A/C on 98 civic broke

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alexr - 14 May 2007 19:32 GMT

Hi,

The air conditioning on my 98 civic broke about a week ago, now it
just blows warm air. I live in Houston so I want to fix this soon (I
hope it doesn't harm the engine any driving in hot weather without A/
C).

Is there any way I can determine what's wrong by myself, and fix it
by
myself, or should I just take it to a shop, would it be a lot of
hassle to fix? Any ideas on what's likely to be wrong -- how can i
check (describe what things look like if you can please, not familiar
with car parts). How much can i expect to pay?

Thanks

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Ralf Ballis - 14 May 2007 19:43 GMT

alexr schrieb:

> The air conditioning on my 98 civic broke about a week ago, now it
> just blows warm air. I live in Houston so I want to fix this soon (I
> hope it doesn't harm the engine any driving in hot weather without A/
> C).

It's the opposite. Driving in hot weather without A/C is less arduously
for the engine.

> Is there any way I can determine what's wrong by myself, and fix it
> by
> myself, or should I just take it to a shop, would it be a lot of
> hassle to fix? Any ideas on what's likely to be wrong -- how can i
> check (describe what things look like if you can please, not familiar
> with car parts).

What you can do is check fuses and maybe connections to the A/C
compressor. But with the last be careful under running engine!

Regards,

Ralf

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Steve B. - 14 May 2007 22:53 GMT

>Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
>Thanks

It could be a simple electrical issue such as a blown fuse but that is
unlikely. Check the fuses for the A/C before taking it in though.

The A/C system isn't where you want to start learning about cars. Take
it to your trusted mechanic and see what is going on. Once you have
a diagnosis bring it and the estimate back to the group and we can
give you an idea of whether the price is fair or not. At this point
the best I can tell you is that the repair will run somewhere between
$50 and $1000.

Steve B.

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Scott Dorsey - 14 May 2007 22:58 GMT

>The air conditioning on my 98 civic broke about a week ago, now it
>just blows warm air. I live in Houston so I want to fix this soon (I
>hope it doesn't harm the engine any driving in hot weather without A/
>C).

No, it's the best thing you can do for your engine. The AC puts a huge
load on the engine, especially in hot weather.

>Is there any way I can determine what's wrong by myself, and fix it
>by
>myself, or should I just take it to a shop, would it be a lot of
>hassle to fix? Any ideas on what's likely to be wrong -- how can i
>check (describe what things look like if you can please, not familiar
>with car parts). How much can i expect to pay?

This is the most open-ended question imaginable. All KINDS of things
could be wrong. Maybe you have a blown fuse, maybe the compressor is
shot. I'd first look and make sure the compressor is turning when
you turn the AC on, of course. If the compressor isn't engaging at
all, you have an electrical issue. If the compressor is engaging, you
have a mechanical issue. Almost certainly if you have not been doing
regular AC service, you will need the system to be recharged, but that
may not be the whole problem.
--scott

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