When determining the total price you might have to pay for your car AC condenser cost, it is key to know some important info, like what is the AC condenser, the symptoms of a bad AC condenser, how to replace the AC condenser, and the steps you might need to take to do this on your own and save some money. The overall total price for the average car AC condenser cost comes out to around $400 to $900, with the parts costing between $500-$700 and the labor ranging between $200 to $400.
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What is the car AC condenser?
The AC compressor is a component within the air conditioning system in your car that is powered by your car’s crankshaft. This mechanism is in charge of pressurizing the refrigerant, or the coolant, in your vehicle. At this point in the car, the air conditioning system changes from low pressure to high pressure.
After this stage has been completed thanks to the AC compressor, the high-pressure refrigerant then moves to the AC condenser. This small radiator-like mechanism is located at the front of the car. During this stage, the heat is removed from the refrigerant by moving the air to the outside of the vehicle, causing the outside cooler air to cool-off the inside refrigerant.
This process causes the gas to condense back into a liquid form. The main function of the AC condenser is to remove the heat from the air conditioning system and keep it cool. If this is not working correctly, you will need to determine the total car AC condenser cost.
The now-cooled liquid that has been cooled by the AC condenser travels to the accumulator, which mainly functions to remove any added moisture or extra debris that is floating in the liquid. The refrigerant then moves to the expansion valve, which is an opening that is in charge of siphoning only small amounts of liquid through at one time, basically acting as a gatekeeper for the system.
If the expansion valve can’t work correctly, too much liquid will flow through, causing a high car AC condenser cost. By the expansion valve limiting the amount of liquid going through the system, this allows the pressure to be lessened, causing the entire system to switch back from high pressure to low pressure.
Once the expansion valve has done its job, the evaporator is the next stop in the line of travel for the liquid. This evaporator is usually found under the dashboard and is the next part to treat the low pressure liquid. The refrigerant goes through the evaporator, while an AC blower cabin fan is simultaneously blowing air through it. The refrigerant takes in the heat from the outside air, which cools the air before it blows through the cabin and to the occupants.
Once the air is distributed into the cabin, the refrigerant goes back to the AC compressor to repeat all of the steps. As you can see, the AC compressor and AC condenser are huge components of this mechanism. if either one of these parts are not working correctly or are damaged, the total car AC condenser cost will be much higher.
Signs of a bad AC condenser
To figure out how much you might pay for the total car AC condenser cost, it is key to know the main signs and symptoms of a faulty AC condenser, so you can know the necessary fix and how much you might end up spending.
Lukewarm air
One of the first signs that is very noticeable to both the driver and passengers is lukewarm air coming through your vents. There is nothing worse than a lack of cold air from your AC condenser during a hot summer day. When you expect cool air and are hit with this warm air, the AC condenser needs to be immediately inspected for any blockages, debris clogs, or defects that cause airflow restrictions and a higher car AC condenser cost.
Burning Smell
Fortunately for drivers and passengers, this is one of the most obvious signs that something is wrong with your cooling system. A burning smell is an immediate sign that something is wrong in your car and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. When you smell burning, this can indicate a wide range of problems – some minor, and some more serious, which can mean that you might have an expensive or severe repair on your hands.
Noticing this burning smell can help you reduce the total car AC condenser cost by fixing the issue before it harms any more components of your important exhaust system.
Overheating While Idling
For the same reasons as the above, if your vehicle is not able to circulate enough refrigerant, or not able to cool off the refrigerant correctly, the AC condenser system will not eliminate heat well, causing a build up in the system and overheating. Usually, the AC condenser will be cooled by the air it gets once the vehicle is moving and running, but if too much heat builds up by a broken AC condenser, this will provide a burning smell and a higher car AC condenser cost.
Noticeable Coolant Leaks
Your coolant in the vehicle is in charge of keeping all of the systems running smoothly, preventing the friction from causing too much heat, resulting in an overheating engine, overheating transmission, and an overheating exhaust system. Without coolant, your car would catch fire and be an extreme safety hazard for you and other cars. If your coolant is leaking, you will notice this by the puddle under your car and the distinctive color. Noticing this sign is key to reducing the overall car AC condenser cost.
