I think my A/C compressor is dead

I have not really use it much but since the hot days are coming I tried using it today. It just blows hot air.

I went to the front and I don't think I hear the compressor. It sounds like a fridge right? I popped the hood and only hear the fan picking up speed, but I don't think I hear the distinct fridge compressor sound.

Gawd, this is going to set me back quite a bit won't it? I just lost bumper to bumper in march. I knew I should have bought the cursed warranty extension


-EDIT-

My leaf is still under 40k miles so i can get a used car warranty. I went to nissan leaf santa Rose and these are the quotes I got for the warranties:

LEAF Gold Preferred 12 Month 12,000 Mile Coverage
CODE: 90899
$775.00

Nissan Security+Plus coverage to protect your Nissan once the factory Nissan Warranty expires: LEAF Gold Preferred 12 Month 12,000 Mile Coverage ($0 Deductible)

and also:

LEAF Gold Preferred 24 Month 24,000 Mile Coverage
CODE: 90900
$935.00

Nissan Security+Plus coverage to protect your Nissan once the factory Nissan Warranty expires: LEAF Gold Preferred 24 Month 24,000 Mile Coverage ($0 Deductible)


So... unless the problem can be fixed for $775 I am better off picking up a warranty for the leaf . I'm not sure how much it would cost at the dealer to fix the problem. I'm unsure as to what the real problem is. I'm still trying to figure out if the condenser is turning on. honestly though i don't hear any refrigerator condenser noises when I press the A/C Button.

I could really use some help here .

After reading around a bit some of the issues I could find were:

Low on refrigerant?

Leak on the pipe line?

Crack somewhere on the condenser?

Condenser died.

Anything else?

I guess going to the dealer would AT LEAST be refrigerant refill along with piping replace? I wonder how much a new condenser would cost ... if the condenser is dead.


Plus also an 'inspection' costs $150 so add that on top of everything else.... less than $775?

Another option is to sell the leaf (I'm done!)

You have to get the vehicle inspected before they will issue the extended warranty. Any existing problems have to be repaired, and any claims within 90 days of the warranty issue date may be questioned.

Find a reputable shop and have them test the AC. It could just be low on refrigerant. Also, check with Nissan to see if there are any recalls for your vehicle that affect the AC.

I debated for a long time whether or not to purchase the extended warranty. I plan to keep my Leaf for a long time, and should get a warranty replacement for the battery in the next year or two. I purchased the 96 month, 100k mile, 0 deductible warranty from Jim Bone Nissan for $1865 (10% down, balance over 18 months) about 10 days before the original warranty expired.

If it is the compressor, the following doesn't apply, but for what it's worth -

I bought my '13 SV in March 2015, and the first time I started up the AC a couple months later, it was just hot air. I was still under full warranty so I didn't really care what part of the system it was, but it turned out there was a service bulletin (NTB14-045a) for a known coolant leak issue. One of the coolant lines is attached to a bracket that can stress it sufficiently to cause small cracks through which the coolant can evaporate.

dunkinb said:

If it is the compressor, the following doesn't apply, but for what it's worth -

I bought my '13 SV in March 2015, and the first time I started up the AC a couple months later, it was just hot air. I was still under full warranty so I didn't really care what part of the system it was, but it turned out there was a service bulletin (NTB14-045a) for a known coolant leak issue. One of the coolant lines is attached to a bracket that can stress it sufficiently to cause small cracks through which the coolant can evaporate.

Click to expand...

Check out the last post(as of now) of this thread, I just had the same thing fixed today on my '13S and got the same description as you.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=13813
I'd link my actual post but I don't see a way to do it at MNL :?

jjeff said:

dunkinb said:

If it is the compressor, the following doesn't apply, but for what it's worth -

I bought my '13 SV in March 2015, and the first time I started up the AC a couple months later, it was just hot air. I was still under full warranty so I didn't really care what part of the system it was, but it turned out there was a service bulletin (NTB14-045a) for a known coolant leak issue. One of the coolant lines is attached to a bracket that can stress it sufficiently to cause small cracks through which the coolant can evaporate.

Click to expand...

Check out the last post(as of now) of this thread, I just had the same thing fixed today on my '13S and got the same description as you.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=13813
I'd link my actual post but I don't see a way to do it at MNL :?

Click to expand...

