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how much it cost to repair car ac

by Opal Gibson I Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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How Much Does Car AC Repair Cost?

  • AC Inspection & Diagnostic Cost.
  • Minor Car AC Repair. The average minor ac repair cost is $475 but can range from $150-$800.
  • Major Car AC Repair. The average major ac repair cost is $2,500 but can range from $1,000-$4,000.
  • Car AC Compressor Repair & Replacement Cost. The average cost of a new ac compressor is about $400 but can range...

Typically, depending on the severity of the issue, it can cost anywhere from $100 to $900 to fix a car's air conditioner. Costs tend to run higher when you need to purchase additional parts, like a new compressor, condenser, sensor, or hose.Feb 10, 2022

Full Answer

What is the average cost of AC repair?

Most homeowners pay $387 in AC repair costs, ranging from $168 and $610, but be prepared to pay upwards of $450 to $1,000, depending on your repair. Prices for this project vary greatly by issue, part, project complexity, or company. The cost per hour can be anywhere from $35 to $200.

How much should AC service cost?

Most contracts include:

  • AC service fees: normal cost $75–$200
  • Furnace inspection & maintenance costs: $80–$450
  • Air Filter Replacement: $10–$50

How much does a small car scratch cost to repair?

The cost to repair the scratches on your vehicle depends on how numerous and deep they are. A surface scratch can cost you as little as $150, but a deep paint scratch can cost upwards of $2,500. The average cost of a full car scratch repair is around $3,500. Identifying the different types of car scratches. Scratches on a car can come from ...

How much do AC compressor repairs cost?

AC compressor repair cost. AC compressor replacement costs $600 to $1,200 when under warranty of $1,300 to $2,500 if out of warranty. AC compressor costs depend on the size, type, and brand. AC compressors cannot be repaired on-site and require replacing instead.

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What Are the Main Parts of an Auto AC System?

Before we dive headfirst into talking about how to repair the AC system in a car and the auto AC repair costs, it’s important for you to know about all the different parts contained in your car’s AC system. This will help you understand what’s going on when you take your car to a shop to have your AC system worked on. It’ll also help you make sense of the auto AC repair costs you might face.

How Long Do the Parts in an Auto AC System Last?

This goes for all parts, but it’s especially true for the parts found in an auto AC system. You should learn about how long they’ll last so that you’re not shocked when you have to pay the auto AC repair costs one day.

What Are the Signs That Show an Auto AC System Needs to Be Repaired?

If, for example, your car only sends out warm air when you have your AC turned on, that’s a pretty clear-cut sign that you need to schedule auto AC repairs and prepare to pay the auto AC repair costs that come along with them.

Who Should You Have Repair Your Car’s AC System?

But you shouldn’t trust just anyone to work on your car’s AC system if you can help it.

Should You Ever Make Repairs to Your Auto AC System Yourself?

Another thing that some people will try in order to avoid high auto AC repair costs is make repairs to their car’s AC system on their own. This is something that might sound tempting to you if you have some experience working on cars and think you might be able to repair an AC compressor, an AC condenser, or another part in a car’s AC system.

What Are the Auto AC Repair Costs?

Prior to taking your car to a mechanic so that they can perform auto AC repairs for you, it would be smart to find out about what the different auto AC repair costs might be. It’ll help you avoid finding yourself in a spot where you’re shocked by how much it’s going to cost to fix your car’s AC system.

Why Is Auto AC Repair So Expensive?

Far too often, people don’t know what the auto AC repair costs are and struggle to make sense of things when a mechanic tells them how much it’s going to cost to fix their car’s AC system. They can’t believe that they’re going to have to pay hundreds and possibly even thousands of dollars just to get the air in their car to blow cold again.

How much does it cost to recharge an AC?

Recharge Car AC Cost. According to Auto Service Costs, the average recharge car ac cost is $235 but can range from $183-$281 depending on the type of vehicles you have.

How much does an AC inspection cost?

The average ac inspection and diagnostic cost is $200 but can range from $100-$300

How much does it cost to install an AC compressor?

