Hey, long time no post. I currently share a 99 Civic with my wife, and I've done a decent amount of stuff on it, like change the timing belt, brakes, etc. So I need a second car for myself for school and figured, "why not buy another Honda Civic since I am semi comfortable with it?" Well, a classmate of mine is selling her 98 Civic LX for about $500 under Blue Book, and I'm definitely interested. Problem is, she says that a mechanic diagnosed the AC compressor pump as being shot. As a Houston, TX resident, I need my AC! So I'm curious what kind of cost and labor I'm looking at to repair this thing myself. I know nothing about AC systems but I've looked at a couple diagrams... is this potentially a huge mess? I'm pretty poor and fear getting burned. Is it almost as deep as replacing a timing belt? I've read about other parts such as dryers and clutches and some of those parts really add up in cost... I want to do an evaluation of the car and offer her a fair price, but I don't know the first step evaluating the extent of the damage, or if it's even something I can do on my own...

Thanks for anyone who might provide some food for thought!

 

Worst case you'll have to replace the entire system, which is about $1500 buying new parts, much less if you can find a parts car.

Are all the parts still there? Can you turn the compressor clutch plate (next to the pulley) by hand?

 

Hey mk378, thanks for always replying on here. You're the man. I'm not sure if I can turn it by hand or not. I'm meeting up in a week to inspect the car myself. It bluebooks around $2500 but she's willing to sell for $2000 which I guess may or may not be fair depending on the extent of the damage. When I meet with her, I'll try to turn clutch plate by hand. If I can turn it, is that a good or bad thing? Also, for what it's worth, the car only has 126k miles which is really low for that age ... perhaps that might imply that the extent of repair is more on the minimal side?

 

I'd be stoked to get some help on this... I'll be checking the car out next weekend and would love to know how to determine whether or not the car is worth the purchase.

 

Maybe my question is too rambly... How about this question: if someone told you that their AC compressor was bad, how would you go about evaluating the car to make sure it's worth the purchase?

 

Assume that you're going to be spending an additional $1500 on repairs, or driving with the windows down all summer. If you can get it going for less, that is bonus but don't count on it.

 

Thanks mk378. So if I may ask, are AC systems typically not repaired by a layperson such as myself? Is it recommended that they be repaired by a professional technician? As a side topic, does it seem odd that the entire automatic transmission was replaced at only 126k miles? I feel like that might indicate a history of someone driving aggressively with this car.

 

I wouldn't buy an automatic Civic, period. Their auto transmissions just aren't very good.

A/C work is an advanced topic for the DIY mechanic, but once you learn and understand the principles involved, there is nothing voodoo about it. You will need to invest a few hundred dollars in some specific tools but they'll almost pay for themselves with the first use.

 

Cool... thanks for the pointers. I guess my last question is about the AC clutch... you mentioned earlier to try to spin it by hand. Is it a bad thing if it spins by hand?

 

That's a good thing, if the compressor is blown it will be seized up and not turn by hand. If the internal compressor part is still OK theres a chance you just need to replace the clutch assembly.