SMA Gets A Come Back! Viewers Were Right! I Should Have Changed Everything!
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Date: 2024-05-21
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Comments and reviews: 20
RussellBooth1977
I had a bad ABS module cause the air conditioner compressor clutch in my 2002 model Holden VY SS Commodore to either cut out or not to turn on.
I took it to my local radiator specialist here in Australia who also specialises in automotive air conditioning because the pipe leading from the compressor to the Tx valve on the firewall was icing up which is usually caused by a sticking Tx valve.
He was going to charge me $75 AUD for a new Tx valve & a total of $300 AUD to replace it, replace all of the compressor & Tx valve line seals as well as regassing the whole system.
I pulled into his workshop after work & he pressure tested the A/C system & it was fine, he asked me if I wanted to leave it as is & I said yes & he said that you've saved yourself $300, he also didn't charge me for the diagnosis.
I replaced the ABS module which fixed the cutting out problem, that was about 18 months ago.
Note that I had him replace the A/C lines in 2009 because it was cracked & it also cracked again in 2011 except that I replaced them myself then & had him regas it.
I fitted some foam under the air conditioning condenser to stop it from bouncing around & vibrating but now I have glued it in with black Sikaflex since the support clips just wore out, so that worked to prevent the A/C condenser pipe from cracking since it's made out of aluminium, the air conditioning system still the 12-13 year old refrigerant in the air conditioning system.
I know what you're talking about with an older car, my car is 22 years old this year & I am better off not touching the A/C system if I don't have to, it has also done 398, 000 kilometres (247, 000 miles) & it still has the original A/C compressor fitted.
Since it's fitted with a 5. 7 litre Chevrolet LS1 V8 engine it runs a Delphi A/C compressor which I could find on eBay for about $500 AUD, they don't seem to sell the cheaper aftermarket copies as is available for my model which comes with the 3. 8 litre Buick L36 V6 engine fitted which the S packs are fitted with!
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I had a bad ABS module cause the air conditioner compressor clutch in my 2002 model Holden VY SS Commodore to either cut out or not to turn on.
I took it to my local radiator specialist here in Australia who also specialises in automotive air conditioning because the pipe leading from the compressor to the Tx valve on the firewall was icing up which is usually caused by a sticking Tx valve.
He was going to charge me $75 AUD for a new Tx valve & a total of $300 AUD to replace it, replace all of the compressor & Tx valve line seals as well as regassing the whole system.
I pulled into his workshop after work & he pressure tested the A/C system & it was fine, he asked me if I wanted to leave it as is & I said yes & he said that you've saved yourself $300, he also didn't charge me for the diagnosis.
I replaced the ABS module which fixed the cutting out problem, that was about 18 months ago.
Note that I had him replace the A/C lines in 2009 because it was cracked & it also cracked again in 2011 except that I replaced them myself then & had him regas it.
I fitted some foam under the air conditioning condenser to stop it from bouncing around & vibrating but now I have glued it in with black Sikaflex since the support clips just wore out, so that worked to prevent the A/C condenser pipe from cracking since it's made out of aluminium, the air conditioning system still the 12-13 year old refrigerant in the air conditioning system.
I know what you're talking about with an older car, my car is 22 years old this year & I am better off not touching the A/C system if I don't have to, it has also done 398, 000 kilometres (247, 000 miles) & it still has the original A/C compressor fitted.
Since it's fitted with a 5. 7 litre Chevrolet LS1 V8 engine it runs a Delphi A/C compressor which I could find on eBay for about $500 AUD, they don't seem to sell the cheaper aftermarket copies as is available for my model which comes with the 3. 8 litre Buick L36 V6 engine fitted which the S packs are fitted with!
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wakcedout
The people who say why don’t you replace this that and the other, do they forget that these are customer cars who are usually on a limited budget and can only afford what needs fixing.
I recently went for an alignment and was told I need lower ball joints, I’ll be tackling it myself and after watching much sma videos, I’m convinced there’s a way my 08 ford explorer I can get to the lower ball joints without fully removing the knuckle. I’m thinking of dangling it with the upper ball joint and removing lower that way, there’s always gotta be a quick way to do it.
What say you Eric, safe to do it that way
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The people who say why don’t you replace this that and the other, do they forget that these are customer cars who are usually on a limited budget and can only afford what needs fixing.
I recently went for an alignment and was told I need lower ball joints, I’ll be tackling it myself and after watching much sma videos, I’m convinced there’s a way my 08 ford explorer I can get to the lower ball joints without fully removing the knuckle. I’m thinking of dangling it with the upper ball joint and removing lower that way, there’s always gotta be a quick way to do it.
What say you Eric, safe to do it that way
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miceinoz1181
Isn't hindsight wonderful when you are sitting on the couch Eric. Easy to say change everything when it is not your own business and you do not wear the cost if you are wrong. You did what any reputable shop would do. Besides, it is aircon, it is not a safety issue of it doesn't work for a day or so till they bring it back. I would like some vid time of the nut on the mower. I have a elderly neighbour whose sole enjoyment seems to be riding around the yard on their ride-on mower too, so I hear ya.
