Hello again everyone! I have been a member for quite some time, and I don't come around as often as I should, but I am always glad y'all are here.

Okay, I read the pinned section on the A/C evaporator core, and I know it is a complicated job--one that can't be done by myself nor one I can afford the labor costs.

Since the folks at AAA are so nice. The part itself is dirt cheap, but the labor is so much. What can I do? Right now, I just had them recharge the system, and I have air conditioning for now. I don't know the extent of the leak, but I made it a month or two before I lost A/C. So, the A/C could go at any time. Well, I live in the south, so you know the heat only gets hotter here. Over the colder months, of course, I can live without A/C.

AAA quoted me a price I could never afford, and I should have known it was going to be more expensive than I thought when the dude asked me "How badly do you want a/c?" The dude at AAA felt bad me for, was so nice, tried to get the cheapest parts and labor, and gave me as many discounts as he could, but it is a job I can't afford to have done. When I asked about recharging the system, he said I could do that, but he couldn't guarantee how long it would last because he didn't know the extent of the leak. Perfectly understandable.

What are reasonable labor costs for something like this? I have offered to pay a couple of my friends who are mechanically inclined, buy since it is such a tough job, I want it to be worth their while to fix it, not insult them, but not pay as much as the auto place is going to charge me.

Is there also something I can do to minimize the leak to get me by? The optimist in me hopes for like some kind of stop leak or sealant or something, but the realist is braced for the worst (like the cost of fixing it)

Does anyone know anyone in Summerville, Sc that could lead me in the right direction or not kill me with labor costs?

While I am at it, I am either going to date a mechanic or learn how to fix my own car. Where in the hell do you go to learn to fix your own car?

Are there automotive incentives/discounts for teachers out there? Especially on the labor.

 

My son and son in law, who is a mechanic, said they would not do it for no less that $800 labor. Heck they're my kids and I gave them $500 for the labor alone after I saw how much work is involved. They said if anybody wants one done, you buy the parts and they will do it for $800. They did my son's V70R and his S70 T5M and my yellow T5R and said mine was a good bit tougher than the S/V70's.

Hope that gives you a feel for how much you should pay and how tough it is. They mechanic who did two of my other 850's wanted $1500 to do this one for parts and everyhting. I think that is a little cheaper than the dealer, and he does fantstic work.

Probably no way to get around having it replaced if you want AC. My last recharge didn't even last a week. I have had all three of my 850's done now. I never had to do it on the V70 that I had though.

 

Crap! I don't know what I am going to do. With the repairs I have had to make in the last year, I could have bought another used car. This is kind of depressing because I love my Volvo, but I can't afford the upkeep on a teacher's salary.

 

If you don't do the work yourself, they are expensive to maintain. But they are not that hard to work on yourself. I am not a mechanic and I do most everything myself. I would not do the evaporator myself though. It's just too much work.

 

To bad you are not in Fla close to me. I could have done it for cheaper than $500.00

 

To be honest when my boys quoted me a price it was $350 and I told them I would give them $400, but when I saw how much work it was I gave them $500. They are my kids and I had actually lent my son $500 so I told him to just pay his brother in law $250 and we called it even.

 

i have this issue. my a/c lasted not very long and i think its that $1700 evaporator. but i didnt find anyone in NY that was good and cheap soo idk what to do either really

 

My AC is good but the dash is starting to come loose. My buddy said he would replace the clips for $100. When he does this, is there a trick to making it stronger than stock. Maybe a stronger clip, or a roll of duct tape.

good luck with the AC, I cannot imagine being in the south right now without it.


Thanks,
Chet

 

Have you seen my post about repairing the tabs?