hi octane
New Member
Hey guys.
I'm practically at my wits end, and very frustrated at the moment. I've spent nearly $250 in the past 2 months or so but the issue remains.
My AC was performing like a champ during peak summer months, daytime hours. Until I got the evap coil replaced that is. Instead of getting the one Honda recommends, which is anywhere between $260 and $320, I got a cheap Chinese/Korean knock off. Got it for $60. I asked the AC tech if it would make a difference in the cooling performance. He said the only difference is the shelf life.
Well, the same day, I immediately noticed, the cooling wasn't the same during the day. The air feels cool, but not cold or chilly. And during daytime hours, God forbid if I have to leave it out in the sun for an hour or two, the cabin barely gets cool even after driving around for 15 mins at an average speed of between 60 and 80 km/h. The cabin doesn't exactly feel very warm or hot either, after a while, but not cold like it used to. Cool air comes out of the vents, but not cold enough to cool down the seats or my clothes, for example. Feels like 25 Deg C air coming out the vents during daytime, and around 15 Deg C or lower at night.
Anyway, took it back to him. That jack*** is telling me it's fine, and there's nothing wrong with it. I've taken it to three different AC shops, including a 3s dealer, and keep getting mixed opinions. One of them asked me to replace the expansion valve and receiver dryer. So I went right ahead and bit the bullet. Cooling performance seemed to improve only slightly during the eve hours and night, but not daytime. Another one told me to replace the compressor and condensor, which makes no sense to me at all. More on that in a bit. Finally, two of the AC shops recommended installing a better quality evap coil, something that is closer to Honda standards and specs. They recommended getting a Thai manufactured one that's available for $120, since I'm not interested in getting the genuine Honda one. They said the tubes and fins in those are installed in such a way so as to cool down the cabin faster and suck humidity and heat quickly. And that it performs practically as good as a genuine part should. I'm not planning on getting the Honda one available at 3s or 2s dealerships, since it's out of my range.
Now here's what I've gotten done on the AC ever since the evap coil replacement job:
* Full system evacuation and flushing.
* Refrigerant recharged and compressor oil refilled.
* High and Low pressures check out OK. No leaks.
* Condensor's good. Compressors good too, cycling on/off as it should. And pumping out cold air (L pressure line is fairly cold to the touch, but I noticed the H pressure line doesn't feel that hot. Feels like something between warm and hot)
* Electrical system, wiring, connections and relays all check out OK
* Expansion Valve and Receiver Dryer replaced
* No leaks detected
Since the coil replacement job, like I said, I've had her checked out at three different AC shops, and they say everything is functioning as they'd expect, but then they start giving me mixed opinions on why cooling performance isn't on par during the day.
Guys, I am at my wits end. I really love this car, and it's the only good car I've got! Please tell me it's the evap coil, and that a better quality one will fix the issue? Applying my knowledge and common sense, that's the only conclusion I can come up with.
Please post your thoughts and suggestions soon. Thanks!
I'm practically at my wits end, and very frustrated at the moment. I've spent nearly $250 in the past 2 months or so but the issue remains.
My AC was performing like a champ during peak summer months, daytime hours. Until I got the evap coil replaced that is. Instead of getting the one Honda recommends, which is anywhere between $260 and $320, I got a cheap Chinese/Korean knock off. Got it for $60. I asked the AC tech if it would make a difference in the cooling performance. He said the only difference is the shelf life.
Well, the same day, I immediately noticed, the cooling wasn't the same during the day. The air feels cool, but not cold or chilly. And during daytime hours, God forbid if I have to leave it out in the sun for an hour or two, the cabin barely gets cool even after driving around for 15 mins at an average speed of between 60 and 80 km/h. The cabin doesn't exactly feel very warm or hot either, after a while, but not cold like it used to. Cool air comes out of the vents, but not cold enough to cool down the seats or my clothes, for example. Feels like 25 Deg C air coming out the vents during daytime, and around 15 Deg C or lower at night.
Anyway, took it back to him. That jack*** is telling me it's fine, and there's nothing wrong with it. I've taken it to three different AC shops, including a 3s dealer, and keep getting mixed opinions. One of them asked me to replace the expansion valve and receiver dryer. So I went right ahead and bit the bullet. Cooling performance seemed to improve only slightly during the eve hours and night, but not daytime. Another one told me to replace the compressor and condensor, which makes no sense to me at all. More on that in a bit. Finally, two of the AC shops recommended installing a better quality evap coil, something that is closer to Honda standards and specs. They recommended getting a Thai manufactured one that's available for $120, since I'm not interested in getting the genuine Honda one. They said the tubes and fins in those are installed in such a way so as to cool down the cabin faster and suck humidity and heat quickly. And that it performs practically as good as a genuine part should. I'm not planning on getting the Honda one available at 3s or 2s dealerships, since it's out of my range.
Now here's what I've gotten done on the AC ever since the evap coil replacement job:
* Full system evacuation and flushing.
* Refrigerant recharged and compressor oil refilled.
* High and Low pressures check out OK. No leaks.
* Condensor's good. Compressors good too, cycling on/off as it should. And pumping out cold air (L pressure line is fairly cold to the touch, but I noticed the H pressure line doesn't feel that hot. Feels like something between warm and hot)
* Electrical system, wiring, connections and relays all check out OK
* Expansion Valve and Receiver Dryer replaced
* No leaks detected
Since the coil replacement job, like I said, I've had her checked out at three different AC shops, and they say everything is functioning as they'd expect, but then they start giving me mixed opinions on why cooling performance isn't on par during the day.
Guys, I am at my wits end. I really love this car, and it's the only good car I've got! Please tell me it's the evap coil, and that a better quality one will fix the issue? Applying my knowledge and common sense, that's the only conclusion I can come up with.
Please post your thoughts and suggestions soon. Thanks!