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Isn't hindsight wonderful when you are sitting on the couch Eric. Easy to say change everything when it is not your own business and you do not wear the cost if you are wrong. You did what any reputable shop would do. Besides, it is aircon, it is not a safety issue of it doesn't work for a day or so till they bring it back. I would like some vid time of the nut on the mower. I have a elderly neighbour whose sole enjoyment seems to be riding around the yard on their ride-on mower too, so I hear ya.
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Mr2004MCSS
I don't replace AC system switches as preventative maintenance when fixing the AC. I do usually replace the accumulator because most new compressors require it for warranty purposes. I will say my only AC repair failure was on that generation of S-10 where the line going to the evaporator was ruined by trying to remove it from the accumulator.
We did have to replace the evaporator but could never get the box in the engine compartment sealed back up and could never get the system to cool.
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I don't replace AC system switches as preventative maintenance when fixing the AC. I do usually replace the accumulator because most new compressors require it for warranty purposes. I will say my only AC repair failure was on that generation of S-10 where the line going to the evaporator was ruined by trying to remove it from the accumulator.
We did have to replace the evaporator but could never get the box in the engine compartment sealed back up and could never get the system to cool.
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eugenepolan1750
What you fix and whether you do preemptive part replacement depends on whether you are the fixer or the fixee, how tight the money situation is, how long the owner intends to hold on to the vehicle / or pass it along to their children, etc. I can appreciate that, as the fixer, you don't want to be responsible for running up the repair costs replacing things that were getting along OK, or damaging something that you really didn't absolutely need to be touching.
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What you fix and whether you do preemptive part replacement depends on whether you are the fixer or the fixee, how tight the money situation is, how long the owner intends to hold on to the vehicle / or pass it along to their children, etc. I can appreciate that, as the fixer, you don't want to be responsible for running up the repair costs replacing things that were getting along OK, or damaging something that you really didn't absolutely need to be touching.
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davidmcclain5180
I was wondering why the high side pressure kept going lower I realize that by revving up the engine, the fan was moving more air across the condenser and thus lowering the high side but this one seemed low to me. Anyway, I agree that you did the right thing. I just put a compressor on a 2006 Saturn Vue with 100000 miles that was leaking from the case. I did replace the dryer but nothing else. Guess what, it works perfectly.
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I was wondering why the high side pressure kept going lower I realize that by revving up the engine, the fan was moving more air across the condenser and thus lowering the high side but this one seemed low to me. Anyway, I agree that you did the right thing. I just put a compressor on a 2006 Saturn Vue with 100000 miles that was leaking from the case. I did replace the dryer but nothing else. Guess what, it works perfectly.
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StumpyVanLife
A professional auto tech has to walk a thin line when it comes to situations like this. You have to do your best to balance the customers best interests with avoiding potential come backs. Best you can do is lay it all out to the customer. I tend to over communicate with my customers, most appreciate that while some don't care and just want their vehicle fixed. just fix it and call me when it's done
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A professional auto tech has to walk a thin line when it comes to situations like this. You have to do your best to balance the customers best interests with avoiding potential come backs. Best you can do is lay it all out to the customer. I tend to over communicate with my customers, most appreciate that while some don't care and just want their vehicle fixed. just fix it and call me when it's done
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stanpatterson5033
I stand with Eric's original decision. At that time, there was nothing to indicate that the pressure switch absolutely needed replacing. Why fire parts at it willy-nilly, and charge the customer more money if the evidence isn't there So now the evidence is irrefutable, now the switch gets replaced. An inconvenience Yes. An embarrassment Not really.
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I stand with Eric's original decision. At that time, there was nothing to indicate that the pressure switch absolutely needed replacing. Why fire parts at it willy-nilly, and charge the customer more money if the evidence isn't there So now the evidence is irrefutable, now the switch gets replaced. An inconvenience Yes. An embarrassment Not really.
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myidisinhim559
Eric, you are very wrong on one particular point. You would NOT quit your shop if you had a crystal ball. You love what you do too much to quit and you take healthy pride in providing a professional service. So if you had a crystal ball, you would use it to fix. with reasonable efficiency. impossibly complicated european cars (Audi, VW, etc)
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Eric, you are very wrong on one particular point. You would NOT quit your shop if you had a crystal ball. You love what you do too much to quit and you take healthy pride in providing a professional service. So if you had a crystal ball, you would use it to fix. with reasonable efficiency. impossibly complicated european cars (Audi, VW, etc)
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AMT20248
I feel the pain. I've had this happen so often as a comeback on older GMs that I do now replace the accumulator pressure switch whenever sucking down the system for a part replacement. Best I can tell is that placing it under vacuum messes with it. Never had an issue on newer ones, just 95-05ish. Probably saw this 10 times in a couple years.
