I took my civic in last summer to get my AC fixed as it had not retained any of the 3 cans of refrigerant I added. I was told they could not find a leak (even though I was confident there was one) and filled me back up with 2 lbs + a uv dye "in case" it was leaking, which I paid for. That lasted me 2 days. I took it back in again only to be told both connections on the refrigerant hose had been leaking and the hose had many holes. They ordered a new one, installed, and filled me back up, all of which I paid for. That lasted me the last 6 or so weeks of last summer. Upon starting to use my AC again this summer, I have found that once again my car has no refrigerant or AC capability. If you are wanting complete and sustainable service that does not require you to continuously pay out of pocket for the same issue over and over again, don't take your car here.
We would like to re-inspect at no charge to you. We warranty our parts and labor for 3 yrs and 36k miles. Our parts are also under warranty nationwide at any Napa Care Center if ever needed. Air conditioning can be tricky because leaks can be hidden in difficult areas or other electrical parts of the system can fail. The initial diagnostic includes evacuating and charging the system to verify low refrigerant is an issue as well as proper electrical operation. If the refrigerant is low, the technician starts to search for leaks using a UV dye light (the oil in the compressor is impregnated with dye) and a sniffer tool that detects the gas. There are areas, including the evaporator behind the dash, that cannot be accessed without removing the dash. If no more leaks are detected in normal accessible areas after a repair, and the pressures are maintaining in the system, we give the vehicle back to the client. We failed to communicate properly that there is chance of a leak developing somewhere in the system that is hidden. We should have also advised the client to let us know if the A/C starts to blow warm again. At that point, we could have re-inspected the repair and/or removed parts of the dash to access other components. We will make it mandatory to change the way we communicate with our clients' so that they know that we are here to help, even after a repair has been completed. Kings
- King's Auto Center