Wanna Be Cool ? Part 2 -A/C Repair Costs Are Out of Control
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Concept
A/C repair costs are out of control
They’re talking about how fixing a car’s air conditioning can cost a lot. It’s not just one simple part—there are sensors, hoses, and refrigerant that can make repairs pricey.
Concept
vehicle air conditioning
Your car’s A/C is what makes the inside cool and less muggy. It uses special refrigerant and parts that work together to pull heat out of the cabin.
Concept
fuel tax
Fuel tax is extra government cost added to gas or diesel. If the tax changes, the price at the pump changes too, even if your car gets the same mileage.
Company
City Auto Sales and Leasing
City Auto Sales and Leasing is mentioned as the episode sponsor. The sponsor claims it sells pre-owned vehicles and offers in-house financing and leasing, which can be relevant when listeners compare dealer options.
Concept
in-house financing and leasing
In-house financing/leasing means the dealer helps set up your payment plan. That can make it easier to get approved, but it’s still important to compare the total cost.
Concept
fleet maintenance system
A fleet maintenance system is how a business keeps lots of cars serviced and tracked. It helps make sure each car gets the right service at the right time.
Concept
leave it too late
If you wait until the hottest time of year, more people will be bringing cars in for A/C issues. That can mean longer waits and fewer parts available.
Concept
evaluated any imperfections corrected
They’re saying the shop should check your A/C carefully and fix the real problems it finds. That reduces the chance you’ll have to come back again soon.
Concept
air conditioning components
Your car’s A/C isn’t one single part—it’s several parts working together. If one part breaks, it can cause problems elsewhere, so the repair may involve multiple pieces.
Concept
air conditioning system
Your car’s A/C is like a sealed system that circulates a special cooling fluid. If something in that system leaks or breaks, the A/C won’t work right and repairs can get pricey.
Concept
components that can leak or fail
A/C systems have lots of parts connected together, and any of them can leak. So even after one repair, another problem can show up if another part was already damaged.
Part
AC compressor
The A/C compressor is the pump that moves the refrigerant through the whole system. If it breaks or the system loses refrigerant, the A/C won’t cool.
Part
orifice tube
The orifice tube is a tiny part that controls how much refrigerant flows into the part of the A/C that cools the cabin. If the system gets dirty, this small passage can get blocked.
Term
bacteria
The “bacteria” is basically germs that grow where moisture collects inside the A/C. They can cause the smell and may need proper cleaning to remove.
Term
components that can fail
A car A/C has a lot of connections and seals. As they age, different spots can start leaking, even after you fix one area.
Term
black light
A black light helps reveal the dye from an A/C leak. It makes the leak easier to spot so the repair is faster.
Concept
system is all the same age
If your A/C is old, many parts are wearing out together. So you might fix one leak and then find another soon after.
Term
leak free
“Leak-free” in A/C repairs is a high bar because many components and seals can age at the same time. Even after one leak is fixed, other weak points can start leaking later, especially on older systems.
Part
evaporator core
In your car’s A/C, the evaporator is the part that cools the air inside the cabin. If it’s leaking, the A/C can’t make cold air because the refrigerant is getting away.
Concept
top-up
A “top-up” is adding refrigerant to bring the system back to the correct charge level. Without fixing the underlying leak, a top-up is usually temporary and can lead to repeat failures and higher total cost.
Concept
maintenance-free misconception
Some people think the A/C never needs attention. But over time it can leak refrigerant or get clogged up, and then it stops cooling well.
Part
AC condenser
Your car’s A/C condenser is the part that helps get heat out of the air-conditioning system. If it’s damaged, the A/C can start leaking and stop working, which is why repairs can get pricey.
Concept
buyer beware
“Buyer beware” is a warning that consumers are responsible for understanding what they’re buying and the risks involved. In automotive contexts, it often applies to aftermarket products that may not be legal, may not work as advertised, or may cause damage if used incorrectly.
Term
window tint
Tint can be illegal if it’s too dark. If you get pulled over, you might have to remove it and pay a fine.
Term
lighting
Aftermarket lighting modifications are often restricted by state laws regarding brightness, color, and aiming. If lighting doesn’t meet regulations, you can be cited and may be required to remove or adjust it immediately.
Concept
parts are so darn expensive
A big reason repairs cost a lot is that the replacement parts themselves are expensive. Even if the work isn’t too complicated, the parts can make the total high.
