Hello. I have a 2018 Honda Civic Hatchback with around 69,000 miles. A couple months ago, the AC stopped getting cold. I took it to dealership because there was a class action lawsuit extending the warranty on the compressor. They replaced compressor and condenser free of charge. It was weak but worked after. It stopped getting cold again after a couple months. I brought it in again. They replaced the compressor free again but claimed the evaporator that is not covered under warranty is leaking too. They quote $3000. Independent mechanics around me quote $2000.
Considering this is the 2nd time, it is common enough to warrant a class action lawsuit, I know one other person with same car and had it go bad again after evaporator, should I assume paying $2k will be a waste because it is a design flaw that will go bad again? I am tired of burning in my car. Is it worth it to pay the price, or try to sell the car and get something else? Any other advice?
Evaporator leaks are common in R134a systems because moisture that gets into the system combines with the refrigerant to produce acids that eat tiny holes in metal parts. You didn't say if the dealership replaced the drier. That's standard procedure when repairing car AC systems. They should also have replaced the expansion valve.
You would need to do some research to determine whether there is a common problem with the evaporator in those cars. A quick check of carcomplaints.com suggests it isn't. Also bear in mind that with class action lawsuits it's usually just the lawyers that make out well and the class members get very little if anything.
You can get a refrigerant detector from Harbor Freight as well. Set the air conditioner to max cold and run the A/C. Hold the detector to the vents. You'll get the most reliable reading from the passenger side, as that is the location of the evaporator. If the detector starts beeping, there's refrigerant in the vents.
R-134a is a hydrofluorcarbon, mixing gaseous or liquid R-134a with water vapor converts the refrigerant into hydrofluoric acid and carbon. There's a limited amount of dessicant in the receiver/dryer in order to prevent this from happening. Once the dessicant has become saturated, it can no longer absorb anymore water vapor, and any water vapor will eventually degrade the refrigerant.
This is standard procedure for someone working on an air conditioner who knows what they're doing. Dealerships aren't in the business of maintaining cars. They almost always do the bare minimum because it costs them more money. Someone who isn't familiar with cars won't realize that. They don't call them "stealerships" for nothing.
