AC failed, risks of delaying repair?

[IndyIan]

Looking at another Neon, and the AC quit working a year ago. Say it was something simple like a seal leaking out the refrigerant, would the compressor necessarily be junk now? The car only has had a couple thousand miles on it since the AC quit.
I guess if I see oil coming out the AC system anywhere then I'd have to assume the compressor is done?

 

[JHZR2]

Lots of moisture in there so a full flush with solvent, new oil, new R/D are prudent. It still is a pretty closed system though, so I wouldnt worry much. Youd want to do those things anyway.

 

[SuperDave456]

The problem with it is that as the compressor moves it requires oil. If at any time during the past year it ran low on oil then you have metal particles being created and blown around your A/C system.

My Father drove a car for around 6 months as he didn't have the money to replace the A/C. It turns out that the Compressor seized on him while he was in traffic. The seized compressor then shredded the serpentine belt and as the belt let go it took out his power steering and left him stranded.

You may be in a similar condition. But then again, depending on the leak, you may not.

 

[KrisZ]

That is why the AC fuse should be pulled whenever the charge is lost.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
The problem with it is that as the compressor moves it requires oil. If at any time during the past year it ran low on oil then you have metal particles being created and blown around your A/C system.

My Father drove a car for around 6 months as he didn't have the money to replace the A/C. It turns out that the Compressor seized on him while he was in traffic. The seized compressor then shredded the serpentine belt and as the belt let go it took out his power steering and left him stranded.

You may be in a similar condition. But then again, depending on the leak, you may not.

So there could be oil from the compressor escaped into the rest of the system making the compressor fail, but no external leak visible?

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

I guess if I see oil coming out the AC system anywhere then I'd have to assume the compressor is done?

No, it means you have a leak at that point. The oil is supposed to be circulated throughout the whole system. If enough oil leaks out and you keep using the AC, you'll eventually have a compressor failure. If you don't use it, you can keep it unrepaired for as long as you want.

 

[JTK]

Isn't the compressor held-out from running by a pressure switch if the system is blown flat?

Regardless, I agree that pulling a fuse or relay that engages the compressor clutch is a good idea. That way the only thing that's rolling/freewheeling is the pulley on the compressor.

Joel

 

[IndyIan]

Alright, I'll atleast pull the AC fuse right away on the car if I get it. Seems all the low mileage rust free Neons stay about 2 hours away from my area...
Thanks for all the information!

 

[mechtech2]

You won't need to pull the fuse , unless there is a stuck relay that keeps the clutch engaged. This is not your problem, though.
When pressure is low, the system will not turn on - no need to pull any fuses.

If there is residual charge in the system, no air or moisture is getting in.
To use the AC, you could keep filling it with a loss [who knows how fast it is leaking], or repair it. This requires at least an evacuation and full recharge. I'd also replace any 'O' rings and incidental stuff.

 

[Dakota1820]

Its probably fine see if you can turn the clutch probably can but see if it acts weird if not assume its fine fix the leak and vaccuum the system and then recharge and it'll probably work fine. The System won't run when it gets to low I wouldn't worry to much

 

[JHZR2]

If it is truly at no pressure, you need to do a receiver dryer to do it right, not just vacuum and recharge. Id also flush the system and change out as many o-rings as you can. If the oil absorbed moisture, you could have issues down the line.

 

[Dakota1820]

^^ he's right a lot of people get away with not doing it but some don't its a risk not to do it just depends how lucky you are . If Russian roulette is not your game be smart and do it all and be done

 

[dishdude]

Condensor is probably the source of the leak. There is a low pressure switch that prevents the compressor from turning on if the charge is low. I am sure it's fine.

I'd replace the receiver/dryer as mentioned previously to do the job right.

 

[artificialist]

You would want to replace the drier, and possibly the expansion block, but typically those 2 items are not expensive to buy and not complicated to install

 

[SS1970chrysler]

I just unplugged the wire on the compressor.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
You won't need to pull the fuse , unless there is a stuck relay that keeps the clutch engaged. This is not your problem, though.
When pressure is low, the system will not turn on - no need to pull any fuses.

If there is residual charge in the system, no air or moisture is getting in.
To use the AC, you could keep filling it with a loss [who knows how fast it is leaking], or repair it. This requires at least an evacuation and full recharge. I'd also replace any 'O' rings and incidental stuff.


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