NEW AC CONDENSER LEAKING TSB 19-091

Israel

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Same condenser part number but maybe a different manufacturer. My hatchback also has noisy A/C but it is not on warranty anymore, so I'm not bothering to do anything about it for now. I feel like Honda is just being cheap by not covering hatchbacks under the warranty extension.
I have a 18 hatchback sport Does your A/C makes like a chirping sound or belt squeaking sound when A/C is on ? I just started to hear it after 2yrs
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turbo lover

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Hondadude69

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I purchased my 2016 Civic EX-L in July 2016. I began hearing a hissing sound in November or December of 2018 whenever I turned on the heat in the car. Didn't think much of it. It became more pronounced over the months. In April, I took the car to the dealership - twice – for technicians to perform diagnostic tests. Following the second visit, which occurred on April 10, the service manager informed me that the car needed a new air conditioning compressor because the seals on the existing compressor had failed. I was quoted $1,431.25 to replace the compressor. This quote included the part itself, labor, and the evacuation and recharge of the coolant.

At the time, my car had more than 39,000 miles on it - beyond the 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. And this meant I was responsible for paying for the compressor out-of-pocket. I chose to write a compelling letter/email to Honda about the situation. I referenced all of the issues documented in forums (like CivicX.com), videos and pages on the Internet. And I tried to be balanced and fair in my account. It took some time for Honda to review my situation and communicate with the service department at the dealer. In the end, Honda agreed to pay 90% of the cost for the compressor replacement work.

The compressor was replaced on July 2, 2019. My service manager told me that the technician added a dye to the R1234YF refrigerant. That way they could easily diagnose any issues in the future. The dye is referenced on the invoice.

Fast-forward about 6 weeks. I started hearing the same hissing noises whenever I turned on the A/C. Over time, the A/C started blowing warm air on hot days. I took the car back to the dealership yesterday. They said the new compressor – especially the seals – look good. They determined the condenser needed to be replaced due to the issue already discussed in this thread. Luckily it will be fully covered by Honda.

Not surprisingly, the condenser is on backorder. Once it comes in, the technician will need to install it and recharge the system with R1234YF. I’m going to make sure they add the dye to the refrigerant so future issues will (hopefully) be easier to detect.

For those of you with suspected compressor issues, my advice is to take your car to the dealer ASAP. If you need a new compressor and are out of warranty, I recommend that you initially write a letter/email to Honda instead of calling. That way you can document your entire situation and clearly explain it. Also, the details of your story are a lot less likely to get lost as your case is passed from person to person. Just my two cents.
How do I contact Honda? I want to do this! Afraid I’m gonna take my car in and they try to charge me a couple grand and not cover my issue
 

NYHeel

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I have a 2017 Civic EX-L sedan that I bought certified preowned in February 2020. The AC doesn't blow any cold air at all. I brought it in to the dealership and they said that the compressor is the problem and that there is no leak in the condenser. The one year warranty from it being certified expired in the middle of February 2021 and they want $1,750 for the repair.

I did have an issue with the AC/heat being very noisy, especially when accelerating. I brought that into a different dealership in early February and got the cooling fan replaced under warranty at that time. I can also add that there was a warm day earlier in the winter where I noticed that the AC wasn't blowing cold air but at the time I just thought it wasn't as hot in the car as I felt.

I called American Honda to see if they can help with out of warranty assistance considering that the cooling fan was replaced under warranty and the AC units in these cars are known to be faulty.

Would there be any connection between a noisy (kind of loud hum and whining noise when accelerating) AC/heat and a failed compressor? Do I have any case here?
 


Hondadude69

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Taking my car in tomorrow morning to get checked out. Lady on the phone acted like she already knew my problem when I started talking and said there’s a big back order on condensers. Maybe 2 months. Charging me $300 just to look at my car. Seems a bit much?

I’ll update you guys tomorrow
 

l0p3s22

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Taking my car in tomorrow morning to get checked out. Lady on the phone acted like she already knew my problem when I started talking and said there’s a big back order on condensers. Maybe 2 months. Charging me $300 just to look at my car. Seems a bit much?

I’ll update you guys tomorrow
They were going to charge me $80 for a diagnostic fee and about $300 to add refrigerant with the dye to find the leak. Luckily they saw the hole in the condenser when adding the refrigerant and I didn't get charged.
 

Hondadude69

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I just dropped off my 16 civic. The service advisor told me straight up “there’s a lot of things that can go wrong with your ac. If it’s the condenser it’s covered but anything else and it’s a charge”

gee thanks man
 

Hondadude69

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Okkkk wow so I just got my car back from Honda! Was in for a few hours and he texted me and let me know there was no issues with ac equipment and that I was just low on Freon

Honda Civic 10th gen NEW AC CONDENSER LEAKING  TSB 19-091 BA7E3EFE-E9FB-45DB-B85F-4B0CDD923465
 


Hondadude69

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AC systems are sealed and do not leak unless there is a problem.
Yep I know. I asked him that when I picked up my car. He said something to the effect of “our vehicles from 2016 have used a different Freon and it hasn’t lasted as long. We’ve had them last typically 4-5 years or so before recharging. We’ve been doing this a lot”

so idk. He said he did the dye test and checked for leaks and checked all the ac components and they were all working correctly the system was just low on Freon. He said we could bring it back for free if there were any issues in the near future.

it’s blowing ice cold now so I’m just crossing my fingers here.Thankfully he didn’t even charge me for the diagnostic
 

warsaws

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Yep I know. I asked him that when I picked up my car. He said something to the effect of “our vehicles from 2016 have used a different Freon and it hasn’t lasted as long. We’ve had them last typically 4-5 years or so before recharging. We’ve been doing this a lot”

so idk. He said he did the dye test and checked for leaks and checked all the ac components and they were all working correctly the system was just low on Freon. He said we could bring it back for free if there were any issues in the near future.

it’s blowing ice cold now so I’m just crossing my fingers here.Thankfully he didn’t even charge me for the diagnostic
Good luck. I’m with you, I have a 2018.
 

frontlinegeek

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Yep I know. I asked him that when I picked up my car. He said something to the effect of “our vehicles from 2016 have used a different Freon and it hasn’t lasted as long. We’ve had them last typically 4-5 years or so before recharging. We’ve been doing this a lot”
I have heard this about the R1234yf. And regardless of maker.

And the worst part right now is that the patent holder on 1234yf is being a monster dingus and is fleecing people on its use. That is why the prices for it are so damned high.

My 2017 had the AC work done on it for the whistle of torture in April of 2018 and it still blows cold even now so hopefully, when the replaced the siphon hose and the condenser was warrantied, that recharge lasts a good long time as I am now at 3 years from that point.
 
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dallasjhawk

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Had my AC replaced at 32k miles. made it to 105k and now when I start the car the AC makes a funny sucking hissing noise and its not blowing cold. I feel like im effed and they will blame something besides the condenser
 

NotSerious

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Which component did you have replaced last time ?

If it is the compressor that was already replaced, and the condensor has failed this time, you may get it fixed free. Otherwise, unless you have an extended warranty, you are out of luck and better off going to an independent reputable auto aircon specialist.
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