It’s only June, but we all know Columbus humidity. If your AC in your car isn’t working, we have a plan!
If you notice your car isn’t as cool as you’d like bring it in for an AC diagnostic. This diagnosis is $69.95. We will hook your car up to an AC machine that extracts the refrigerant (us old-timers might still call this ‘freon’ but it isn’t really freon), measures it, and places a vacuum on the AC system. Our ASE certified technician will then do a visual inspection while this is happening to look for collapsed hoses, noises, and visible issues with your compressor, condenser and/or drier. (NOTE: much of the AC system is hidden, but we give it a really good look). Should your components not pass the expert test, we will notify you immediately before putting any refrigerant back in.
If your components pass muster, we’ll put any of your refrigerant back in, then top off your system with new/additional refrigerant. The refrigerant is $28.95/lb. MOST passenger cars can hold up to about 2 pounds.
In addition to adding ref
rigerant, we also add an ultraviolet dye when we add the refrigerant so that we can chase down any leaks should they appear within the next 10 days or so. Because much of the AC system is hidden inside of fins (see photo), even our eagle eyes will miss these issues without the help of some ultraviolet dye and a little bit of time. This photo shows that there is a leak inside the condenser…. Adding refrigerant to this system is very simply releasing refrigerant out into the atmosphere, which is not good for the environment, and at $28.95/lb, pretty pricey. (*this is why it’s a good idea to have a pro check your car out first…. When you buy ‘AC in a can” at the parts store, you might be doing exactly nothing for the cabin temperature)
Bottom line, here’s what AC service (if no repairs are necessary) costs at Beany’s;
Diagnosis: $69.95
AC refrigerant (for 2 full pounds): $57.90
Dye: $10.00
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Total: $137.85 or so.
Only YOU can decide if AC is something that is worth having. Of course, we recommend that if you’re driving in the hottest hours of the day (10a-2p) regularly, or have children, elderly, or people with compromised immune systems riding with you, that you prioritize your cabin cooling system appropriately. Let us know when you need us!
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