Atlanta Cracker Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Had a leaky hose on my 07 Maxima and ended up losing all my freon back in April. My compressor makes a loud noise now when the AC is running at some points. Nothing too severe but noticeable. Anyway, per my mechanic it would be about $900 to replace the compressor now - they aren't saying I have to or need to right away. However they said that if it fails catastrophically it could send stuff down the lines and end up costing double that or more to get things back in order. So, my question to you car gurus is. Would you worry about replacing it before it fails or just wait for it to give up (been running like this all summer)? The AC works fine now though it doesn't seem to get quite as cold as fast as it did before I lost all the freon. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Had a leaky hose on my 07 Maxima and ended up losing all my freon back in April. My compressor makes a loud noise now when the AC is running at some points. Nothing too severe but noticeable. Anyway, per my mechanic it would be about $900 to replace the compressor now - they aren't saying I have to or need to right away. However they said that if it fails catastrophically it could send stuff down the lines and end up costing double that or more to get things back in order. So, my question to you car gurus is. Would you worry about replacing it before it fails or just wait for it to give up (been running like this all summer)? The AC works fine now though it doesn't seem to get quite as cold as fast as it did before I lost all the freon. Thoughts? Tbimm would be best to answer this, but in my experience, a noisy compressor is almost always the clutch. They have a pressure switch on them that shuts them down if there isn't enough refrigerant in the system, so it couldn't have run more than a couple seconds without. I would go spend >$20 at an auto parts store for a can of ac system oil. Since you aren't mechanically inclined you should buy the one with the hose attached (you don't need the tool that way). You fire up the car, turn A/C on full blast and feed it the oil charge. (There's a thing that looks like a tire valve on two of the lines coming out of the compressor. One is high and other is low pressure. Your hose will only fit on high pressure valve). Plug it on there GOOD (make sure it's attached well before opening the valve on the can) and feed it into the system (check the can to see, but I think the can must be upside down). PM me if needed and I can guide you over the phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlanta Cracker Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 Tbimm would be best to answer this, but in my experience, a noisy compressor is almost always the clutch. They have a pressure switch on them that shuts them down if there isn't enough refrigerant in the system, so it couldn't have run more than a couple seconds without. I would go spend >$20 at an auto parts store for a can of ac system oil. Since you aren't mechanically inclined you should buy the one with the hose attached (you don't need the tool that way). You fire up the car, turn A/C on full blast and feed it the oil charge. (There's a thing that looks like a tire valve on two of the lines coming out of the compressor. One is high and other is low pressure. Your hose will only fit on high pressure valve). Plug it on there GOOD (make sure it's attached well before opening the valve on the can) and feed it into the system (check the can to see, but I think the can must be upside down). PM me if needed and I can guide you over the phone. Good info. I was about to be offended by you saying that I am not mechanically inclined since I am very much above average in that area. I've changed thermostats on my old Jeep before, etc. but this being an 07 Japaneese car I can't really tell where anything is. I'll look into this. The mechanic told me that the lubricant was part of the freon. Since it has all new freon would adding this help you think? Definitely worth a shot I guess. The noise is louder right when the AC is turned on and then levels off and is either gone or barely noticeable. Thanks for the tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddahj Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 If the compressor does fail completely, it can send metal fragments thru the a/c system. This can cause additional issues down the road if the lines aren't flushed properly. A parts house won't warranty a compressor if this isn't done. Plus, it can blow up the new compressor, too. If it was my car, I'd fix it right & be done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 (edited) Good info. I was about to be offended by you saying that I am not mechanically inclined since I am very much above average in that area. I've changed thermostats on my old Jeep before, etc. but this being an 07 Japaneese car I can't really tell where anything is. I'll look into this. The mechanic told me that the lubricant was part of the freon. Since it has all new freon would adding this help you think? Definitely worth a shot I guess. The noise is louder right when the AC is turned on and then levels off and is either gone or barely noticeable. Thanks for the tip. Sorry AC, made a bad assumption! BuddahJ is right, but man that is rare. I'd bet money on the clutch (not the mortgage payment mind you, but decent scratch) and you might try spraying some WD40 between the pulley and compressor body. Fair warning - spray it in there with the car off and THEN go start the car and turn on the air. It'll fling some out. See if that quiets it down even temporarily. If so, you know it's the clutch and not the compressor. Quick edit - there is lubricant in the freon but an oil charge is only about 2 oz and like you say, couldn't hurt. Edited September 3, 2011 by westvirginia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlanta Cracker Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 Quick edit - there is lubricant in the freon but an oil charge is only about 2 oz and like you say, couldn't hurt. So there is a separate oil compartment on the compressor that includes the clutch? Where does the old oil go when you hook up canister as you described? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulzale Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 The oil is part of the refrigerant (R134a not freon). I think you make the connection on the low pressure side and not the high pressure as stated. You can get oil/refrigerant at Walmart or Autozone. I would go this route, but you are running a risk, albeit a slight one IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 The oil is part of the refrigerant (R134a not freon). I think you make the connection on the low pressure side and not the high pressure as stated. You can get oil/refrigerant at Walmart or Autozone. I would go this route, but you are running a risk, albeit a slight one IMHO. I was pretty sure it was high-pressure, but I've been wrong before. And there is a 2 oz. oil charge you can buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulzale Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 I was pretty sure it was high-pressure, but I've been wrong before. And there is a 2 oz. oil charge you can buy. Yeah, that is the stuff I was talking about, it is oil and refrigerant mixed together, also I am positive it is the low pressure port....wikihow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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