Term
refrigerant
Refrigerant is the chemical that makes the A/C cool. If it leaks out, the system can lose oil too, and then the A/C parts don’t get lubricated properly.
Term
A/C
A/C means the car’s air conditioning. It’s a sealed system that uses special refrigerant to move heat out of the cabin, and it needs the right tools and chemicals to service safely.
Term
gauge set
A gauge set is the tool a mechanic uses to check A/C pressures. It helps them diagnose problems and charge the system correctly, but it can’t be used safely if the refrigerant has been contaminated.
Term
sealant goo
It’s a stop-leak chemical you pour into the A/C system. It might temporarily slow a leak, but it can make it harder for a mechanic to find and fix the real problem.
Term
that smell
That smell is the bad odor you notice when you turn the A/C on. It usually means moisture or gunk is building up inside the system.
LIVE
good morning folks you're tuned into car connection where the coffee's hot tools
are ready and the talk is always tuned up I'm your host Nile motormouth Jenkins
coming to you straight from the car connection workshop where we mix a little
humor a little know-how and a whole lot of horsepower here it's not just about
fixing cars it's about keeping you rolling saving you money giving you the
confidence to understand what's under that hood from the classics to the
commuters to the weird noises and the what the heck moments we've got you
covered so grab your coffee sit back join the crew because this is car
connection your Monday through Saturday morning pit stop for story smarts and a
few good laughs I'm Nile motormouth Jenkins shifting into drive this morning
into your world so as you invite me into your world this morning I say thank
you I invite you into my own as well we've got a lot to get through in a very
short time to get there I think I've heard that before somewhere perhaps it's
going to be part two this morning I began yesterday with want to be cool well
this is want to be cool part two because when it comes to vehicle air
conditioning there's a lot to know a lot more to know than you think about just
turning on the icebox inside your vehicle and all as well it all is well
until it's not and it's hot hazy and humid and uncomfortable and you have an
hour's drive to get to work without air conditioning I'll tell you fellas if
that's mama's car it's going to be pretty cold in the household for a while
so you get her air conditioning going so stick around that's what we're going to
be polishing up this morning and it gets a little deep but I'll try and keep it
topical as possible because we can always dive back in in a few weeks once
the heat does come on and stay with us I think we're going to get blasted into it
quick so that's why I'm saying I think I should bring you up to speed with
vehicle air conditioning before that time hits where we just jump from being
bounced around with outside temperatures and rain and then plus rain times rain
divided by rain equals rain equals May flowers that's what they tell me I just
go okay that's enough already let's dry out a little bit and I don't have a fly
mow lawnmower you have to check that out have you ever seen the hovercraft
lawnmower it's called a fly mow they actually apparently they make a new one
now so if it keeps raining we can all just get fly mows and hovercraft are and
cut our yards yeah with hip waiters on that should be cool we'll stick around
we're gonna get things launched this morning I think we better have let's
have our morning weather together first thing and get that out of the way and
then we'll hit the swiggy so if you've got your 16 pack of crayola crayons you're
doing better than I am this morning I've misplaced my my laptop leaf bag you
know what they are a perfect memo pad because you can place that on your lap
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through double check your order we're getting close to the weekend mine start
to wander a little bit yes they do and let's have a swiggy together in just a
couple minutes so lock that down let's get the daily weather brought to us this
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be here building Canada since 1931 all the building supplies that you can
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morning drive with motormouth and thank them for bringing us the morning
weather and here's what we got are you ready hey I can't make this stuff up I
would be just saying 77 degrees and sunshine every day yeah and fountains
that are not it's they're not spraying water it's warm chocolate with buckets of
berries to dip the berries in the chocolate that would be in double bacon
cheeseburgers all day long and you never gain any weight that's my planet
sign me up absolutely well on the rain scale let's get the bad news out of the
way well the plants are loving it but I feel bad for the birds there's no leaves
to hide under yet and it's raining and raining and raining and it rained here
sideways on the south coast of Lake Erie 0.35 of an inch rain today that's
better than what saw around dinner time last night right here it is 52 degrees
right now and fog and it is foggy the foghorn on the lake has been sounding
since yesterday and I did take a little trip to have a look and see how the ice
is doing in the water and it is super foggy out there so it was really cool
yesterday hearing the fog horn and it's still been running so 52 degrees now with
the fog horn running on Lake Erie wind is making it feel cooler about 51
degrees hazy conditions from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. with rain expected at 9 a.m. today's
temperature range will be 49 to 67 degrees and it will feel like 48 to 61