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I feel the pain. I've had this happen so often as a comeback on older GMs that I do now replace the accumulator pressure switch whenever sucking down the system for a part replacement. Best I can tell is that placing it under vacuum messes with it. Never had an issue on newer ones, just 95-05ish. Probably saw this 10 times in a couple years.
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davidedgar2818
Back when I was servicing those GM systems ( mid to late 80's) we tended to see splitter valve problems and next the high pressure switches. We often replaced Schrader valves on anything over 5 to 7 years. We didn't have the dyes and even the sonic leak detectors then were next to useless.
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Back when I was servicing those GM systems ( mid to late 80's) we tended to see splitter valve problems and next the high pressure switches. We often replaced Schrader valves on anything over 5 to 7 years. We didn't have the dyes and even the sonic leak detectors then were next to useless.
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autorepair
From my perspective you are 'right on the money' with your initial repair, no reason to believe that their is an incipient failure any other components when the system was working. Good call, and I really liked your explanation of the switch response relative to the pressure readings, nice!
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From my perspective you are 'right on the money' with your initial repair, no reason to believe that their is an incipient failure any other components when the system was working. Good call, and I really liked your explanation of the switch response relative to the pressure readings, nice!
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danwoods315
People would pull up in front of my Dads garage back in the day and say My AC just quit all of a sudden! Then Dad would pop the hood and smack that exact style pressure switch a couple times with his pocket knife and it would come back to life. Some people were really amazed by that
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People would pull up in front of my Dads garage back in the day and say My AC just quit all of a sudden! Then Dad would pop the hood and smack that exact style pressure switch a couple times with his pocket knife and it would come back to life. Some people were really amazed by that
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bob1505
Eric, I'm appreciative you explained your thought process. I too was wondering why, what, was replaced. Don't get uppity. We're here to study at the feet of the master. Seriously though, those few moments you took to explain saved me from scratching a bald spot into my pate.
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Eric, I'm appreciative you explained your thought process. I too was wondering why, what, was replaced. Don't get uppity. We're here to study at the feet of the master. Seriously though, those few moments you took to explain saved me from scratching a bald spot into my pate.
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billrimmer5596
That is not a comeback. Although many customers think when u touch their car, and money exchanges hands, u r responsible for every noise, clunk, clink, check engine light et cetera. I am sure this guy knows parts can and do fail. And I am sure he loves u like we all do.
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That is not a comeback. Although many customers think when u touch their car, and money exchanges hands, u r responsible for every noise, clunk, clink, check engine light et cetera. I am sure this guy knows parts can and do fail. And I am sure he loves u like we all do.
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EricBoudle
Your a good guy, You don't screw your customers.
Hard to find that these days. I work on my own stuff,
I'm 63, Jack of all trades, master of none. I Love your
saying if I can do it, you can do it. When I get into a
tough situation I don't give up thinking that.
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Your a good guy, You don't screw your customers.
Hard to find that these days. I work on my own stuff,
I'm 63, Jack of all trades, master of none. I Love your
saying if I can do it, you can do it. When I get into a
tough situation I don't give up thinking that.
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ericvogel1126
Eric, years ago I was a certified ASE and GM technician. I am long retired and no longer work on my own vehicles. I would be happy to have you work on my own vehicles anytime for any problem, sadly I don't live in your state. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills.
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Eric, years ago I was a certified ASE and GM technician. I am long retired and no longer work on my own vehicles. I would be happy to have you work on my own vehicles anytime for any problem, sadly I don't live in your state. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills.
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FixIt1975
Did that old truck have the chubby rubba and the hole in the roof Leathered up I would've done the same thing, if it isn't broke don't fix it. Been leaving my crystal ball at home for 30 years now. Only one walks on water, and im not him. Just my 2 cents, no criticism
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Did that old truck have the chubby rubba and the hole in the roof Leathered up I would've done the same thing, if it isn't broke don't fix it. Been leaving my crystal ball at home for 30 years now. Only one walks on water, and im not him. Just my 2 cents, no criticism
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curtisroberts9137
All the people that want you to replace every fricking component are the a-holes that work at the big chain shops where you go in for a 200$ repair and they qoute you for 4500 cuz everyone is paid commission and they have no integrity. Just greed.
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All the people that want you to replace every fricking component are the a-holes that work at the big chain shops where you go in for a 200$ repair and they qoute you for 4500 cuz everyone is paid commission and they have no integrity. Just greed.
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Grinchguy2
Good job Eric. I’m not going to make any suggestions to you about what you should have done. You have the experience and you know your customers. I don’t have any automotive issues, but if I ever do, would you and Mrs. O consider moving tomAlabama
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Good job Eric. I’m not going to make any suggestions to you about what you should have done. You have the experience and you know your customers. I don’t have any automotive issues, but if I ever do, would you and Mrs. O consider moving tomAlabama
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