The average cost of a new ac compressor is about $400 but can range from $200-$600. The labor cost to install an ac compressor is about $300-$500. The total cost to install a new car ac compressor (including labor) is about $500-$1,100.

How much does it cost to fix an air conditioner leak?

Most problems, which will involve repairing a leak, can be $50 to $225. According to MSN, 80 percent of air conditioning problems come from a simple leak. Leaks are able to occur anywhere the refrigerant passes from part to another. If it isn’t a leak, the common repair can be anywhere from as little as $300 to more than $2,000.

How much does an A/C Pro cost?

This product will cost less than $35 and is a great first step to see if it gets rid of the problem. Advertising Disclosure: This content may include referral links.

What are the components of an air conditioner?

A car’s air conditioner will have five main components: the refrigerant, which is designed to carry the heat; the compressor, which draws in and compresses the refrigerant, moving it along; the condenser, which expels the heat; the expansion valve, which regulates the refrigerant flow; and the evaporator, ...

What happens when you use more than one refrigerant?

Contamination is another problem that can occur and this happens when a system is exposed to more than one type of refrigerant. On the market, there are two common types: R-12, which is used in older cars, and R-134a, a refrigerant used in all cars since 1994. If these two refrigerants were combined, it could contaminate the system. This type of repair would require flushing and recharging the entire system, along with replacing any components that were contaminated.

What are the extra costs?

Depending on the make, model and the age of the vehicle, this can cost anywhere from $200 to more than $700. While CFC-12 isn’t banned, it’s no longer made because of the effects it has on the ozone layer.

How much does it cost to replace an AC hose?

Replace AC Hose = $300 - $400This includes the high pressure hose, and recharging of freon

Does a compressor void warranty?

Without doing so would void any warranty on the compressor. Yes, that means the price of the repair goes up. If you are planning on keeping the car for a long time to come then by all means have the repair done. The repair is only as good as the warranty.

What is the belt on a car AC?

Your car’s AC belt is what connects the air conditioning unit’s compressor clutch to the engine’s crankshaft.

Why is refrigerant important?

Otherwise known as Freon, refrigerant is important in making sure your car’s air conditioning unit is able to blow cool air. As per the aforementioned symptoms, leaking refrigerant will cause you to suffer having warm, or air that isn’t as cold as it used to be.

Why does my car AC run amok?

Another potential for causing your car’s AC unit to run amok is a damaged, or clogged expansion valve. This failure would correspond to your air conditioning unit blowing cold air, and then suddenly turning warm. A broken or blocked expansion valve might also cause you to not feel that the AC is running as cool as before. The expansion valve is necessary to regulate the right amount of refrigerant that is distributed to the evaporator.

How to tell if your AC unit is failing?

Perhaps the best tell-tale sign of AC failure is in how cool the air running through the vents feel. Notice the difference in how cold or warm it is in contrast to your previous experience with that particular car’s AC unit. Is it not running as cool as it used to be? Or perhaps it’s just a tad bit warmer than usual? If so, then your car’s air conditioning is definitely not running well. As we’ll learn later on in our auto air conditioning repair costs guide, this could be a fairly simple fix.

Why is my car's AC not cold?

If your car’s air conditioner is not as cold as it used to be, it might be thanks to a leak within the AC system. This then results in causing refrigerant to leak out. Detecting refrigerant leaks is not easy, as they will quickly evaporate when exposed to the atmosphere. Commonly, the leak may come from a hole in the O-ring, seal, hoses, compressor, condenser, or elsewhere. Even worse, refrigerant leaking can mix with atmospheric moisture, and cause corrosive damage.

How to tell if your car AC is bad?

AC problems are among the easiest to spot, knowing that your body can sense its inner workings almost right away. Just as apparent as temperature changes from your car’s air conditioner, is in how the airflow feels. Is your car’s AC unit not blowing air as vigorously as you last remembered it? Double-check your AC settings, and give it another feel. If your car’s air conditioning unit is rushing in weak, or almost impalpable airflow, then it’s time to have your AC unit looked into.

What causes a car AC unit to fail?

