Should I replace condenser with compressor?

Pew

Joined
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Hi folks,

So some months ago I drove through a big puddle in my focus where the water was up to the door line and the next day the AC compressor was making noises the next day that would rise/fall with engine rpms. This weekend the AC stopped blowing air after a few hours of running but the blower fan sounded like it was still spinning. I could turn the AC off, give it some time, and turn the AC back on for a short amount of time again. Well now I'm going to change the AC compressor but do I have to change the condenser, lines, and accumulator along with the compressor? The car is only worth like $3K so I'm kind of hesitant to drop that cash on a non-critical part at the moment with temperatures calling.

Car is up on ramps at the moment because the engine mount broke and got hydraulic fluid on the accessory belt.

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People in areas where salt corrodes the condenser (and everything else) often replace it when major work is done on the A/C. Not uncommon for them to corrode given where they are located on a car.

The question is how much longer are you going to keep the car. If more that a year I say yes. If more than 2 years definitely.
 
I'm not an expert but I believe you should replace the condenser and the receiver/dryer when replacing the compressor due to debris from
the blown compressor. What year is your Focus?
 
If the compressor failed I would. If I was changing the compressor due to the clutch, I might leave it and just replace the dryer/accumulator.
 
People in areas where salt corrodes the condenser (and everything else) often replace it when major work is done on the A/C. Not uncommon for them to corrode given where they are located on a car.

The question is how much longer are you going to keep the car. If more that a year I say yes. If more than 2 years definitely.

I'll be keeping the car for at least another year until it's paid off. After that I haven't figured out if I wanted to give it away to a family member and buy something else.

I'm not an expert but I believe you should replace the condenser and the receiver/dryer when replacing the compressor due to debris from
the blown compressor. What year is your Focus?
If the compressor failed I would. If I was changing the compressor due to the clutch, I might leave it and just replace the dryer/accumulator.

It's a 2015 but sitting at 193K miles (had the car since 43 miles.) I read that both need to be replaced when the AC compressor catastrophically fails but I'm not sure if mine constitutes a "catastrophic failure" yet.
 
If the compressor failed I would. If I was changing the compressor due to the clutch, I might leave it and just replace the dryer/accumulator.

I agree. When a compresor fails it sends all sorts of dirt and shards through the system. It sounds like this is an electrical/control/clutch related issue.

OP will know more when they open the system for compressor removal. Id wait until then. And Id definitely replace the receiver/dryer, schraders, and any o-rings I could (with Nylog).
 
With that pile of miles on it, you obviously spend a lot of time in that car, and you need the A/C to work well. Replace the condenser and receiver/dryer, too.
 
Replace it. And flush the lines. Also I'd replace the expansion valve and flush the evaporator.

I tried shortcuts on a Focus and regretted it almost immediately.
 
Since there are no signs of internal failure, Id pass on the condenser unless it was a known failure point, or weak spot, like in a Jeep Liberty where most places force you to replace the whole system for warranty. Learned the hard way on one of those. Id always replace the receiver drier though.
 
Thanks for the info folks. I've decided to take the car to a shop and let them do it since the pricing wasn't bad and the car still has refrigerant in the lines and I don't have the machine to hook it up.
 
Pew:
I asked what year your Focus was because I have a few in the family.....I bought my 2014 new with a manual transmission because the DCT's were problematic on that generation (2012-2019). Did you have any trouble with yours?
 
Pew:
I asked what year your Focus was because I have a few in the family.....I bought my 2014 new with a manual transmission because the DCT's were problematic on that generation (2012-2019). Did you have any trouble with yours?

I have the 6-speed manual trans (B6) that was offered with the Fiesta ST and 1.0L ecoboosts. I was lucky enough to heed a warning from a mechanic buddy of mine who's fiance had issues with her powershift fiesta.
 
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