Hi Jeff,

Thank you so much for your reply This gives me hope.

And the damage.......$679, which luckily was totally covered by Nissan. Note when dropping it off I had to agree to pay the $169 diagnostic fee(if it wasn't a warranty issue) but since I was very sure it would be, I didn't think twice about it.

Click to expand...

How were you very sure that it would be? I had a feeling they would still charge a diagnostic fee. I mean, it COULD be that it has low refrigerant.


Anyway, is there a way to be 100% sure that it is Service Bulletin NTB14-045B? Someone also said Service Bulletin NTB14-045A? Unless the A instead of B was a typo?

Is it possible to check the part and see if it is cracked? Is it a High Pressure tube/hose? or it is a seal?

"Tech found A/C inop, found broken line for high side, bulletin to replace line, refrigerant leak.
TD12AA RPL HIGH PRESSURE TUBE/HOSE
1 92440-3NF0C PIPE FRONT COOLER HIGH
1 R-134A FREON

It sounds like it should be a tube or hose? Would you be able to provide a picture? Or could anyone do so? I'd guess the crack/leak is close to where the tube connects to the bracket?

Oh the description the service advisory gave me of what was done was a bracket that held the high pressure refrigerant line apparently puts stress on the line, causing it to prematurely crack. The replacement bracket is apparently designed differently and has foam?? surrounding the hose, again to reduce stress and I'd assume wear on the hose.

Click to expand...

My memory is very vague but I almost think I saw liquid on the bottom front right of the leaf. Where the compressor is. That OR my brain is coming up with excuses just to avoid paying money (VERY likely )

Does anyone know if the A/C compressor does not 'work' if it is low on refrigerant? I did a few more test and it looks like both fans in front of the radiator turn on when I press the A/C button. I also think I found the A/C unit. Right side of the car next to the motor stack? I see a big hose on top.

Thing is I hear no noise at all from that A/C compressor. I hear the radiator fans turning on when you press the A/C button. The little 'box' that I think is the compressor makes no noise. So it makes me wonder if it 'denies' to work if it is low on refrigerant?

If its supposed to turn on and make noises then... it doesn't and therefore I will think it has died. Strange because I really have not used it much... at all.

Why do I wonder if the compressor doesn't work when low or out of refrigerant? mainly this bit from the other thread

"Tech found A/C inop, found broken line for high side, bulletin to replace line, refrigerant leak."

Found A/C inop. So it makes me wonder if that is "Cold air does not come out" or "A/C unit is not powering up"

If the pressure is low, the compressor should not run. There is usually a low pressure switch installed in the freon line that cuts out the compressor. What year is your Leaf? I believe that service bulletin only applies to 2013+, not 2011 or 2012 built in Japan.

2013 Nissan Leaf model S

So I guess since I hear no sound from the little compressor box it is either fully dead or low on Freon. I see a big short hose connecting to the top of the compressor. I wonder if that is the hose? I actually took a few pictures but I need to edit them and mark them.




Is the compressor below the ORANGE power cable?



Here is the hose that is on top of the compressor... If that was the compressor...

How can I find any leaks if any on the hose? Are they even supposed to be visible? What about the cracks?

-edit-

actually it is 2 hoses both are in the picture. or well at least 2... that i can see

Those two lines do go to the compressor. You will need a set of A/C gauges to find out if it has the appropriate amount of Freon in it and the compressor will not run if there is insufficient Freon to protect the compressor. The only way to find leaks is to pressurize the system with either nitrogen or Freon and search for them with sniffing tools or soapy water. You will probably have to invest $100 or so just in the tooling, etc. to troubleshoot this problem unless you know someone who fixes auto A/C systems. There is nothing special about the Leaf A/C system other than it has an electric compressor instead of engine driven one. Used compressors for these can be found on ebay for approx. $200 however if it failed you will have to flush the system, change other components. etc. Your best bet is to take this to a reputable shop. It does not need to be Nissan. And if they tell you it's the compressor go get one off ebay. It most likely has a leak though which could be cheap and could be not. Doing A/C work is not rocket science but if you have no experience with it you can damage the system trying to fix it yourself and cost more money. I would just take it somewhere ( not nissan unless you really want to) and pay for the diagnostic and see where you are at. They will know if 5 minutes if it needs Freon and if it does should be able to locate the leak fairly quickly. If it has Freon but still does not work then it could get more interesting but I think paying for a diagnostic on it is your best bet. I've been a mechanic for 20+ years. Never actually worked on the Leaf A/C system yet but like I said other than an electric compressor it's just an A/C system.