degrees so we're getting there once we hit over the 60 degree mark and we can
maintain that for at least a week then it's time to do the 30-day fuel savings
challenge and put money back in your pocket and I hear we're gonna get a
reduction on the the fuel the fuel tax 10 cents somebody said 25 it's actually
10 cents a liter really that's the best you can do dude anyhow don't get me
started on that I think all the taxes should come off and give the people a
break amen tell me what you think in the comments absolutely so today it looks
like we're gonna hit 67 yeah yesterday the high was 68 it was nice out there
really really was till the rain came back but you know we had rain in the
morning and then it took off and then it came back around dinner hour whatever
your dinner hour is here it could be anytime from in the car connection
workshop dinner hour could be anytime between five and eight o'clock but try
not to eat after eight o'clock because that's not good alright so we move on
from that before we digress and let's have our morning swiggy together right
now while my cup is hot and maybe yours is too thank you to Earl Louise Grant
at City Auto Sales and Leasing Greater Toronto area's premier pre-owned auto
store for over 25 years providing low mileage quality vehicles at fair prices
in-house financing and leasing I'll tell you what you will not find a better car
pre-owned anywhere else City Auto Sales and Leasing and Mama Louise will not let
you go out the door if she thinks that you're gonna be car broke she's gonna
have a little chitty chat with you and have a little talk because they care
about you at City Auto Sales and Leasing Earl Louise Grant they are your
car guys and they are your family that you have not met yet so get out there
and have a look at what they have you can visit them online if you don't see
the specific vehicle you're looking for then you need to connect because they
have the resources to find those low mileage quality vehicles they sell no
junk so buy with confidence be treated with nothing less than honesty and
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on 321 this is how we do it if you're joining us for the first time raise your
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repair and maintenance fundamentals not overhauling the car not making a
monster truck or a cruising machine just the basic fundamentals put you in the
driver's seat and that's why I'm here and that's why this is the lane that I've
been carving out and been carving it out for over 40 plus years let's jump into
the morning topic shall we do you mind if I have another little sip a swiggy thank
you that is so good for a Thursday don't forget we're coming up to fun Friday
tomorrow and then Q&A Saturday questions and answers you want to get your
questions in and on the air with me you've got to get those in like end of
the day today at the latest tomorrow before noon before noon because then I
poll three questions from all of the emails that have come in and that's what
I spend my time on excuse me I think I'm coming down with something I think it's
called pollen but anyways I think your name is pollen and I look those over
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share with everyone Saturday morning Q&A questions and answers so in the
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just wanted to mention that in the description box I do all that myself and
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we're almost at fun Friday well if you want to be cool this summer now's the
time to wrap your head around your air conditioning this is what I know from
trends 44 plus years as an AC tech and a lot of the guys I work with they go like
motormouth you're freaking nuts for wanting to work on air conditioning I
don't know it's just something I can't even answer the question why I don't mind
working on it and I enjoy it and sometimes the work is a little miserable
getting at a compressor we're getting a condenser out or if you got to go inside
the car and take 99% of it out to get to the evaporator core because it's
leaking yeah I don't know why I really like that too much but I just have it's
one of those things that just it works for me it clicks it absolutely does so
remember there's two ways to own a car and this wraps we're in with this topic
very very well there are two ways to own the car living in the unknown or living
in the know one's going to create for you a ton of additional stress do you need
that really well send you some just give us the address we'll get that over to
you the other gives you freedom peace of mind so that's what I'm trying to build
with you right now because based on the weather trend that's what I look at at
this time of the year I'd be in the shop going we can't we can't we used to be
able to carry a lot of air conditioning parts and pieces and that would help our
customers so we could get them out the air conditioning fixed and out the door
that doesn't happen anymore so I wanted to touch on that so that you get a better
understanding here's the here's the thing here's how air conditioning repairs
works in the automotive world like truck passenger vehicles if you leave it too
late they only run so many pieces parts of air conditioning components and if
it's turns out to be a really hot summer we get into June and in the beginning
July and air conditioning units are down like crazy the parts run out got that
the parts begin to run out and we can be waiting two to three weeks just to get
the parts to fix your air conditioning that's why I'm saying ringy ding ding
ding now to get your air conditioning system evaluated any any imperfections
corrected to the best of your ability I mean there's lots of components that