Warning Lights
The last sign that there is something wrong with your exhaust system is that there are warning lights appearing on your dashboard. That is exactly the function of these lights – they are there to indicate when something is out of whack with your system, whether it be minor or severe. If the check engine warning light comes on, this can range in severity from a loose fuel cap to a damaged mass air flow sensor, so any warning lights on your car can indicate something that can cause the car AC condenser cost to skyrocket.
How to replace AC condenser
When you are working on your car, you should have done your research so that you can be aware of what you are getting yourself into. When you are working on the car AC system, you need to use proper evacuation equipment so you do not harm any other parts and increase the total price of the car AC condenser cost. Releasing any refrigerant into the atmosphere can be bad for the environment and put you at risk.
However, if you have done extensive mechanical work and think you have the knowledge and parts to replace the AC condenser on your own, then there are some key steps you can follow to safely do this procedure.
The parts necessary for this task is a manifold gauge set, recovery machine, AC line o-rings, sockets, condenser, refrigerant, and wrench set. Make sure before you try this on your own that you have specialized training on working on AC systems.
Step 1 – recover the AC refrigerant. Connect the manifold gauge set, ensuring you have tight connections and you do not spot any leaks in the system. Connect the yellow hose onto the recovery machine and then attach the blue hose to the low side, while attaching the red hose to the high side. After these are connected, give the machine time to recover and ensure the gauges are reading zero.
Step 2 – remove the parts in the way of the condenser, requiring any removal of headlights or grills. Leave the condenser in place.
Step 3 – take off the AC lines that are directly connected to the condenser, along with the O-rings.
Step 4 – take off the condenser, making sure it does not get caught or snagged on any other nearby parts.
Step 5 – now, you are ready to install the new AC condenser. Match the parts so that you have the correct make and model, and then pour the new refrigerant into the condenser.
Step 6 – Install the AC lines and replace the O-rings, along with any other remaining parts.
Step 7 – place your AC system in a vacuum for at least half an hour, ensuring there are no leaks and the connections are secure.
Step 8 – once you have made sure the connections are tight, recharge the AC by using the correct amount of refrigerant.
Step 9 – check the job and test the AC system, ensuring that you did what you could to repair the system and lessen the total car AC condenser cost.
Is AC condenser flush a bad idea?
Now that you know you can do the car AC condenser replacement on your own if you have the proper tools, skills, knowledge, and certifications you might be wondering if you can do an AC condenser flush. This can help save you money – but is it worth it?
However, this might not be worth it in the long run. If you mess up the AC condenser flush, this can lead to an extremely high price for the car AC condenser cost. Your AC system contains debris and sludge that has built up over time in the cooling system. All of these contaminants and trash collects in the lower part of the system.
When these parts are flushed, they could end up back flowing to other parts in the cooling system, causing extensive damage, hefty repair prices, and tween complete failures of parts, leading to severe replacements, like the repeat compressor failure. This usually ends up in a replacement of the AC condenser, orifice tube, compressor, hose assembly, and accumulator.
Car AC condenser Replacement Cost
Now that you know you need a Car AC condenser replacement, you might be wondering how much you will have to dish out for the total car AC condenser cost. This can vary depending on what kind of vehicle you have, like the make, model and year. If additional parts need to be fixed along with the condenser, then the car AC condenser cost will be much higher than just simple fixes on this part alone.
In most modern cars on the market today, the total car AC condenser cost will come out to between $400 and $900, with nearly half of this total price equalling the labor cost that you will pay at the mechanic’s shop or the local auto body store. The other money will go directly towards the parts needed for the car AC condenser replacement.
In addition to keeping the car AC condenser cost low as possible, you might want to ensure you regularly clean the car AC condenser to keep the life of the system running more efficiently and longer. You can do this cleaning yourself, or you can ask your mechanic, manufacturer, or look at videos online to give you an idea of how to do it on your own.
The prices for the average car AC condenser cost will vary depending on where you take your car. Your local mechanic generally ranges between $428 and $914 for the total replacement, while the chain store of Midas will run a little bit higher at between $440 and $945.
If you are more comfortable with another chain shop that is prevalent across the country, then Mr. Tire is a slightly cheaper option that costs between $411 and $1014 on the high end of the price spectrum, while NAPA is similar, ranging around $404 and $1119.
If you feel confident that you can do this car AC condenser replacement on your own, then you can look into going to a shop to buy some parts. If you go to Walmart, the total cost of the parts runs between $262 and $560, while the parts at Amazon will cost an average of $245 to $603 for the total amount of the car AC condenser cost.