So a buddy of a buddy brings me his van and his quote from local Firestone- to replace leaky compressor, front and rear TXV, and receiver/dryer and add some magic ice...for a grand total of $1659...
Wow I say, let me look at it-- compressor had an engine oil spot on it only--- and all the rest was listed just because they were replacing the compressor!
But it gets better, I recognize this van has been charged 3 times in last 6 months, so it is definitly losing gas...And my trusty sniffer whines in the blower motor opening, as well as I see green dye in the front evap drain hole! So this is a dash pull- Owner agrees and my satisfaction that evap was cause of all the trouble is confirmed below after I open up HVAC box.
Simpky amazing- this owner would have paid $1659 and still had the original problem.....makes you wonder how the Techs at Firestone justify their diagnosis!
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The number one A/C diagnostic tool there is- is to know how much refrigerant is in the system- this can only be done by recovering and weighing the refrigerant!!
Just a thought.... 65% of A/C failures in my 3200 car diagnostic database (GM vehicles) are due to loss of refrigerant due to a leak......
Friend was quoted $969.00 to have their ABS replaced by a Goodyear deal some 15 years ago on a GM SUV. Asked if that light came on after having a flat tire. Said yes, that is why he went to that tire dealer. Got a jumper wire and reset his ABS, it worked after that.
Even further back another friend already paid over 1,500 bucks for a misfire on a GM V-8, put in a new carb, all new ignition stuff, still a misfire. Let me look at it, intake manifold bolts were loose. Could have replaced the gaskets, maybe, but tightening the bolts solved his problem.
Back in 1990, my dealer told me he charges 1,600 bucks to replace that timing belt in my Supra, thought that was outrageous as the manual shows a few simple steps. But doing that now, 1600 bucks seems fair. Everything on the left, right, top, and the front of the engine has to be removed to change that belt.
Could have made things a bit easier, on the PS pump, pivot bolt goes into a threaded hole, from the rear, could have reversed that. Had to remove a pile of stuff to get at it. AC compressor is next, bracket is L shaped and wraps around the lower timing chain cover, could have drilled a hole in the side of the block for that. Also has two bolts in the rear that are impossible to get out. I don't want to open this system, so thinking about that now.
Has PS, oil, and AT cooling lines, so wasn't easy to remove the radiator. With the low mileage on this car, was surprised to see the amount of debris on the face of the radiator. But that was easy to clean with the radiator out. Have no idea how to clean that thing when its in.
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