PACman

'04 TSX with 54,000miles. Yesterday while commuting home with the A/C on, I heard a clunking noise in the engine bay. The air coming out of the vents became warmer and warmer. The car was running okay except for no A/C. I got home and found the clutch set had broken off. Crap!!
Well, I got an appt this morning at the dealer. I ended up getting the A/C compressor and condensor replaced. Here's the saddest part - $1800!!
Freakin 4,000 miles over warantee.

Replaced parts were compressor ($485), clutch set ($192.95), coil set, solenoid ($91.58), condenser (377.15), freon ($56) for 16 units, labor ($485).

So, anybody with an '04 had this problem? I searched and found that sauceman had something.

Hope you all have a great week-end. I need complimentary lap dances.

Still Water

Get the address & email for the Acura regional manager, scan your paperwork to a .pdf file and email him requesting they pick-up the tab for goodwill consideration. Also put a link to this thread in your email. If you don't hear from him with 3-5 days send a follow-up email with a follow-up phone call and keep this link posted/up-to-date.


Good luck. You're fighting for all of us!

LuvMyTSX

Dang, that sucks! No A/C probs for me yet. I didn't realize that stuff was so expensive.

Pete TSX

I agree... you're JUST over the expiry.

I'm sure they'll honor your claim if you do a proper job of presenting the facts... and assuming you've done your regular maintenance...

Still Water

Don't give up! Use the people power inherent in sites such as this one. You just have to give them a good reason to use if the person making the decision catches some shit from above. It all boils down to politics and butt covering.

Keep us posted!!

bz268

I have 91,000 miles on my 2004 5AT I bought on April 2003.
No problem no nothing.

maybe you turn the AC on and off all the time. This will wear out the clutch.
Some of the newer cars will keep the AC on at all time to save the clutch... Even you turn off the AC switch, the AC will still on until you stop the engine.

joerockt

Even when the AC is always on in the TSX, the clutch still turns on and off.

turboflyer1

That extended warrenty just paid for its self if you had it....

Alan

PACman

While my ride was getting fixed, I asked the service advisor how something like this could of happened and how it could of been avoided. He said it's very unlikely I had done anything to have caused this. Even turning the A/C on while the engine was cold wouldn't of done this. The best explaination he gave me was due to the weird, hot, & humid weather we were having in SoCal could of beatin up on the compressor. He told me he had seen 3 other Acura's this summer with this kind of issue (couldn't really explain the cause). When asked how long does the compressor last, he said about 90-110k miiles.

I'm planning on writing to Honda to see if they could give me a better explanation. It's a Honda/Acura, I would expect better reliability with their parts.

superking

I had problem with the A/C. It was on then the air warm after 10 minutes of use. It was out of warranty and I have to pay $100 to fix a relay chip($5+ $95 inspection/labor) problem.

PACman

You lucked out man. I would've rather pony'd up $100 than what I paid.

gcolby03

The A/C on my '04 TSX went out at approx. 40K, fortunately still under warranty. After a few days of diagnosis at the dealer, turned out to be only a loose wire. I'm quickly approaching 50K in the next couple of weeks - I hope and pray that anything that's going to break does so before then.

JOZMAN

Hmm my mileage is at 49890 ... I dont have extended warranty yet... I have 04 NBP car... Im now more convinced to by extended warranty... sighs...

PWTSX

Yeah I had my Whole AC replace when I reach 24000miles.

I dont know what's wrong with TSX and there AC

PAcman keep me update on your result

I want to know what can we do with our car and AC.


Thanks

aaronng

Acura/Honda should find a new supplier for A/C components as well as the clutch master cylinder. :p

vr0om

i had the same problem with mine. 04 with 30k miles but i did everything myself and only spent 80 bucks on the compressor,and another 50 for freon everything else was still good.

PACman

How come you didn't take it into the dealer and had the work done under warrantee?

PACman

...I sent a letter to Acura Client Services explaining what has happened. At this point waiting for a reply. Thanks for the support guys I'm proud to be a member here.

PACman

I got a call from Acura Client Services this afternoon. She told me they received my letter and my request for reimbursement. They have agreed to reimburse me on parts, however labor would be out of my pocket. This agreement is with me since parts alone was a little over $1,200.