make up your vehicles air conditioning system and I like to explain it like
this if I'm under if I'm in your house and I'm a plumber you got a leaking tap
down in the laundry room so you take me there you say yeah this is leaking can
we fix it what do we got to do to take care of it well the taps are kind of
very old corroded the amount of labor it's going to take for me to get it all
apart here I could just hog this old one out and put you an update it so I go
ahead and do that so then two weeks later you phoned me and you go well the
bathroom taps leaking well it wasn't leaking until you were here I go well
that's the bathroom I was working in the laundry room I didn't touch your bathroom
taps are you seeing where I'm going and so then I fixed the bathroom taps and a
week later now we have a dripping faucet in the downstairs bathroom so you call
me and you say well you know you fixed the laundry tub tap set in the bathroom
well now we got a dripping something or other in the in the downstairs bathroom
like what's going on here I'm paying you all this money and it's not fixed well
how am I responsible riddle me this how am I responsible for the bathroom tap now
the leaking something or other in the downstairs bathroom what did you call me
to fix the leak in the laundry room okay this might seem a little whacked but it
won't in just a moment so what makes up your vehicles air conditioning system
are you ready for it I'm gonna rattle off as much as I can and they're all
components that have connections that can leak they're all components that can
fail and cause air conditioning down okay let's start from the grill AC condenser
unit sits right up front so when you're riding up somebody's backside kicking up
gravel and stuff it's hitting your air conditioning condenser right up front
just like a ramming machine yeah so stay back a ways would you because you're
sandblasting your vehicles air air conditioning condenser it's right up
front it sits ahead of your radiator so it's taking every stone the gravel
trucks are pitching at you so that's number one let's move indoors into the
engine compartment now we have high pressure hoses and low pressure hoses
that come off the AC condenser remember it's way out front so when you're
drafting with that 18-wheeler and its spring road crud at you just remember
what I told you that's gonna cost you so you have AC lines high pressure lines
low pressure lines they all attach to the condenser then we have an AC
compressor that compresses the the refrigerant and pushes it through all
the arteries that make up the air conditioning system itself so wherever
there's a component there is a high pressure line and a low pressure line
attached to it now we have an accumulator what does the accumulator do
well the accumulator filters out particles but it also has a decosin bag
inside it that needs to be replaced and but in most cases it can't be it
attracts moisture out of the refrigerant and it holds it and stores it there you
know when you open like electronics you see those little pouches in there it's
that on steroids it's about the size of your hand okay pretty much I'm looking
at my hand yeah it's pretty close to that it is pretty close to that and so when
that gets absorbed with moisture because your conditioning system's not been
working for several months and hubby said well you know summer's over let's
just let her go all winter we'll take care of it next summer that's a really
bad idea why because that bag if your refrigerant is out your neighbor didn't
take it you have a massive leak so that means what gets into the system moisture
all that salted road moisture is been drawn into your AC system into the
accumulator and that decosin bag is just about ready to explode okay let's move
on so that's why you if you want air conditioning this year and it went down
late last year it could be a challenge to get it back up and running if we
don't change the accumulator and we just try and charge it that bag will
explode sending a ceramic like material through every nook and cranny and
artery and component in the air conditioning system and that's what I
say to you I don't care to give you an estimate to fix this one it is DNR do
not resuscitate to get that air conditioning system back up and running
you're talking in the thousands because why every single component that makes up
your vehicles air conditioning system needs to be pulled out and flushed and
there can't be one spec of that ceramic like material anywhere now let's move on
to another component the orifice tube not to be confused with the whale that
would be an orca tube this is an orifice tube what does it do well I'm not gonna
get into technicalities but it does change the state of the refrigerant from
a gas to to a vapor and back to a liquid but it also filters out very small
microns of particles any kind of particles floating around in the oil
get trapped in the orifice tube and then it restricts the flow of refrigerant
and that's when we have a high pressure low pressure problem on our gauge usually
indicating by a fluctuating needle on one of the gauges that there's a
restriction somewhere and nine times out of ten it's the orifice tube so we want
to get in there and put a new orifice tube in and it's not until you look at
it and go wow that thing was almost plugged up yeah and that makes a huge
difference to how cold your air conditioning system and how well it
functions so now we're right now we're heading towards your dashboard when we
get to the orifice tube we're heading for the dashboard in behind the dashboard
which is what I've always said they put that component in first and then build
the car around it that's how hard it is to get to the evaporator core the
