Car is in shop… 2009 CAMREY 4 cyl 4 door. a/c compressor died…(!) toyota dealer wants 2100.00 for part. Mechanic says it is an all electronic , he found one for 800 still wants to charhe 2k also replacing a valve and condensor 1y warrenty on part…i want to be sure all is kosher, trust the mechanic but…$$$!
How do you know the compressor died? That would be very unusual for a 4 year old vehicle unless you have a couple hundred thousand miles on it with the AC on all the time.
I would seek another opinion and don’t start off with “I’ve been told the compressor died”. Let the new mechanic figure out for himself what is wrong. I would even go to four or five different shops and let each troubleshoot for themselves without any prior knowledge.
You may simple need a compressor clutch relay. That is often overlooked. A mechanic hooks up his gauges, sees a normal pressure in the system and then assumes that the compressor is bad. Also, is your blower motor working? If not, the AC will not kick on either.
how is your cabin filter?
See if you can find a local independent auto A/C specialist, someone who does nothing but A/C. I live in a small town, and there is at least one such specialist here. He’s got about 40 years experience.
By chance is this a Camary Hyrid? If so the price is about what alldata quotes for OEM replacement. The labor is about 3 hours. If the compressor part of the unit disintegrated there will be addition cost to flush the evaporator, condensor, and lines; replace the expansion device; and install a new accumulator/filter/dryer.
Since this is not too far out of warranty, you might approach the dealership or the zone representative to get extended coverage for the A/C system.
If you can get the information, find out if the compressor electrical motor burned out; the mechanical side upchucked; or whatever. I am always curious how things fail.
Hope this helps.
Agree; forget the dealer, and go to an independent specialist. They will analyze what exactly is wrong and can put in remanufactured units for less, should that be necessary.
Can’t imagine a Toyota A/C going bad in such a short time.