Hi,
I have following queries for 2009 honda civic if its compressor is leaking:

1) Is there any easy way to determine if leak is actually in compressor as my mechanic told me it is in compressor but seems like he is not sure so I wanna confirm myself?
2) if I run AC with leaked compressor then what will happen to car performance and its condition as currently it is cooling because my mechanic filled gas in it but wanna confirm if i can run AC on in this situation?
3) if I do not run AC and also do not get it fixed will it harm my car's condition in this case as I am not running AC so wanna leave it for now instead of spending some money on it but wanna confirm from your experts first?

4) How much does it cost to get it fixed?

Please let me know.

 

1. yes. in one test, a luminous dye is injected into a small amount of refrigerant to test for a leak from a specific spot. this is done after a leak is confirmed by failing to pull or hold a vacuum.

2. if you have a leak, your compressor will not turn on if pressure in the system becomes unsafe for operation. i would use it, and if your a/c starts to become less cold, it's safe to say their is a leak somewhere, and operation should stop.

3. as far as driving, if the compressor itself is indeed bad, the compressors clutch, if a/c is not engaged, is a free spinning pulley. leaving the compressor internals motionless. as for general a/c components, leaving a leak open to the elements can cause rust and other issues internally.

4. if it is the compressor that is leaking, and that is the only issue. i would say around 300-750$ for a new compressor(possibly c clutch), receiver drier, refrigerant and a few mechanic hours.


not to diss your tech, but i would ask your him to show you the exact location of the leak, or ask how he confirmed it. if he cant or seems unsure, you might try getting another opinion. a/c compressors are a common target for unneeded replacement.

 

Thanks for your reply. If compressor is leaking does it leaks any kind of oil or something which will ruin internal of my car even if it is not running?

what bad can happen if compressor fails while it is running due to leak as I read some horrible stories online but you experts are best to ask this from technical stand point?

 

there is oil in the a/c system but it is unlikely to cause damage to anything, and it often doesn't leak like a standard oil. the refrigerant boils well below 0 degrees, so any that leaked would evaporate immediately, and do no damage.

a compressor catastrophically failing while in use, would at least put metal shavings your condenser and appropriate piping between the compressor and condenser. with potential of getting them in the entire system. other damage could also come if a large amount pressure is released.

 

You can ad a UV dye to your refrigerant lines that makes seeing the leak much easier. It is meant to work with a black light but the stuff is neon green regardless. You can see it without one. After adding the dye, and running the system (if it does still operate), then get just examine the compressor, condenser, and all of the lines. You should be able to spot your leak pretty quickly that way.

AC systems have a pressure switch, if it detects the refrigerant below a certain pressure, the compressor will not operate. So if your ac is still blowing cold, the leak cannot cause any catastrophic failures yet.