evaporator cores inside buried inside deep inside the bowels of the dash yeah
that's where the beast is and that's where that smell comes from you know like
the old gym locker or the hockey bag that's been you know the equipment's
been used and it's been zipped up and just left on the basement floor and you
open it and pass out yeah that smell yeah that is created by the evaporator
core and I'm gonna teach you how to avoid creating that smell because how did
that smell happen you're not gonna like me get ready I can feel myself getting
off the Christmas gift living giving list and the Christmas card gift giving
list ready you're the problem the whole problem that's right so we're gonna talk
about that where does that smell come from and it's embarrassing and how did
it happen you it was you times you plus you divided by you you now I'm gonna
teach you some stuff I don't know if I'll get through all this today but if we
have to do a part three it's worth it because how many of you have a vehicle
right now that if you put the air conditioning on it smells really bad
it's bacteria it sucks to be you because it's not easy to get rid of once
it's there I'm gonna talk about that it's not that easy to get rid of it and I
know every method known to mankind and if it even created some of my own and I'll
tell you it is not easy to conquer that shrew at all okay so let's jump in that
was the prerequisite those are all the components that make it up make up your
vehicles air conditioning system so if I fix one area I'm not responsible for
all the other areas should it start to leak somewhere else that was my point
about the laundry taps leaking then the upstairs tap then something in the
downstairs bathroom those are all separate components related only by the
flow of water but my hands didn't touch those other areas would you agree with
me yes or no that there are lots of water connections everywhere in your
homestead that could potentially leak or a component failure potentially
creating a leak your vehicles air conditioning system is exactly the same
way all the components that make up that refrigeration system that's what it is
it's a fridge in your car that would be tough although that would be very handy
I might add we could give up a passenger seat put a fridge there anyhow there's
all those different connections that make up that refrigeration unit in your
car so if I fix one area and it start forms a leak somewhere else I'm not
responsible for that and if I fix that area and then it starts leaking
somewhere else I'm not responsible for that either because as a AC tech I have
to make sure that your vehicle is leak-free after I perform whatever duties
I needed to do to fix the system service the system or maintain the system and my
ODSP number goes on that always own depleting substance number yeah I have
to tag bag and gag it so it comes back to me if the area that's leaking happens
to be the area where I was working then something went wrong then yeah that may
may or may not be my responsibility so I want to make that perfectly clear I
would like to make myself perfectly clear where have I heard that before yeah
it's kind of a spooky term for me anyways that's the deal there's lots of
connections lots of components that can fail and by me the tech just fixing the
area that your refrigerant leaked out from and verifying that that leak is
fixed the system is right and tight and I put dye in the system I put dye in
every vehicle air conditioning system I work on so that when you come back and
it's not working I don't have to hook out anything up but my black light and
most the time because the dye is so good you can see it without a black light
and happy glasses yeah and that way I can locate it very very quickly and go
oh it's leaking over here because here's what we have to know if there's a leak
today the system is all the same age the only way we can possibly reduce that
down the number of leaks that your vehicle may experience in the air
conditioning system is take the whole damn thing apart and then put it all
back together and that still doesn't guarantee there isn't going to be a
leak somewhere so let's get past that folks let's get past that because that's
how it works if I fix it here and tomorrow it's leaking over there and
then I fix it there and the next week it's leaking over there it's all the
same age all the same old rings the whole nine yards most people if I say them
well if you wanted a hundred percent or close to a hundred percent leak free we
gotta take the whole system apart and rebuild it how much that gonna cost more
than the car times ten at least ten no that's usually the answer so how do we
get around it well we deal with what we have to deal with and then inspect all
the rest of the components to determine are there any other telltale signs of
weakness in any of those components I just talked about because that's important
and we have to make sure that we're testing inside the car too if because
if the evaporator core is leaking and that happens it seems to be a pattern
failure with with some of the domestics mostly the ones that start with the
letters GMC are really known for that and it's a lot of work to get that
evaporator core out but I have a method of testing it to verify if it's leaking
and if it's if my sniffer picks it up then it doesn't matter what else I do if
that doesn't get corrected it's gonna the refrigerant's gonna leak out and as a
AC tech we're not allowed to let a vehicle go out with refrigerant in if we
know darn well that it's leaking that goes against us as a tech the first fine
is to the shop that you're working for for a hundred grand and then to the tech
that touched it is 10 grand so I love you but I don't like you okay that's just
