system?
Ah, it’s so much easier to troubleshoot when it ain’t your money. See if they’ll knock $300 off their “maybe it could be possibly pretty sure it’s gotta be the compressor” replacement estimate.
Not before recharging the system, but right after. I just went through the A/C from hell experience with my dealer (not Toyota). To get into hell, I went through my mechanic, who I trust.
I brought the car in with now A/C (“blowing warm”). My mechanic determined that there was almost no refrigerant left. They recharged it, but added a dye, so that leaks could be spotted when they ran the recharged A/C system. They didn’t see any leaks, let me know this and sent me on my way (cost ~$300). About 6 weeks later I was back at the shop with no A/C again. This time they did a more thorough check, tightened a few things that didn’t appear to be very loose, refilled it and sent me on my way again (cost $0). Six weeks later, rinse and repeat (always for $0 charge). Eventually, they identified the issue, advised me that a dealer service department was my best bet for fixing the problem (which was the entrance to hell, it turns out).
If your Service department did not see a compressor leak the first time, they are either lying or incompetent. If they didn’t bother to check, or checked but didn’t see a leak from the compressor (which is usually a very visible component) they are incompetent. If they checked but decided just to fill it and draw out the process (and increase their take), they are dishonest. In either case, unless there is a warranty involved, I’d recommend finding an honest, competent mechanic and letting them figure it out.
I would have thought (naively?) that if the only thing the AC needed was recharging that it would have gradually lost the ability to cool rather than just stopping working altogether. Am I right about this or not?
When my car’s AC stopped working (started blowing warm), it turned out to be the blend door IIUC.
Yes, as the system loses refrigerant, it won’t get as cold. But the system will not allow the compressor to energize once the pressure decreases below a certain threshold. (There is a pressure sensor that monitors refrigerant pressure.)
If a system needs recharging it has a leak. Maybe a small recharge after several years could be overlooked. A system should never be recharged without running it through it’s paces and checking all operations. It doesn’t take more than about 20 minutes as a rule. When they evacuate the system they know exactly how much they pull out. It doesn’t take very much to energize the compressor so if it wasn’t coming on they should have noticed it right there.