My A/C went kaput about a week or so ago. When I turn it on now, either on recirc or vent, it does not put out any cool air - unless the outside temp is 70 degrees or less and I have it on vent. Of course, I really don't need the A/C at that point! All it does is just blow air around without cooling it.

I'm not an HVAC person, but does this mean the A/C compressor died? My car is long out of warranty, so does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to get this replaced?

I am trying to make it through the rest of this summer and then address this next year, but I'd like to have some idea what this might cost so I can start saving. Fortunately, this week has been cooler than average. I hope that continues!!

Thanks for your help!

 

Hard to say with the information you've supplied. It could be something simple (cheap), or something complex (expensive). Take it to a shop and get an estimate.

 

Check the condenser for any damage. If there is you will need to read this
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-replace-c-condenser-92826/

 

Thanks for the info! I bet it is a hole. I will check for damage later today.

 

yeah my AC condenser got punctured by a rock from normal driving and broke... the stealership tried to charge me upwards of 1500 dollars to fix it and told me it was my only option...

i said that was BS because it wasnt my fault the thing broke, as they even admitted it probably happened from normal driving and that there was nothing i could do to have stopped it... but apparently the car's warranty only covers "manafacturer defects" and not "manafacturer shitty design defects" that allow rocks to easily kick up and break your condenser... there's plentyyy of threads with hundreds of people who have had the same problem

long story short, i politely made a fuss, logically laid out my arguments to them and pointed out how i shouldnt be liable... eventually i asked to speak to the service manager... he was being stubborn too, so finally i asked to speak to the regional mazda north america service manager... they must have realized i was pretty upset and that i could have caused some bad publicity, as i told them how this is a recurring issue on the forums, and so i get a call back saying they'd replace it for free as a "good will, one time thing"

thats my story.

good luck with yours...

 

Thanks 1145climber.

Sheesh, $1500? I hope they don't try to charge me that if that is my problem! I was thinking around $600-800, and that's bad enough.

 

I just looked and I don't see a hole in the condenser. I never noticed anything leaking from there either.

I suppose that's good news? Do you need the A/C recharged on this car sometimes? My car is four years old with 85,000 miles.

 

If you wanted to try and isolate the problem, check the wiring harnesses for 12v.
Also, check the fuse... sometimes its the simplest thing that people overlook. Its the 4th fuse in the fuse panel (7.5A)

 

I don't know anything about wiring harnesses... but I will definitely check the fuse in the morning. Thank you for the tip, Jon316G!!

 

Just as a follow-up: the refrigerant was too low. They recharged it and added dye so they can find the leak. Compressor checked out OK, thank goodness.

 

Maybe It wasn't your Condenser, and they were just trying to rip you off - ( I had meant to post this when it happened, but I must have forgotten).

At 47,000 I had an A/C problem - I drove the car to work with the A/C on and it worked fine. I came out of work and it was blowing cool air on the driver side, and warm air on the passenger side. I drove straight to the dealer, and they kept it overnight and fixed the problem - Here's what they wrote:

LEAK AT PIPE/HOSE OFF CONDENSER -
R R CONDENSER PIPE
EVAC AND RECHARGE

Since that was done three months ago my A/C works much better than ever, and it has been REALLY hot these past few months. The dealer had no idea HOW it could have gotten loose enough to come off. I mean 47K miles and then it comes off?

 

Actually, my car has often blown warmer air out of one vent or the other. It changes which one is cooler. Weird.

They told me they'd check for the leak next oil change or if it stops working before then I could bring it in. The A/C works great since they recharged it. I don't remember it ever working this well. :P