leaving it that not enough to say I want to dump 10 grand and get a fine and a
stripe on my license no and we're gonna talk about the top-up thing oh yes in
detail because I know the fellas if they're listening can you just top that
up there fella here just you know this is for you we're gonna cut we're gonna
cover that one in detail let me tell you you might want to wear a chin plate on
this one so time frame to fix an air conditioning once we've diagnosed it for
you it would be good if we can fix it in less than 10 days it be really good if
you bring the vehicle in at this time because as soon as the heat goes on and
everybody presses the max AC and goes nothing I've got nothing coming out of
the dash warm air or cool air either one is not gonna be air conditioning it's
gonna be something but it's not gonna be air conditioning you're not the only
one that's gonna get on the horn and the phone is gonna go into Chernobyl meltdown
in the shop and you can only do so many AC units a day truly you really can't
just pump out like chicklets or flapjacks with strawberry syrup on it I
don't know why I was thinking about that but anyways time frame getting in your
vehicle in early right now and having the system tested which is everything I
talked about yesterday so if you missed part one you're gonna want to go listen
to that podcast it's AC system evacuation pressures cabin filter leak test tag and
bag and gag that was yesterday so today is time frame to fix AC DIY AC recharge
and how to use air conditioning so we may not get to the how-to because there
are a lot of things that you need to know that you probably do not know about
your vehicles air conditioning system that's costing you because when you think
if you think that your vehicles air conditioning system is maintenance free
you are so far out in the rhubarb I can't even see you if that's not true
whatsoever it's a freezer in your car it's a refrigerator and they break down
that's what happens to refrigeration units just talk to restaurant owners so
we can get you in early this time of year there's lots of AC parts floating
around so we can grab it here or there around the square but we can round up
what we need get it to the shop and get the job done in the interim as long as
we don't take the system apart you can still drive the car while we're
rustling up the parts so that's how that works well how much is that gonna cost
is what I've always been asked and here's what I'm gonna tell you based on
today's prices if you can get your air conditioning it's down let's say the
system is down if we can get that back up and running for you and and decently
healthy which means we've I've probably fixed and suggested to fix a few
components that are showing serious weakness which means I'm gonna fix it
today and tomorrow Kofufnik somewhere else that's a technical term Kofufnik
and then we got to hunt down some more parts so I'd rather tell you up front
say look this this condenser is beaten to death it's going to leak very very
soon so that's why I'm saying if you like to draft with the 18-wheelers and
all the other cars in front of you keep this in mind there's sandblasting the
front of your car your AC condenser is right there taking it in the teeth
constantly it wears the aluminum down aluminum is very soft and not forgiving
so if you feel like you're riding and you know you're riding in a NASCAR and
you're drafting with these people to get to work sooner you're destroying your
car just letting you know I'm in your corner I am so you all you all have
some really bad habits and I'm costing you guys and gals a ton of money because
you I don't know you as my professor would say you don't know what you don't
know that's why you don't have because if you knew you knew it you'd know it and
if you know it never did it then you never knew it in the first place period
you don't know what you don't know pigs don't know pig stink it's true I used to
ship them every Monday they don't pigs don't know pig stink okay number two
well I didn't finish the price did I no I did not purpose okay there was a day
there was a day where I would tell my clients at my shop if we can get you
back up and running for 500 bucks you do a happy dance and in your worst
Christmas sweater possibly and nastiest shorts on the front lawn of your
homestead for 20 minutes because it was a happy day we get you out the door for
500 parts and labor the whole nine yards but today get ready for it under two
grand under $2,000 to get your vehicles air conditioning system up and running
is a happy day mm-hmm it's an expensive system and like everything else the
prices have gone nuts on the parts and the price of the refrigerant per pound
is out of this freaking world kid you not a pound of one pound of refrigerant
true proper refrigerant we're gonna talk about the do-it-yourself kits in just a
moment because that is not good you need to know what you're doing fellas
before you try and become the hero with one of these kits from the store we're
gonna talk about that in depth because it's not it's not good it's not good
it's not gonna help you it's gonna really do some destruction and you have to
know that because they're not gonna tell you well why wouldn't they tell us it's
gonna do destruction it's buyer beware caveat Antar come on now stay up with it
yeah buyer beware you know they sell tinted window stuff a lot of it's illegal in
different states in the u.s. and you know you can find that out by when you roll
into a state with one of the guys with the hat on and the pistol on his on his
side is gonna pull you over and let you know and give you a ticket well why do
they sell the window tint it's buyer beware you have to know if you're going
south of the border don't make the windows too dark otherwise in certain states you're
