Hi, this is my first post here and I'm looking for some advice about replacing the A/C compressor in a 1996 Honda Accord (2.2L) that belongs to my aunt and uncle. I've replaced 5 compressors in GM cars and have gotten that down to a science, but GM systems aren't identical to Honda's so I want to make sure I have everything straight before I try and do this work. All the information I have to go by is that a mechanic told them that it needed a new compressor. With GM cars I know the compressors almost invariably go bad from leaking at the center seal. How do these compressors tend to fail? Do they generally shoot debris into the system, and where would I check for this? Normally on GM cars I check at the orifice tube; however, Hondas use an expansion valve instead. I'm going to replace the receiver/drier, of course, and on a GM system I always change the orifice tube. Is it necessary for me to put a new expansion valve in the car, or should this one be fine? Where is the expansion valve, and would it be a good place to check for debris? I don't want to do any flushing, if possible. My aunt and uncle are just trying to get this car ready to sell and in the summer heat of Montgomery, AL air conditioning is all but a necessity. Any answers would be greatly appreciated and any further advice is absolutely welcomed. I am a regular on the GM 'A-Body' forum and I know how they can be real lifesavers on stuff like this.
Thanks
Jack

 

What did the mechanic tell you? Is all of the freon out of the system?

For starters, I would diagnose the a/c before I replace a part on it.

Does the compressor clutch plate engage when you turn on the a/c? Do both of the radiator fans turn on?

Second, a leaking shaft seal or o-ring will leave some residue behind and will collect dirt over time. You should check all the joints and look behind the a/c pulley for signs of leakage.

The expansion valve is inside of the evaporator inside the car behind the glove box. The o-rings are a common place for leakage due to slight warping of the metal over time. The evaporator isn't too bad to remove. I don't know if you should replace it or not. I did when I repaired my a/c just to stay on the safe side.

 

I haven't been to see the car yet. I live 3 hours away in GA; I'm leaving this afternoon and coming back Thursday or Friday. That said, the first things I'm going to do when I open the hood will be to see how much, if any, pressure is still in the system and if I can see the telltale leak residue on the compressor. I'm familiar with what that looks like because GM compressors always leak. I'm going to bring my black light so I can confirm any leaks I suspect with U/V dye refrigerant.

 

I've removed evaporators several times on older (90 & 94 Accords), and found the expansion valve orings and thermal bulb orings leaking. They don't leak much but if system is empty, and you can't find any other leak source, this is probably the fault.

Compressor shaft seal is replaceable externally w/o disassembling compressor. You can buy a shaft seal from ackits.com for $20-30. You will need a small diameter tube to assist installation of the shaft seal. I used a piece of rolled up 2-liter drink bottle plastic and it worked fine. This protects seal lips from shaft threads and inverting while pushing in place.

good luck

 

Well, everything worked out. I managed to fix the old compressor; the bolt holding the inner pulley in place was gone, so I simply replaced it! Also, they're not selling the car now. They were only selling it because they thought it had an engine knock which turned out to be caused by the inner pulley on the compressor being loose and rattling around. Unfortunately, I managed to buy two different used compressors before realizing I could fix the old one, so now I have to get rid of them. If anyone wants them you can PM me; I have one of each type that was used in '96 4-cyl Accords (long, disappointing story).