NissanLeafCamper said:

2013 Nissan Leaf model S

So I guess since I hear no sound from the little compressor box it is either fully dead or low on Freon. I see a big short hose connecting to the top of the compressor. I wonder if that is the hose?

Click to expand...

Yes, at this point I think the odds are pretty high that your car has the defective hose, so it should fall under the recall. I wouldn't even mess with it, but call your local Nissan dealer and talk to their service manager. Have your VIN handy.

As others have said, if the system is quite low on coolant the compressor won't start, this is how mine acted. I've kind of lost track if your Leaf is still under warranty but if it is, it should almost surely be covered under the 3 year 36K warranty. I believe even if it's just low on coolant it should be covered, but not positive. Thing is though on a vehicle as new as yours(or mine) if it's low on coolant already, it has to have a leak somewhere, coolant doesn't just leak out of good hoses or seals(at least not in less than 8 years or so). Before this Nissan I've had many cars with A/C(even newer ones with 134a like our Leaf has which I've been told has smaller molecules?? and is more prone to leak out) and I generally haven't had to do anything with the A/C system for the first 10 years or so(actually 8 years on my most recent R134 vehicles). It's kind of why I like to trade my cars after 10 years, before things like this start to happen Now with my '04 Scion Xb this didn't work because my daughter got my old Scion, so now I'm stuck doing such service work Truthfully with regards to the A/C it's just required A/C charges every 2-3 years with a hand held can and gauge from a local auto supply store(about $30 and now I can reuse the gauge with any <$10 recharge can). Requiring work after only 2 or 3 years like our Leaf's in truly unacceptable IMO, very poor design :x

I can't guarantee it but if your A/C isn't working after such a short time I'd say you have a 99% chance it should be covered under warranty(if your warranty is still in effect) and no, the $169 diagnostic fee and everything else was covered for me, no charge whatsoever. I think the only reason they mention the cost is if when looking into things they see the problem was caused by you(car accident, you accidentally drilled a hole through the line, etc.) everything else should be covered IMO.
Of course by the 8-10 year mark when seals start to wear out, thats another story and is just a maintenance issue that probably wouldn't be covered by any warranty.

with regards to the A/C it's just required A/C charges every 2-3 years with a hand held can and gauge from a local auto supply store

Click to expand...

So the leaf is a 2013 and its now 2016. That is 3 years, so that means the freon is gone and that is normal?

Ok so this freon stuff I guess it becomes some sort of vapor at regular pressure? The leak being AIR not Liquid? Thus you need special sniff tool or soapy water to see the bubbles?

What is the usual cost to refill the leaf with Freon? At a 'reputable' shop? Does anyone have any numbers?

I guess either way it is not really possible to avoid being told about the diagnostic fee? Is that just to cover the dealer in case no work turns up for the car? They gotta make money somehow, right? How come it needs to be over 100$ just for the diagnostic?

My leaf is out of the warranty. It died on March.

If you want to find out a bit more yourself you could get LeafSpy and an OBD2 dongle and check the codes. That may give you an idea if its a component failure or a leak. If you are of the DIY persuasion, you could try getting a cheap set of pressure gauges from someplace like harbor freight to go a step further. I had a rock take out the condensor on my Prius, causing all the refrigerant to leak out. I was able to replace it myself, but it was a bit of an ordeal. Probably saved $500-700 dollars even with having to buy the gauges though. Fortunately in this case it was obvious where the leak was once I confirmed it had no pressure (first through DTCs, then with gauges).

Technically any reputable AC shop should be able to work on it, but you need to make sure they are set up for hybrids/EVs. The electric compressors require a different lubricating oil, and even connecting them to equipment used on "normal" cars can contaminate it and lead to compressor failure. Similarly you can't borrow or rent a set of gauges that have been used on a normal car. An additional complication will be whether they have a scan tool that can talk to the Leaf to help diagnose.

Rob

Yeah leaf spy is for android and something like that. I don't have a phone. None . Leafspy is out of the question it seems.... I'm not going to buy a phone because frankly I don't use it I use Google Voice and Gmail for my calls . I guess my decision is hunting me down now.

