Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My air-conditioning is out in my Ford Escape. The small shop owner told me my freon is leaking and is somehow linked to my air-compressor. I may have that wrong of what he said. But I am waiting for the cost to replace some part of the air-compressor and once he goes inside of it, it could be more issues. Does anyone have any information about this or an estimate of how much this could cost~? Thanks.
What is the source of the leak? A shop should use a UV fluorescent dye and a black light to find the actual leak. Have him show you exactly where it is leaking.
If your shop is just using a "parts canon" method to fix it I'd find a better shop.
What is the source of the leak? A shop should use a UV fluorescent dye and a black light to find the actual leak. Have him show you exactly where it is leaking.
If your shop is just using a "parts canon" method to fix it I'd find a better shop.
He has used a dye in it to find the source and it is coming from the air compressor. This is a gr-reat shop, a small one that is much better than the places I use to go. I have had multiple leaks, and all the other places did was add freon.
Status:
"Very soon to be retired"
(set 7 days ago)
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
45,086 posts, read 82,449,154 times
Reputation: 58776
It's not an air compressor, the compressor is compressing the refrigerant, either R-134a or R-1234yf, commonly referred to as Freon but that was phased out in 2010 and finally banned in 2020. A leak can be a simple as a 5 cent O-Ring in the connection to the compressor, or it could be a failure within compressor. Either way the labor cost is going to be the major part of it, a new compressor runs $200-300 retail but on many cars a lot of parts have to be removed to get to it. You should have been given an estimate by the mechanic, but sometimes they can't tell until they get it apart.
It's not an air compressor, the compressor is compressing the refrigerant, either R-134a or R-1234yf, commonly referred to as Freon but that was phased out in 2010 and finally banned in 2020. A leak can be a simple as a 5 cent O-Ring in the connection to the compressor, or it could be a failure within compressor. Either way the labor cost is going to be the major part of it, a new compressor runs $200-300 retail but on many cars a lot of parts have to be removed to get to it. You should have been given an estimate by the mechanic, but sometimes they can't tell until they get it apart.
That's what he said, "he can't tell until he takes it apart". I am finding a new mechanic. This guy told me today he does not know when he can get to calling for the cost of the part (after he left me a message, he would let me know the cost on Monday) and doesn't know when he can. Plus, it could take a day or two to do it. He's been reliable for my other issues, but apparently everyone is having issues since the phone was ringing off the hook and customers coming in this afternoon when I popped in. He is the 4th mechanic I have had here in Florida and apparently there are some good people around (like him) but he's busy being a small place. And it should not take a day or two to fix my compressor one mechanic told me earlier, but it depends on the problem, possible 4 hours. So, my mechanic probably would be working on my vehicle and others if it is going to take that long in my opinion.
That's what he said, "he can't tell until he takes it apart". I am finding a new mechanic. This guy told me today he does not know when he can get to calling for the cost of the part (after he left me a message, he would let me know the cost on Monday) and doesn't know when he can. Plus, it could take a day or two to do it. He's been reliable for my other issues, but apparently everyone is having issues since the phone was ringing off the hook and customers coming in this afternoon when I popped in. He is the 4th mechanic I have had here in Florida and apparently there are some good people around (like him) but he's busy being a small place. And it should not take a day or two to fix my compressor one mechanic told me earlier, but it depends on the problem, possible 4 hours. So, my mechanic probably would be working on my vehicle and others if it is going to take that long in my opinion.
4 hours doesn't sound unreasonable.. But, yeah.. Your guy likely has 20 other people to get to, each with jobs that will take an hour to 2 days to do..
By the time he gets your old compressor out, then gets the new one in.. Hooks it up to vacuum the system, lets the machine run to fill it back up.. He's working on something else at that time.. Come back to check yours.. Plus having to answer questions from other people.. Emergency patch of a tire for someone who comes in.. It may take 2 days to put in that 4 hours of work.
If you trust the guy, and.. I don't really see a glaring reason not to here.. I'd say bite the bullet and let him do it.
You didn't say what year/engine your escape is, so I hopped on Rockauto and plugged in 2014 2.5L and looks like it's $360 for a new Motorcraft compressor. If paying a shop, I would expect it to be marked up. Aftermarket compressors are about $280. Those prices do not reflect what a mechanic will charge you for the part. I wouldn't be surprised if you are charged $500 for a compressor. This assumes the leak at the compressor is not something simple like an O-ring on one of the connecting lines to the compressor.
The biggest cost in AC work is labor. Need to evacuate the refrigerant (can't just dump it), then replace the compressor, pull a deep vacuum on the system, recharge and then test. When pulling a vacuum, the longer the better. I can see this taking 2 days to do even if its only 4 hours of work. Might take 30 mins just to recover all the refrigerant and hopefully the shop pulls vacuum at least for an hour. I typically set up the pump and run it overnight.
I can see this being a $1000-1500 job.
I've rebuilt compressors myself before. Generally it's not worth it if paying a shop to do this. $30-40 in a new o-ring set and shaft seal and 2-3 hours of labor needing to be done in a very clean working space.
My air-conditioning is out in my Ford Escape. The small shop owner told me my freon is leaking and is somehow linked to my air-compressor. I may have that wrong of what he said. But I am waiting for the cost to replace some part of the air-compressor and once he goes inside of it, it could be more issues. Does anyone have any information about this or an estimate of how much this could cost~? Thanks.
its not rocket science. It is DIY, but you have to have tools not in the standard craftsman mechanics set.
IF the compressor is bad, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just buy a NEW one. UAC from rock auto is pretty good and oft you can get a kit with all the OTHER parts you also need: receiver dryer, orifice, discharge hose etc, o ring seals for each connections and the required bottle of PAG.
do not try to rebuild one - you cannot as unless you are a medical grade machine shop, you aint got the toolz, and dont buy a reman, they are mailed to china, worked on by ???? and mailed back. that juice aint worth the squeeze.
You than need to perform a leak down on the evap and condensor. also not rocket science but you need to pull a good 18 inches on it and it hold for a couple hours, or push air charge into it and hold again. the smaller the pressure differential, the longer you have to wait. microcracks in the condensor they ALL develop.
put it together, pull a vacuum and dump in the correct poundage of R-whatever. $500 bux is a good jumping off point to start with. I need to toss a new system in my old lebaron and $300 is the rock auto cost of the parts and I do the work. since its a convertible see me getting right on that? YMMV and the cost will ALWAYS be depending on the time of year and what the shop can get away with. you need a license to do it for others. you need a license to get unfavorable refrigerants and R134 (which you prolly take) is months away from being unfavorable. every time you get a spare 10 bux, go buy a can from walmart until they are sold out. I stock 10 at any time. the R-400ish stuff is the death knell for automotive AC.
I found someone who can put in my air-compressor for $200, but I have to get the parts from Auto Zone, O'Reilly's, etc. and then he can put it in 3 hours. He is a qualified mechanic at a huge auto dealership. I am not sure about this now and will still shop around.
You didn't say what year/engine your escape is, ...
It is a 2011 and a 4 engine
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
