Help! Dlr wants $1600 a/c repair!

hkollie1

hkollie1

New member
Hi guys...my '03 v8 with 165,000 miles has had a squeal coming from the serpentine belt area for the last year or so...but only when the A/C is on...it clicks on and off occasionally when the a/c is on.

When the a/c is off...no problem....

Well...this weekend, 400 miles from home it CHANGED...now when the a/c is on it sounds like its going to GRENADE!! MAJOR self destruct grinding squesl.....so I prayed, and drove 400 miles with the a/c off, made it (pulling a 19 ft boat) this truck is tough!

Dealer wants $1600 to replace the a/c compressor, refil with refrig

Q1 - has anyone had this done? Is that reasonable?

Q2 - What else should I have done at this time? New pulleys on the Serpentine system?

:help:
Thanks

Kevin
 
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Well, you can get a new compressor for under $350 and a recharge will only cost around $100 I am guessing. Putting the compressor on is easy so you could have a general shop evacuate it then you install it and take it back for a recharge and save yourself some big $$$. I would check the tensioner pulley and see if it spins smoothly and without play while your at it. If it is not they are easy to change also.
 
So I can't find a proper OEM P/N for it right now, there's a lot of "alternative P/N" that show up and makes it difficult. But for the most part it looks like an OEM unit with clutch is about 1k COMPRESSOR ASSY, COOLER. HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING - COMPRESSOR. TOYOTA # 883206A11184, 883206A110, 883206A111

Labor breaks down like this:

R&R A/C Compressor - 2.1hrs
Pressure Test System for Leaks- 1.0hrs
Evacuate & Recharge System - 1.4hrs

Total Labor- 4.5hrs (I'm guessing at something like $100/hr?)

So $1600 might be pretty close to a correct "dealer" quote.

A Denso brand A/C Compressor from RockAuto is close to $300, again I am not 100% sure if these are the correct parts/pricing as I can't seem to get a definitive P/N, I'll see if I can see the P/N off my A/C Compressor on my 4Runner.
 
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Double check this fits your application - but here's a Denso for $270.00. Looks to be reman'd if you are willing to go that route.

Denso 471-1412 New Compressor with Clutch : Amazon.com : Automotive

There is an off-brand for under $200, but I don't know if I'd go that low.

Also check these out:

2003 Toyota 4Runner: Compressors & Parts: Amazon.com: Part Finder

Personally, with 165K miles and 10 years I wouldn't spend $1600 on an AC repair. I would do like someone suggested above, have an independent shop evacuate the system, replace the compressor with an aftermarket, and have the same shop recharge.
 
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The only P/N I can find on my factory compressor (while still attached to the vehicle) is 447260-8140 on the "Denso" label, hopefully that helps?
 
You're gonna have to find out if it was a catastrophic failure. If the compressor has failed internally, you will find tons of metal shavings throughout the system. This means that a system flush, new compressor, accumulator (receiver/drier) replacement, evaporator and orifice tube inspection/replacement will all be necessary.
 
Thanks Guys, I appreciate your feedback...

I chewed on it for awhile and decided to commit to the dealer...if I had a back up car, I would have attempted to do it myself.

I am slowly increasing the things I do. everthing I do takes a long time and multiple trips to the parts place.

I'll post up on Tuesday to report the final cost....

KO
 
I usually try to do all my repairs as long as i can but with AC stuff, i give it to a shop. I thought that price seemed fair, i would have agreed to the price as well.
 
well...for the good of this forum, I am posting a final summary on my AC system:

Dealer confirmed that there was too much metal in the system and upped the cost to $1900. This included the dryer unit as mentioned above.

FWIW....I had this squeal for many many months, even had the dealer look at it once...they stated, when it makes more noise...come in. Well , seems that cost me the extra $300. Just my guess, doing it earlier might have prevented the dryer unit replace.

End of story...cash out=4runner back on the road for more hard miles.

Also of note, this 4runner spent its entire life in Las Vegas, with 5 months of 100 deg f plus A/C work...can't say for sure it that is impactful or not...it is a dry heat :jump:
 
Hi guys...my '03 v8 with 165,000 miles has had a squeal coming from the serpentine belt area for the last year or so...but only when the A/C is on...it clicks on and off occasionally when the a/c is on.

When the a/c is off...no problem....
Click to expand...

I just ran into a similar problem. For the last 2 months or so, I had the cyclic squealing noise coming from the serpentine belt area, ONLY when the A/C was on. Just like hkollie1. I assumed my compressor was dying, but didn't really feel like spending the money at the shop for someone to tell me something I already knew.

Well, as of a few days ago the squealing has stopped and my A/C will not turn on (indicator light just blinks for a few seconds on the dashboard A/C control button). Neither I or my wife remember any 'catastrophic' or other weird sounds--just that one day the A/C stopped working, and the squealing sound was gone.

We are in Monterey CA so our A/C use is minimal. I have time to figure out the best course of action.

I will probably end up going to the dealer just to save myself the trouble--not much time to tinker these days.

Question: Is there a good way for 'me' to tell if the compressor is bad vs. needs a refill/flush? I am thinking worst case like hkollie1 ($1,600-1,900 @ dealer), but just wanted to know if there were anything else I could check/do before bringing it in?

I am not a proficient mechanic, my skill ends at changing oil and radiator fluid.

'03 LTD V8 ~130,000 Miles
 
I have 2005 v6 4runner with new Denzo AC Compressor put in 4 weeks ago. Seems to make a knocking noise. Is this normal noise?
 
My BMW dealer wanted $36 for a liter of transmission fluid. I shamed them and walked out with 7 liters for $10 a piece. They wanted $7 for one driveshaft bolt, I needed 4. Showed them they were $0.75 a piece online, so after being shamed, sold me 4 for $16. (Bought them because I needed them immediately). I've found that dealer service departments are the same way. (Their tools are made of gold and silver and their shit smells like roses) I don't go to dealers after warranty is up.
 
First off i would "NOT" let your Toyota dealer "stealer" work on the A/C take your 4Runner to a real A/C repair shop.

Dealers will try anything to kick the cost up as high as they can, i am shocked your dealer did not advise getting a new engine along with all the other stuff.
 
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