gonna get pulled over and you're gonna get a fine and you're gonna be told it has
to be taken off when five minutes before they pulled you over yeah same with
lighting if you're adding lights and goonies stuff to your car and you're
gonna go south of the border you better find out what states and what their
laws are with regards to lighting otherwise you know the guy happy guy
with the hat on is gonna pull you over in the blue flashing lights and you're
gonna have to remove them on the spot and get a fine so stores that are selling
these touch up fill it with whatever kits they don't care that it's it's doing
further damage to your ac system if you're willing to buy it and give it a
shot they're willing to sell it and I disagree with that 110 and I'm gonna
tell you why momentarily let me finish my thought so under two grand is a happy
day you break out that that horrible Christmas sweater and the worst shorts
you can think of and do a happy dance in your front yard and if you can get out
the door for under 500 bucks I can't even tell you how ecstatic I would be
because even though I can do the work myself and I'm qualified and have the
equipment to do it the parts are so darn expensive
it's crazy bad yeah just an old ring set $260 we used to pay like $23 for it you
use pencil to not hold to those prices we need to snap that thing and put it in
the shredder okay now we're gonna move into so now you know fix it time frame
could be 10 days could be seven could be three the sooner you get it your your
air conditioning diagnosed in an estimate put together and parts on the way the
better it is the later you let it go the worse the scenario period so I'm
telling you the way it is it's been that way for 44 years for me doing air
conditioning 44 years it's never changed there's a trend there a pattern
failure so if you leave it and put it off and put it off like you did the went
down in the fall your vehicle is going to be one heck of an ordeal to get that
going again because the system's been open all the way through winter not a
good idea fellas here's how I would tell any of you if your system went down in
the fall and now you want to get it going it's gonna cost you it's gonna
cost you to get it up and running if you love your vehicles air conditioning and
you cuddle up to it when it's working well as you drive and enjoying a nice
comfortable drive and that's you and you cannot live without it then the moment
that system goes down is the moment you get it fixed that's the rule of thumb
anything outside of that is you're setting yourself up for 110% failure on
that I can tell you it is not going to you're not winning that game even by going
to the store fellas and saying little lady I'm gonna take the bull by the
horns good luck with that okay let's talk about these I charged it myself
packages they're out there and myself I don't want any single one of those
canisters anywhere near my shop whatsoever period not at all I don't
want it in the shop there's certain items I will never allow in the shop that is
one of them period there for sale out there and you're not an AC tech fella
and you they should not be allowing you to play with whatever that's whatever's
in the can that's in the kit and here's the problem they put sealers in there in
that refrigerant I don't know what it is I don't know what kind of sealant it is I
don't even know what kind of oil they're putting in there to lubricate your
compressor because when you lose the refrigerant you're also losing oil and
the system has to have so many ounces of oil for each making bottle how can you
use one of those recharge kits and know how much oil is in the system to lubricate
the components and the compressor and how do you know whether you you you have
enough refrigerant in there or too much or if the goo that's in the can to seal
things off is a little too good and it plugs up the orifice tube which it
usually does and then you lose refrigerant flow and the systems down it's
plugged the accumulators all full of that goo where the Deccasin bag is you
are you following me because that's where the destruction is gonna happen well
they sell it on the shelf yeah they do and they sell food that tastes like dog
poo I don't know how I know that but they sell it and you'll eat it are you
following me stay with me now stay with me so if you go and grab one of those
cans that has some of them have little gauges on and whatnot a I don't know
what refrigerant that is B I have no idea what sealant it is I'm not aware of
any of it so here's the problem you ready so now the system's not working now
you bringing into my shop and I'm not even willing to hook up my machine to
your system if it's had that stuff put in there because it will destroy my AC
unit totally it will totally destroy my air conditioning unit my machine so am I
willing to take that risk for you if I can't identify your system in your car
and what's in there I'm not plugging it in at all I gotta kick you down the road
at that point because you know what the machines like over 10 grand no would you
do that for me well you know just top it up you know just you know you can fix it
up you put some stuff in there no we're gonna fix it right and then when I fix
it right I do now the refrigerant that we're using does have a proper sealant
in there just to keep o-rings pliable it's not a sealant like a glue or a
composite anything like that it's not that that's what's in this stuff you're
getting at the store so that's why there's no stinking way I'm hooking up my
gauge set or my machine to your car after you put that stuff in it's it will
cause damage to my machine and all the refrigerant that I have recycled will
