A/C issues

Andrew L

Andrew L

Active LVC Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
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St. Petersburg
Ive asked this on the Lincoln LS facebook page and the LLSOC just want to see what everyone has to say on this:

Ok back in March I asked about the passenger side going warm and the drivers side cool and I was directly kindly by the LLSOC to have the DCCV looked at and sure enough that was the problem. Got it fixed at the end of March/ Early April at Autoway Lincoln in Clearwater. Flash forward to this blazing HOT week and I noticed that it was taking a VERY long time to cool the car and sure enough the passenger side was blowing out warm again, but not hot more like room temperature warm.

I brought it back to Autoway and they said that the compressor has some sort of blockage in it and they need to remove the dash to get at it, and while back there they recommend replacing the evaporator and they said it would cost me $3,200 to get it fixed. I was blown away at this price tag. So now I need to know is are they BSing me?

Also, I asked at the front office of my apartment complex if they knew any good mechanics and the property manager was there and he said he has worked on ACs for 30 years and he offered to take a free look and he said that the dealer was BSing me since the compressor is in the engine bay and he also showed me how one of the lines was lukewarm and he said it should have been sweating from the AC being on full blast.
 
They may have said compressor, or you may have heard compressor, but I strongly suspect that the problem is blockage in the expansion valve. The blockage in the valve was almost certainly caused by failure of the compressor due to an oil leak at the compressor. The entire dash has to come out to get to that valve and replace it. As long as your are there, you might as well pay a couple hundred more and replace the evaporator and the heater cores.
If my assumptions are right, the quote is reasonable. You can do it yourself for less, but only if you know what you are doing when it comes to getting that dash out and back in. It's a massive job. See the thread below.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/forum/showthread.php?76669-Dash-Board-Removal-Thread
 
Too bad the expansion valve isn't on the firewall like older cars.

But yeah, like Joegr said, lines just don't magically block. The only moving parts in the closed freon loop is the expansion valve and compressor. Although the expansion valve theory doesn't make complete sense to me. They are usually placed behind the drier/filter which would catch the junk the compressor would spew through the system. That's why on the FS10 Ford compressors (a marvelous example of ****acular engineering) you would replace everything between the compressor and the drier.

Take it to an independent shop. Gauges need to be hooked up and a little better second opinion given other then "the lines aren't sweating". I have pretty good luck with Ice Cold Air. There is one I used to use in Clearwater when I lived there was on Court St and Missouri Ave. Not sure how they are anymore as I haven't used them in 10 years. There is one in St. Pete I use that always tells it straight and doesn't try to sell you fluff. It's 6401 US 19.

The good news is that they will let you bring your own parts if you want to do something specific or different. You of course give up any warranty but half the time when I have something like that the warranty was null and void when I started the project.
 
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