Air Condition Problems

I have a 2005 Honda Accord LX with 40,000 (yes, I know I drive a lot) It's
out of warranty and the extended warranty does not apply. I was driving down
the highway with the air conditioner on when all of a sudden the air stop
blowing cold air. I took it into the Honda dealer and they told me that a
rock it the case and crack it. It's going to cost $600 to repair. I don't
believe them. My questions are: How do they know a rock hit it? Is it
possible that a rock could do this much damage? Where is the compressor
located in my engine? How do they know it just didn't crack?Should I get a
second opinion?

 

They might mean a rock hit the condenser and it sprang a leak.

Did they show you so you could see there was no refrigerant?

If you're that suspicious, get a second opinion from another garage.

 

No, they did not show me or tell me about the refrigerant. They just said "a
rock hit the condenser" I can understanding a springing a leak but, literally
one minuet it was blowing out cold air and seconds it was not. Is this
possible? Doesn't it usually get warmer gradually?

 

You most likely blew out a lot of your refrigerant oil before your AC shut
down because of low r-134a refrigerant. Honda uses Pag oil in their
systems which is very hydroscopic (absorbes moisture). You may have a
real problem getting all the moisture out of your system because it will
be absorbed into the remaining oil. You need to seal the leak with
special tape or something else immediatly and get it fixed. A new receiver
dryer would also be a good idea because it has now also absorbed moisture
from the outside air. Good luck.

 

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The condenser is in front of your rad, with a pressurized gas in it. The
condenser is made of aluminum and other soft metals. You're going 60,
the other guy is going 60 toward you. A pebble pops up and hits the rad
at a high speed. Picture a bullet going thru a can of spray paint.
Pressure is all gone immediately. That's why some folks install mesh on
the lower part of the bumper where the condenser is very vulnerable,
especially on SUV's.

Yes, It is sad. You could get a quote from a couple of air conditioner
shops as well. They might be 30% cheaper.

'Curly'

 

Let me explain how Air Conditioning works.

The condenser is a like a radiator in front of the radiator. The
compressor compresses the R-134 refrigerant into hot gas then the hot
gas is condensed into a liquid in the condenser. Condensing the
refrigerant into a liquid causes heat to be disbursed into the
atmosphere. The liquid, still under pressure, goes to the evaporator
in the cabin and then the liquid goes through the expansion valve and
heat from the cabin is absorbed......heat equal to the heat that was
rejected in the condenser.

A leak causes the system to fill with air and air will not condense
into a liquid and therefore the system will not work.

 

Well, in a few seconds, anyway. The cold will disappear as soon as the
evaporator warms up.

Duckbill makes a good point about moisture in the system. The dealer may be
assuming your now-open system has taken on enough moisture to cause
collateral damage. A second opinion from a reputable garage should help
confirm or deny that fear.

I'm so glad my car doesn't have A/C.

 

I'd like to thank all that responded to my question. It has been very helpful
and informative. I appreciate it. Thanks!