One thing I don't understand is that the diagnostic is $180, but how are they going to know the problem is the tube? If they fill it up with Freon to test it... are they going to drain it right after?

I mean, to detect the leak they have to fill it up.

To see if the compressor works they have to fill it up because of the sensor (Doesn't operate is PSI is low)

Does this mean they drain it right after if I say I don't want the work done?

It feels sort of confusing and I'd hate for them to just say 'Oh, its low on Freon. ' Only to have it be filled up with freon and to be told ... well actually its the compressor that is not working . anyway you can pay up $180 since we know the problem now. Plus the freon.. or we drain it.

NissanLeafCamper said:

with regards to the A/C it's just required A/C charges every 2-3 years with a hand held can and gauge from a local auto supply store

Click to expand...

So the leaf is a 2013 and its now 2016. That is 3 years, so that means the freon is gone and that is normal?

Ok so this freon stuff I guess it becomes some sort of vapor at regular pressure? The leak being AIR not Liquid? Thus you need special sniff tool or soapy water to see the bubbles?

What is the usual cost to refill the leaf with Freon? At a 'reputable' shop? Does anyone have any numbers?

I guess either way it is not really possible to avoid being told about the diagnostic fee? Is that just to cover the dealer in case no work turns up for the car? They gotta make money somehow, right? How come it needs to be over 100$ just for the diagnostic?

My leaf is out of the warranty. It died on March.

Click to expand...

No it's my daughters '04 Scion Xb that requires to be charged occasionally, if you have lost enough freon on something as new as a Leaf personally wouldn't just add freon, more than likely it's a big leak and would need parts to be replaced. My guess on the Scion is it's seals are worn after years of service, nothing catastrophic.
To bad about your Leaf being out of warranty, IMO something like this should really almost be a recall, again 2, 3 or even 4 years is really unacceptable for a A/C system to start having problems :x

My mistake about the scion mix up. So for a 2013 Leaf S trim to be out of Freon 3 years in is not normal? If so... then it could be that the piping broke. That or the compressor broke. Yet, I really don't use the unit much AT ALL. I probably have used it about 1 every month or every 2 months since the previous summer we had. I find it just odd that he unit would break when it is being used so little....

btw anyway to by pass diagnostic fee >.>;?

Have you contacted Nissan to see if your vehicle is included in the recall for the AC pipe cracking? If it is, provide the information to the Service Department when you take the vehicle in and tell them the AC is not working. They will advise you of the diagnostic fee. Confirm with them that it will not be charged, if the recall is the solution for the AC quitting, before you allow them to do the work.

If the vehicle is not covered by the AC recall, it is going to cost you some money, no way around it. Take it to a reputable AC service shop.

You can get a refrigerant fill kit and charge it up yourself, which is probably the cheapest route. If the problem is a leak, it will work for a while and then quit again. If you don't know what you are doing, you can cause more damage trying to fix it yourself, especially if there is no leak.

NissanLeafCamper said:

What is the usual cost to refill the leaf with Freon? At a 'reputable' shop? Does anyone have any numbers?

Click to expand...

Normally, this is VERY easy to do with a <$50 kit from Walmart (including the refrigerant), but if the compressor does not start, that is a different matter. I wonder if there is a way to tell the compressor to start so that it can be filled?

Just be advised, I believe few if any of the DIY fill kits that basically have gauges built right onto a freon can will work with HEV/EV. Most have traditional oil and/or additives that are not compatible. If you found one that you were sure contained only refrigerant it might be ok, but it sounds likely it will just leak out again.

IMHO you're going to have a tough time trying to do anything without being able to read DTCs. LeafSpy runs on android or iOS, should work on phones or tablets. If you don't have one, maybe you could borrow one?

If it helps at all here's the thread from when I replaced the condenser on my Prius (different, but fairly similar). It was a big job, and I already had a pretty good idea what was wrong:
http://priuschat.com/threads/2005-ac-condenser-replacement.139325/

Rob

Hi guys,

so basically if I try to DIY theres a chance I could make things worse. It sounds to me like the only option is the nissan shop to see if the issues is the cracked pipe or if the compressor just died. If the compressor is dead I bet it will be wildly expensive? It can't just be a refill right? It wouldn't have disappeared just 4 years in? there MUST be a leak? or compressor is dead?