Diagnosing Compressor Failure
The AC compressor is the engine of your air conditioning system. When it fails, your entire system stops cooling. As the most expensive component, accurate diagnosis is crucial to ensure you don't pay for unnecessary replacement.
Our Pretoria technicians first perform a detailed Electrical System Check to rule out simple clutch failure or wiring faults. We also check for metal debris or signs of oil starvation, the main killers of compressors. A low gas level is often the cause of compressor failure, so a leak check is always performed prior to any replacement.
Our Comprehensive Replacement Process
When replacement is required, our process is thorough to protect your new compressor and validate our warranty:
- Full System Flush: The entire AC loop is flushed to remove contaminated oil and metal debris caused by the old compressor's failure.
- Receiver Drier/Accumulator Replacement: This filter is replaced to remove all moisture and chemical contamination.
- New Compressor Installation: We install a high-quality replacement compressor that matches your vehicle specifications.
- Regas and Lubrication: The system is recharged with the precise amount of new refrigerant (R134a or R1234yf) and fresh compressor oil.
- Performance Testing: Final check using digital gauges to ensure the system achieves optimal high and low pressures and peak cooling performance.
Repairing the Compressor Clutch
If the compressor itself is sound, but the clutch is slipping or failed electrically, we can often perform a stand-alone clutch repair. This significantly reduces the cost of the repair. We only recommend this after confirming the compressor internals are healthy.