There a myriad of different components in here that could fail, such as a bad relay or a blown fuse. This is then connected to the blower motor, and its resistor. A blower motor is the component that is responsible for pushing the air through your car’s AC vents. Damage to it will cause problems such as not being able to feel any air, or weak airflow from your air conditioner.

How Much Does Car AC Compressor Replacement Cost?

How Much Does Car A/C Compressor Repair and Replacement Cost? Car a/c compressor replacement costs about $994 for car a/c compressor with average prices of car a/c compressor ranging from $842 for a compressor to $1146 for car a/c compressor in the US for 2020, according to Repairpal.com.

How much does it cost to replace an AC compressor?

The cost of your replacement AC compressor will depend on the make, model, and year of your vehicle. The cost for AC Compressors can range from $200 to over $1,000 depending on what kind of car you drive.

Why does labor vary on AC compressors?

Labor varies because car manufactures don’t all put the AC Compressor in exactly the same place. Some AC Compressors are easy than others to reach and replace while others will require removing other parts before the AC compressor can be worked on. The longer it takes to get to the AC compressor, remove it, and replace it, the more it will cost in terms of labor.

How much does it cost to fix a car's air conditioning system?

If leaks are detected, it typically costs $150-$800 for minor repairs to a vehicle's air conditioning system and then recharging it. This generally includes replacing a few parts like hoses, sensors, or either the compressor or condenser. CostHelper readers report paying $171-$727 for minor air conditioning repairs, at an average cost of $488.

How much does it cost to fix an air conditioner?

Extensive auto air conditioning repairs can cost $1,000-$4,000 or more, depending on make and model. This can include replacing many or all of the air conditioning system's parts -- compressor, condenser, hoses, sensors, belts, pressure switch and valves -- and then recharging the refrigerant. For cars built before 1995, the refrigerant will need to be converted to a type that meets current environmental requirements. CostHelper readers report costs of $1,000-$3,700 for major air conditioning repairs, with an average of $1,829.

How does an air conditioner work?

Most auto air conditioners have five major components: the refrigerant carries the heat; the compressor draws in refrigerant, compresses it and moves it along; the condenser expels heat (like a car radiator); the expansion valve is a nozzle that regulates refrigerant flow; and the drier/evaporator cools the car by blowing hot interior air across the refrigerant. HowStuffWorks.com provides an automotive air conditioning overview [ 1] .

How much does it cost to replace an AC compressor?

Generally speaking, to have a shop properly change an AC compressor and related components, flush, and re-fill the AC system will run between $750 – 1500.00. Depending on the model and cost of the parts in general, this cost could be even higher.

How long does an AC compressor last?

They can last the lifetime of the car, but generally a compressor’s life span is around 10-12 years and 150 to 200K miles.

How Does the AC Compressor Work?

The air conditioning compressor is powered by mechanical energy from the drive belt on your engine, and compresses R134a (or other refrigerants) . It is essentially a pump, drawing in refrigerant, compressing it, and pumping it out. This pressurized refrigerant then makes its way through the AC system, where different components take the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid, which cools it rapidly, where it’s cold state does its job to keep the vehicle’s cabin interior cool.

What does a car compressor do?

Your car’s air conditioning compressor does just that – it compresses refrigerant and keeps it moving through the entire AC system. It’s a crucial part of what makes your car’s AC work, and if you have AC trouble on a hot day, you’ll want to know more what it does, and how to replace it should it go bad.

What happens if your AC compressor fails?

It’s also important to note, that if your compressor suffered internal failure, the entire AC system’s lines and components will need to be properly flushed out of contaminants. Failure to do this is a guaranteed-ticket for another failed compressor, as these same contaminants will damage the new one.

Why is my AC not working?

It’s important to understand that your vehicle’s AC not working could be caused by a number of issues anywhere from just being low on refrigerant, a bad cycling switch or relay, or a faulty compressor. That’s why it’s important to correctly diagnose what’s wrong with your AC system before you start replacing parts.

Can you replace an AC clutch on its own?

If your AC clutch has failed, these can many times be replaced on their own without swapping the compressor but require special tools and procedures to swap out properly . Many times, the entire compressor is more cost-effective to replace.

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