become a cocktail that I now can't get rid of and it's stored in the tank that's
part of the machine and now my machines ruined so fellas don't mess with that
stuff that's my short story do not mess with that stuff well why would they sell
it that's the story I hear back when I wrote my ODS ozone depleting substance
license we had to have the license to manage refrigerants then now they're
allowing you to play with refrigerants over the counter on the shelf in the
part store you following me really is that a great idea that was the whole
reason why all of us that were fixing air conditioning had to get a license for
it a specific license was to handle refrigerant so refrigerant was no longer
allowed to be in the hands of the public it was in the hands of the tax so if you
weren't a tech you couldn't buy it I couldn't even buy refrigerant without
giving the part store my ODS number ozone depleting substance number even though
we have different refrigerants now there's like it's I can't tell you a
number of times it's switched up I don't even know which one we're on this year I
gotta find out what what refrigerant are we using now you know because we went
from our 12 to 134 a then we went when 34 double a then we went to 137 it's just
it's you can't keep up with it so whatever like I said whatever they're
selling that's in that can the sealant the goo that's in there because that's
what it is it's some kind of goo and it's not a seal enhancement product to
keep seals pliable it's there to find the leak and plug it it's like putting
that the the cooling system plug and fill product in there that's another
disaster for another day so this is what I'm talking about is the do it
yourself air conditioning recharge thing is a no-no absolute no-no and I think
we'll pull over and park it there tomorrow we'll talk about all the tips
and tricks on how to use your vehicles air conditioning system properly so that
you don't develop that smell that is embarrassing when you turn the air
conditioning on you have guests in the car and they're going you know what's
that what's that smell what smell I don't smell anything oh that's sick yeah you
don't want to you don't want to be putting up with that because it's not a
quick fix but I can I can help you to prevent it because none of my vehicles
that have air conditioning in smell why is that you're gonna learn about that I'm
gonna teach you all the tips and tricks to prevent that from happening but if
you already have it happening we can try it's better to try and fail than to
never try at all right so till tomorrow happy healthy motoring folks don't
forget to like and subscribe share follow ring the notification bell be notified
of new videos coming out on our YouTube channel two for Tuesday one every
Friday so three you get three new videos every single week we got new series
new series is running right now and then we got a huge series on a vehicle from
California waiting in the weeds and they're all maintenance maintenance
preventive maintenance and upgrades that's where we're gonna be showing you so
happy healthy motoring making a fabulous Thursday don't forget tomorrow is fun
Friday we talk about whatever we can figure out to talk about on Fridays we
had some great discussions you can email me anytime motormouth.jankins at
gmail.com or Nile at ccbusnet.com but our website is where you can find
everything you need to like follow and be part of our online community our
YouTube channel and our podcast so peace patience and kindness come and join us
for another motormouth 8 a.m. morning drive right here in the car
connection workshop make it a great day bye for now
you
About this episode
Nile “Motormouth” Jenkins breaks down why auto A/C repairs are getting brutally expensive and why waiting too long is a recipe for parts shortages and bigger failures. He walks through the A/C system components—condenser, hoses, compressor, accumulator/de-siccant bag, orifice tube, and the hard-to-reach evaporator core—explaining how moisture and debris can turn a simple fix into a full teardown/flush job. He also warns against DIY recharge kits and sealants that can clog systems and even ruin shop equipment, then teases practical tips for preventing nasty evaporator smells.
Original notes
Car air-conditioning repairs used to be manageable. Not anymore.
In this episode, we dig into the real reason A/C repair costs have exploded - from $500 fixes to $2,000 + realities-and how that price pressure is pushing vehicle owners toward risky decisions.
When faced with high repair bills, many turn to DIY recharge kits hoping for a quick win. The problem? Those shortcuts often make things worse. Contaminated systems, unknown refrigerant mixes, and sealants can turn a repairable issue into a full system failure-and even prevent professionals from safely connecting their equipment.
This isn't just about cost-it's about understanding the consequences of trying to beat the system.
If your A/C isn't working, this episode will help you avoid turning a bad situation into a veru expensive one.
Next: Part 3 - How to Use Your A/C System Properly and Avoid These Costs.
#CarAC #AutoRepair #MechanicAdvice
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More Episodes and... project Details & Links are available at Car Connection Business Network.com (ccbusnet.com) you'll find everything on our homepage if you'd like to follow the build & repair work & connect with our program partners, Thank You for giving them your business. Nile Motormouth Jenkins.
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Skippy and I Appreciate y'all so very much! Keep listening & watching!
Happy Healthy Motoring Friends, Peace Patience Kindness Always, NMJ
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