AC service from Honda 3S worth it?

[Mun33b]

Replacing compressor oil at 5k kms? Who told you that? Car AC is a closed system, so no chance of dirt there (if dirt is there, issue is somewhere else). Its only replaced when AC system is dismantled for other issues, opening the AC's closed circuit introduces air and moisture in the system, doing it at every 5k kms interval will surely be a recipe for a disaster.

[Mun33b]

The figures you have shared are for Air compressors, which are open systems and have a dipstick and drain/fill ports. It is not valid for car AC compressors.
It seems you translated the hours to KMs yourself. The link you have shared has no mention of such oil replacement interval.
Please share a reference mentioning 5K kms Car AC compressor oil replacement (which will not be there).

[syeddanishanwaar]

My mistake. I have deleted the posts.

I got air compressor mixed with air conditioning compressor.

[syeddanishanwaar]

Just make sure ur cabin air filter is clean and wash ur condenser with water when washing the car.

I may be wrong but isn't using a blower to remove dust enough.

I don't like the prospect of water getting splashed so near the engine and ECU.
If washing is necessary, I would tell my AC mechanic to remove the condensor and then wash it.

[syeddanishanwaar]

So, the summary of the topic is that an auto AC doesn't need regular servicing apart from blowing dust from the condensor.

There is no scheduled maintenace. The AC parts are serviced only in the case of low cooling due to a leak or other problems.

Correct me if I am wrong.

This post has been highly informative. A roadside AC technician at water pump told me that the entire system should be serviced every two years at a cost of Rs. 4000.
At the time I believed him being naive. But I now believe he may be bluffing to make money.

[Mun33b]

If you are using genuine cabin filter and replacing it when its dirty (depends on the environment, it may get real dirty quickly in dusty environment), then evaporator usually doesnt get clogged up. However, the condensor is exposed to dust and all kinds of dirt, hence it needs a wash up (from behind and not front of car). Spray foaming cleaner on it and apply low pressure water from radiator side.

[tmuzammil05]

Almost fixed. Like you may get a discount but not too big but it will be worth it

[tmuzammil05]

What I have come to know is that its better to go to an authorised dealership rather than wasting money on finding an honest mechanic.
Secondly, you are not dealing with the mechanics of 3S dealerships but with the company so if anything happens then the company will be there to see the problem.
Thirdly, once you take your vehicle to a local mechanic , then there is a high probability that he will left some leakage in pipes or condenser etc and you will either end up in a fight with him or will become his regular customer.
Happened to me so that’s why I am sharing as it really hurts when you have spent your hard earned money for something but that won’t work due to dishonesty of some other person. Authorised Dealership >>>

[mrdeejay]

If you are using genuine cabin filter and replacing it when its dirty (depends on the environment, it may get real dirty quickly in dusty environment), then evaporator usually doesnt get clogged up.

That's what we did, so theoretically evaporator should be clean but having seen videos of dirty evaporators I'm pretty sure ours is going to be clogged up as well.

[Mun33b]

Yeah it does accumulate a fair share of dirt over time (i.e. 5 or so years). I have used a foaming product which is inserted via drain tube (cant recall the name), it claims to clean the fins and kill bacteria, however cant confirm the results as evaporator is well hidden. It did kill foul smell tho. I personally dont like to remove the dashboard (till the evap is dead and needs replacement) as old plastic then never goes back as it came out, and try other ways to clean it.

[Xulfiqar]

The major reason cabin air filters were invented was to save the evaporator from being coated in dirt and then turning to mud.

In cars with no filters you will see that a lot. And foaming cleaners are available to help out, these old cars also have a bacteria and fungus problem in the evaporator.

In filter equipped cars the evaporator remains clean (not brand new clean) and the accumulated condensate cleans off the coils, you can help it by switching to fresh air vent and then turning off the compressor a minute before shutting down, this causes higher condensate to form at the evaporator to clean it out.

[Xulfiqar]

Your road side tech wanted a permanent gig financed from your pocket.

[mrdeejay]

In filter equipped cars the evaporator remains clean (not brand new clean) and the accumulated condensate cleans off the coils

I was under that impression as well, but in the video I shared above the evaporator is pretty clogged up with dirt, and that's a 10th gen civic so probably not more than 5 years old. I guess I should give foam cleaner a try and inject it via drain pipe? or should I have the mechanic take off the dashboard and wash the evaporator?

[Mun33b]

There is a way to diagnose the evaporator leakage without taking the dashboard off. The joints in lines coming from the expansion valve out from the firewall are opened. One pipe is blocked off while other is pressurised to 30-40psi. The guage is attached and the pressure is monitored for reduction. In case it starts to drop, you more than likely have a leaked evaporator, if it stays steady for lets say 40mins to an hour, leak is somewhere else and you dont need to undo the dashboard. Bashir AC is a reliable shop on Tariq road Karachi. Dealership is a good option if the workers there are knowledgeble (I have seen the same street side illiterates working in dealerships).

[Xulfiqar]

The video being shown is suspect! The car may have been missing its cabin filter for a long time. Some ac shops in Pakistan do that in the name of “throw”

[syeddanishanwaar]

Yes. 90 percent of them want easy money...and lots of it. This PakWheels forum is a great blessing ideed. Reading the posts must have saved me about a lac or more.

[Xulfiqar]

A small adapter can be welded up from a junked expansion valve to check for leaks in evaporator.

The way I do it is to pressurize to 150 psi with nitrogen to see it its holding. But basic check with uv dye also helps a lot, if i see dye on the drain tube i know there is a leak somewhere inside.

Another factor that most AC shops miss is actually paying attention to how the system is plumbed and placed, in some cars the H block expansion valve needs to be insulated to prevent condensation and heat gain. Like this

This is for a Camry 2011, its a genuine denso valve and I insulated it as required, this insulation gives you the final 10% of cooling performance that most shops miss, I overhauled the original ac compressor for this car (new not available easily nowadays) and installed new txv, after the job was done there was cold condensate on the suction line at the compressor fitting itself and water was dripping from the compressor body.

[mrdeejay]

Got the AC checked at Honda dealership, they used a machine to pull out all refrigerant and weigh it, turns out only 1/3 was left. Then they did leak testing, found no leakages, the guy said that its normal for 10 year old cars to lose AC charge overtime. Finally, they added correct amount of refrigerant back into the system. AC is cooling now!

However, when I came home and turned off the car. I noticed hissing sound coming from engine, it slowly goes away. Started the engine again for a minute, turned it off and again hissing sound for a few minutes. My initial thought was leakage, but Honda dealership did a proper leak testing using their machine which displayed "No Leakage Detected" at the end as well.

What could that noise be? Just new refrigerant settling down? Overcharging?

[tmuzammil05]

Maybe gas pressure settling down as you turn off the current

[mrdeejay]

Yea, seeing same opinions elsewhere as well. Interestingly, I don't remember these hissing noises when the car was new.