Hey,
So about 4 months ago, I drove through 2 feet of water for 1-2 blocks,
and the only thing that went wrong, is that water got into my a/c
compressor, and its makes this whining noise (the pitch a factor of RPMs)
and at first I thought I would just suck it up, but lately, I think I should
replace it. I have lots of incoming cash every month that I don't know
what to do with (nor do I have the time), and I decided I wasnt
going to buy a new car since my honda runs fine.
So the question is, how much would it cost to pay for a rebuild? Or should
I replace the whole darn assembly? The mechanic that diagnosed the issue
said I can just cut the a/c cable and suck up not having a/c but at least
I won't have the noise. I figure if I'm gonna have the car for another year
or two it might as well have a/c and not sound like a high-pitched beee-otch.
What do you guys suggest?

 

you can cut the a/c belt while you figure out what you wanna do that way you atleast get rid of the noise until you figure it out.

i personally leave rebuilding stuff like that up to pro's

 

Any idea of the cost of this work? If it is too much maybe my money
is better spent to just do a complete tune-up?

 

i thought you said you had LOTS of extra cash rolling in each month with nothing to spend it on.

anyhow, if you get a shop to do it you are looking at $400-$1000, depending on what that particular shop wants to replace at the same time.

you also never said what year it was so i cant tell if its r134 or r12, that will make a difference as well.

 

Sorry, car is a 1997 Civic EX.
So whichever A/C that came in that car is what I have.
Even with the cash, I'm trying to decide if its worth spending
the money on the rebuild (or replace), on a car that is probably
worth $2k..
So if i give it to a shop, they may charge me up to $1k just to
repair the A/C!!?? What is the best alternative for me?

 

1k is the high end estimate. He's saying that so you don't get invoice shock if something other than your compressor needs to be replaced. But in all honesty, a new compressor with parts and labor should be about $600. I'd say a new compressor for your car would be no more than $325. You can save a little more dough if you get a remanufactured one.

According to http://www.discountacparts.com, a remanufactured one goes for $225. If you have no experience replacing an A/C compressor, I'd have the shop do it. They'll evacuate your system, replace the compressor, refill and check for leaks. You may need to get your AC drier and your expansion valve replaced at the same time. That's about another $80 total for both parts. So you are looking at about $305 just for parts. I'd say around $600 is a good deal.

 

You can also look around at some of the "parting out" threads. A reman compressor for my Sol was going to run me just under $300, and then labor, but I got hooked up with one from an HT member for $35 + shipping, and it's like three bolts to undo/replace.

Then have someone evac and charge it for $30 and done.

John

 

Where are these "parting out" threads?
Maybe that is the best alternative for me since I'm not in a huge
rush to replace it.

 

in the marketplace, craigslist, other local forums, or just post a WTB in the marketplace.