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Has your AC failed? Report it here!

142K views 236 replies 172 participants last post by  scoran 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
AC failure is a known (but rare) problem with the TSX, but it mostly seems to happen with the 2004s.

If you have had your AC compressor go out, post here and include the following:
Year of your TSX
Approximate miles when AC failed (if you remember)
And include any other info you feel relevant

The more data we can gather about this, the better!
 
#5 ·
I bought an 04. The week before I bought it, someone took it for a test drive, and the A/C never kicked on. He had the compressor replaced, and it works just fine as far as I know. But I only tested it before I bought it, and its winter in Colorado.

But anyways, the car had 124k miles when the A/C went out.
 
#48 ·
I have a 2004 and it went out around 78k. Good thing I had a friend who was a mechanic so he did all the work for cheap and we got the kit for the ac from this website. So far it looks like its working well.


2004*Acura*TSX*A/C Compressor from DiscountAcParts
04' Acura TSX - A/C stopped blowing cool air back around 120k miles. Its summer its hoT windows are cutting it no more. I don't know what went wrong but had a hometown garage tell me I should just replace the condenser and compressor.

Thanks for posting this website. This has helped me tremendously on my hunt for new acura parts!!!
 
#7 ·
Today was my first time having a problem with this. The A/C wasn't working for the first 15 minutes, and then slowly started getting a little bit colder.. still not normal. Is this what happened to you guys? I'm afraid to turn it on now. This car is becoming a headache, just changed the alternator last month!
 
#13 ·
2004 acura tsx. blew out nothing but hot air around 120K. flushed and added freon cold for about a week and blew out hot air again. i don't hear the compressor coming on also. blew up and havent replaced it yet because it cost so much and my money is tight. sucks cuz i live in central cali and it gets super hot.
 
#23 ·
2006.
94,500.
Always been serviced at a Honda/Acura dealership.

Brother is a technician at a Honda dealer. He called to tell me I suffered the Black Death as well. I'm good friends with the PO and he had no idea, then again who uses AC in the winter.

Not looking forward to buying a new ac compressor.

*edit. Our cars aren't the only ones doing it. The accords and CRVs have this problem. Honda won't do anything about it because it isn't a safety issue. The compressor, new one, is a redesigned unit.

Same thing with our factory starters..
 
#35 ·
Update. Tore the system open, I got lucky. No black death, the filter caught the little bit that came out the system. Flushed the system completely and installed new compressor.

Honda does NOT send a new clutch/stator set with the compressor. My stator was bad, most likely due to when the compressor locked up it caused the sator to stick on and burnt it up.

So make sure you order the compressor AND the clutch AND the stator. (Truthfully I did NOT order the clutch set as my pulley made no noise and my clutch didn't look damaged. If it chatters then I'll order a new one aswell, 171 dollars.

So far I have into it.

1 Compressor. - 38810-RBB-A01 - 440 dollars.
1 Filter set 45 dollars
1 12pack.
and now 1 Stator set at 77$.

I lucked out. Others that venture through my local Honda dealership aren't as lucky.
 
#25 ·
2004, 5AT, All service done at Cale Yarborough Honda, Florence SC with OEM parts. (I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS DEALER, for service or a new vehicle)

Compressor grenade @ 85k, never been the same since.
Replaced High and Low pressure lines, evaporator, dryer, compressor, condenser, and all small parts between including all o-rings ($3800 parts/labor)

Again at 110k I charged, new compressor ($700, parts/labor)

Just recently @ 132k I changed condenser and recharge. ($600 parts/labor)

Since the original failure I have never experienced "Ice cold AC". This summer will be the second South Carolina summer with no AC and I drive about 1.5 hours a day to/from work. Really makes me reconsider ever buying Honda/Acura again judging from the way they have handled this so far.

I can only wish/pray/hope nobody has to go through what I have. I'm almost at the point where I have invested as much into the AC system as what a dealer would give me trade in. Sometimes I get pure heat, sometimes a mutant luke warm high humidity ass sweat like temperature, and rarely I get AC for about 15 minutes. Just long enough to say "ahh thats better" before the heat kicks back in. I stopped cleaning my interior because I have to ride with the windows down so often my black interior is almost always dusty/dirty.

If I can talk a local dealer down it will be getting traded in for an 08 speed 3 with about 70k on the clock. Until the next s2k like vehicle comes out or unless they turbo the ILX, it's good bye Acura/Honda. Sorry for the rant, just sucks when you think of how much $$$ has been burned into that AC system.
 
#26 ·
AC failure 3rd year

'05 154K. AC went out for the third time since car was purchased in 2009, the compressor replaced twice at $1100 each shot and here we go again had alternator changed last year. Bad experience with Acura dealer after first outage, it was a few days beyond the year warranty of the compressor Acura replaced and they wouldn't work a deal. Ordered parts and friend replaced. Car is a big headache, on the way to trade this week.
 
#27 ·
2008 6 Speed No Navigation , roughly 36K on the engine , ac cooling was weak , one side was blowing cool air other side was blowing lukewarm air , took about 30 minutes to cool down the cabin , had it checked out , dealer found leak in a hose that goes from the compressor to the condenser , estimated cost of repair $550 , however since I just bought the car on 2/25/12 they will most likely cover it under my 6 month 6000 miles warranty and if not than it will be covered under my extended warranty with a $100 deductible. If its not covered then I will argue that this should have been spotted during the used car inspection process along with all the other problems I found.

~De5
 
#28 ·
Have you read your owner's manual?
All Acura's come with a 4 year 50000 mile/80000 km bumper to bumper warranty.

Depending on the in-service date of your car it should all be covered.
 
#33 · (Edited)
06 AT w/ 137k AC just started blowing hot today in 104 degree heat. 45 minutes into a 2 hour drive home. Haven't taken a look at it yet.

Update.
Hole in the receiver pipe. Gotta get a quote from Acura(free loaner) and Honda (gotta rent a car) tomorrow.

Update 2
Acura wanted $550 to replace pipe and evacuate/recharge AC. Bout the $70 part went home replaced in 10 minutes and back at Acura now to do the recharge. Can't believe they wanted $330 for labor on something that took me so little time. If I had the two wrenches and socket with me I should have replaced it in their lot.:p
 
#34 ·
I have a 04 tsx with 75000 miles. Today the AC stopped working and there was some smoke coming from where the compressor is. I didnt hear any noises but my music was pretty loud. I was already bringing my car in for an oil change so Im gonna have them check it out. Is there any way to tell if its the compressor or relay before I bring it in so they dont try to screw me?
 
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