Thanks for all the support you guys have given me.

mattster

Same thing happened to me... there's another thread around here somewhere, I think it's called "Major AC Problems" or such. I heard that clunking noise like you described, and the service advisor told me there was a hole blown in the side of the AC Compressor - and that it came from inside. Likely the compressor seized, crapped out, and took the clutch and other components with it.

So glad I bought that extended warranty. Good to hear Acura is helping you out!

AZSCOTT

The exact same thing happened to my 04 TSX at about 30k miles. Pretty ridiculous for complete mechanical failure to occur so soon.

04 from KC

Bought my 04 with 18K on it. Took it in a week later b/c no A/C. Dealer convinced I did not know how to work it. Really. Turns out it had to have condensor replaced. Now I have a faulty clutch in the compressor at 70K. darn.....

PACman

Dealer told you that you don't know how to work the A/C? WTF?

TSX_Mambo

Same thing happened to me over the weekend. Had the A/C running when I heard a clattering noise from the engine compartment. It was then followed by the sound of something snapping. From that point on, the A/C was GONE.

I have an '04 TSX with 55,000 miles on it. I'm a bit dismayed by this development. I'm thinking this is a quality control problem with their A/C components since other members here have experienced this as well.

Luckily I'm still under warranty.

04 from KC

Yep. I did not know how to work the A/C. Oh this is nothing-- the dealer I go/went to is pathetic. But, when I went to pick it up the other day, they charged me only for parts and not labor for the A/C clutch. Still $350.

peter_bigblock

Check out this link regarding Honda & Acura odometers being "fast". If your car showed 54,000 miles, you are close enough that you might be able to get additional benefit as part of the class.

They sound like they're being pretty cool about it, but I'd pursue this if it were me. You're still $600 out of pocket with Honda picking up parts.

Good luck, sorry to hear your a/c quit on you. Just goes to show that even cars with higher-than-average expected reliability are zero defect -- they're still very complex machines.

TSX_Mambo

Update:

Brought it in for service yesterday. My compressor had failed. The service advisor also mentioned that a hole had been punched through the housing. Ended up replacing the condenser, compressor, clutch set, coil set, and some O-rings. The system was recharged and its good to go.

At first it looked like I'd have to rent a car for the day. But when the advisor saw that I only had the car for a few weeks he set me up with a loaner -- a RDX Turbo w/ navi, AWD, and XM radio. Kudos to him!

Picked up my car this morning and everything is fine for now. Had I not been under warranty, I'd be out $1800.

Dan Martin

Add me to the list of blown compressors.


It just happened on the way home and I knew exactly what it was when it happened. I'll take it in to have it inspected in a couple days. 'til then, no A/C for me...

LuvMyTSX

Damn, that sucks

Dan Martin

Has anyone that has had the compressor problem gone to a 3rd party shop for the repair? There are a few good A/C repair shops in town that I wouldn't mind trying out.

aaronng

This problem is making me want to go for the extended warranty.

globlctzn

I'm curious on the people that have had the a/c compressor problems. Did you usually have the climate control set to auto most of the time? I'm just wondering cause I've noticed the car will want to run the a/c on pure auto when it really isn't necessary. I usually have the a/c manually set to off unless its 90+ out. Sucks to hear about this tho.

aaronng

In Auto mode, the A/C cuts in and out in order to prevent condensation in the passenger compartment.

mattster

My AC blew out last fall, and yes, i leave it set to auto all of the time. Although I can see this playing a role in causing a clutch to fail, mine was a case of a hole in the side of the compressor. Perhaps it's all of those 7K + RPMs I do

GrayTSX05

Is it better to set the AC manually instead of setting it to AUTO? I usually set it to auto, but from now, I'll start working it manually though to extend the life of my AC

jlukja

globlctzn

I dont know for 100% but I have always gone off this premise. I do it partially because I hate the feeling of the a/c turning on and off when I didn't ask it too Yes I'm a bit of a control freak in that way. I do however allow the a/c to run on defrost at least once every two weeks in winter to keep the system lubed up (the coolant and oil that lube the seals are mixed together).

dom

Dan Martin

Well, on the upside, my car is much faster without the A/C on. It's like I just got a ghetto reflash!

dom

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