# I like to share this one...Proud of it!



## Eager Beaver (11 mo ago)

My little commuter car. The air conditioning stopped working in the middle of a heat wave here last summer. Very hot here. I did some reading in the shop manual. I had bought a scanned PDF of the factory service manual, download from E-Bay $5. I studied the AC system. I got out my digital multi-meter. I tested the AC compressor clutch. It was not engaging when I turned on the AC. It was supposed to. The 12V volt signal was present at the compressor clutch. Yet it was not engaging. A sure sign that the clutch had failed. I sourced a new clutch on E-bay. $40 shipped to my door. It was not an exact fit, but pretty close. I used a few parts from my original failed clutch. I swapped them onto the new clutch. Cut my wiring harness off my old clutch. Soldered it to my new clutch wiring. Plugged it all in and proceeded to test my repair. Fixed! We have working A/C again.

Total repair cost:
$5 shop manual
$40 AC compressor clutch
$20 AC drive belt
Total all-in $65

Had I taken this to a garage to troubleshoot and repair it very well would have looked like this:

Book garage time
Drop car off at garage. Get a ride home.
Suck down and save R134 refrigerant
Remove front grill pieces to access AC condenser
Open up closed loop AC system
Install new compressor assembly with new clutch
Suck down and evacuate A/C system
Install AC compressor oil
Replace Receiver Dryer
Install new o-ring fittings
Recharge system with R134
Hopefully condenser is clean as found and re-use as-is
Re-assemble front grill pieces
Get a ride back to the garage.
Expected repair bill $1800 + tax

Dang I love saving money.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Nice work! These victories are always great.

It's crazy how few people even attempt to DIY repair nowadays. Mechanics typically charge a fixed price for repairs so it's in their interest to swap new parts as quickly as possible and bill you for the new parts. It's not worth their time to fix things anymore and people don't know any better

My 2012 has rarely seen a mechanic except for some ECU tuning. The majority of maint, repairs and upgrades can be done in the driveway with basic tools

Can't say I have ever touched an A/C compressor though. I had one go on a 15 year old Honda but luckily it wasn't really necessary where I lived


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Congrat EB .

Yes, my sorta approach. I will often poke a bit to gather data then let it perc in my brain for a day or two. Usually in that time the best approach for the next step will come to you. 

Quite a few years ago we had an old Tercel as a second car. Yes it burned a bit of oil after 280k on the engine, but with kids young and wife at home with them and mortgage payments, could not yet afford to replace it. Gas tank got a pin hole from exterior coating rubbing on a support strap after 15 years. Could only fill tank to 30%, and gas fumes all the time. 

WD-40 on support strap bolts a week earlier. Later, support almost empty tank on blocks of wood. Slightly shift tank so hole area no longer under strap. Buy gas tolerant seal goo from CTC. Use a brass screw from my junk box to drive it part way into the hole, then the goo around the remaining screw head and threads to finish the seal. That became the last time we smelled gas from the hole, and we could again fill the tank.

Company got bought up. My $20K shares holding in it went to $70K. Used that to pay off the mortgage. Change in cash flow allowed for saving and buying a replacement second used car about 2 years later, and the trusty old tercel was scrapped. 

But being cash strapped is a great way to get frugal drives motivated.


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## Tostig (Nov 18, 2020)

That's a good achievement.

From time to time, I have done some diy repairs.

My current dilemma is deciding if I really should repair a usb-c charging/ data cable. It's 10ft long. A new one costs $25. A repair kit costs about $10.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Tostig said:


> My current dilemma is deciding if I really should repair a usb-c charging/ data cable. It's 10ft long. A new one costs $25. A repair kit costs about $10.


I buy the anker ones from amazon. When they fail just report to amazon and anker sends another for free. They just ask for the serial number

I have a failed headphone that I want to modify for detachable mini XLR cables. There's some really nice DIY cables that would probably last forever but not cheap either


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

I just replaced my Honda car battery. Bought it at Costco three years ago. I was given a full refund-no prorate. First time this has happened. Could be because my car was in an airport parking lot for a week a -25 to -30C weather. Not plugged in and in the open. The car started right away but it failed at home twice. Not certain if I had left the car door ajar or not (for six days).

Seems odd. My Honda and Toyota brand batteries lasted 10 and 15 years respectively.

Also, sent in my Braun razor for warranty. First warranty claim in 30 plus years of using Braun product. Warranty was 2 years. Had to send it to Toronto. Braun warranty folks provided me with a pre paid UPS label. All I had to do was box it it and give it to a UPS driver. They have a good on line system and I was able to monitor progress from pickup, repair, and through to return. Excellent warranty service.


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## Tostig (Nov 18, 2020)

m3s said:


> I buy the anker ones from amazon. When they fail just report to amazon and anker sends another for free. They just ask for the serial number
> 
> I have a failed headphone that I want to modify for detachable mini XLR cables. There's some really nice DIY cables that would probably last forever but not cheap either


I forgot to mention, cable wasn't a fail. I dropped it on the floor while charging my phone and the c-connection cracked.


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## milhouse (Nov 16, 2016)

That sounds like a very satisfying DIY repair!

I don't mind doing a little bit of research and repair. It's the troubleshooting that can potentially take forever. And there's always the risk of spending money to try to repair something and then realizing it's a lost cause. Feels great though when it works out.


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## off.by.10 (Mar 16, 2014)

m3s said:


> Mechanics typically charge a fixed price for repairs so it's in their interest to swap new parts as quickly as possible and bill you for the new parts. It's not worth their time to fix things anymore and people don't know any better


I think it's also a matter of: training someone to swap parts can be done fairly quickly. Proper diagnosis and actually fixing only what's broken requires many years of experience. It may also involve more back and forth with the (now angry) customer.

I've had one of those a long time ago. Car threw an "evap system leak" code. Dealership wanted to replace the entire gas tank filler neck for several hundred $$. I bought a new gas cap for $5 to get fresh rubber and that fixed the problem for a while. When it came back, I sanded off the rust so it would seal properly and the problem was fixed at least until I sold the car years later.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

Well done Beav'!
I have a problem with my Frigidaire dehumidifier. I hadnt used it for a while. Now, when I turn it on, the fan works but the compressor doesnt cut in and the unit stops after a while. Anyone have any suggestions before I start looking for solutions?


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Check for the contactor/relay used to power the dehumid compressor to see if power getting to the compressor motor. If power goes to motor when humidistat calls for it, then the motor is bad, and then scrap the unit, as they usually are very un-fixable. Before any of this see if motor heats up. It might be seized and winding meant to create magnetic field is now a glorified heater.


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## afulldeck (Mar 28, 2012)

I DYI almost anything, but not cars these days. Most of the time I get angry at the engineering and the placement of certain items. My icon is the picture of the Guzzi engine that I removed to change the dry clutch. I had to crab Norge in order to remove the engine. Don't ask....Fun times ...


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## Bobcajun (May 15, 2018)

Nice work! It is satisfying to fix something rather than chuck it or pay expensive repairs. I have a 2004 Passat wagon that is in great shape and very useful. A couple of years ago the air conditioning quit. I took it to the mechanic and he said that it would cost more to fix than the car was worth. I had to think about getting rid of it. But I looked up the problem on utube and found that people refilled the refrigerant themselves. Despit the fact that I am not particularly handy, i went down to one of the automotive places and bought the tool to put it in as well as a can of refrigerant. All i need is one can per summer, $7.00 on sale. It is not the most ecological solution but throwing that car on the trash heap wouldn’t be very ecological either.


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