We need to replace our air conditoning in our 1999 camry according to our dealership. They replaced an expansion valve for $900.00. After I drove it home the engine was making a loud noise when I clicked the air on and off. I returned to the dealership and they said the compressor is on its way out. They said to wait until it dies, they said they could not tell if it would be a day or a yr… We are moving to florida and not sure if this is good advice. Anyone have any suggestions? Should we just replace it they said $1,400 more dollars! Is this reasonable? Any help would be appreciated.
I would take the car to an independent shop that specializes in automotive air conditioning systems and get a second opinion. If you do need a new compressor they can probably install one for less than the dealer will charge.
A specialist makes a living doing this, and they are the experts. The dealer only does AC as a side line.
You’re going to need a good AC system in Florida. I’d make sure it’s working well before making the move.
If the compressor is indeed failing, you want to replace it now. Why? You just spent $900.00 for a new expansion valve. When the compressor totally fails, it’s going to send debris into that brand new expansion valve. When that happens, not only will you have to replace the compressor, but that new expansion valve also.
Tester
Thanks so much for that info. I am surprised they did not let us know that if they are a repair shop! The person said that all that would happen is the belt would break. Do you think $1,400 hundred is reasonable?
I had a rebuilt compressor installed in one of my cars a few years ago as part of a conversion from R12 to R134a. This included replacing a few other parts as well. The total bill, parts and labor, was less than $1,000. This was at an independent AC shop, not a dealer.
thanks for your advice. we will get it fixed instead of waiting