Replacing aircon pump.

[Paddy]

Hi, I have a 2014 phev 4hs, it has a problem with the aircon pump/compressor. Mitsubishi have quoted me £3700 for the repair. I can get thr part 2nd hand for between £100 and £300. My local independent garage will fit it for me for about £500. However they have not done one before and are not sure if the ecu will need to be reprogrammed. Has anyone here changed the aircon pump themselves, or had it done by an independent garage and got any info?
Thanks, Paddy

 

[DibbyDibbyDJ]

The car will need to be made safe before replacing this. Are they able to do this? The AC system will need oil adding, as it is an EV it needs special oil. Make sure they have this first. Normal oil is electrically conductive and will cause problems, and possible cause the system to short to earth and injure you.

 

[Paddy]

Ok, if anyone is curious, I bought a second hand compressor/pump for the aircon for £249 and my local garage fitted it and gassed the system for £400. Works a treat, no need to reprogram car. Quote for new part and fitting from main dealer was £3700

 

[Regulo]

Thanks for the update. While there's a lot to be wary of on these cars, most systems are reasonably generic. Where on earth did £3,700 come from? Downright profiteering, bordering on fraud.
Car main dealerships haven't moved on far from the 60's as far as I'm concerned.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

I take it they used the correct oil, as the standard stuff is electrically conductive...

 

[MrPastry]

You won't need to add any oil unless there's been a very big leak.
There's very little oil in there. About 70ml.
Gas is cheap. About 550g needed.
R134A or R1234 depending where in the world you are.
If you have a vacuum pump & a set a gauges, it's easy to do it yourself, but of course that's if you have the time & patience to research how to do it.
Don't trust dealers with air conditioning. They won't have a clue.
Go to an air conditioning expert & get it done correctly.

 

[DibbyDibbyDJ]

You won't need to add any oil unless there's been a very big leak.
There's very little oil in there. About 70ml.
Gas is cheap. About 550g needed.
R134A or R1234 depending where in the world you are.
If you have a vacuum pump & a set a gauges, it's easy to do it yourself, but of course that's if you have the time & patience to research how to do it.
Don't trust dealers with air conditioning. They won't have a clue.
Go to an air conditioning expert & get it done correctly.

Except that mainly all the oil is needed for the compressor. And the compressor is being replaced. Oil quantity, like gas quantity, need to be exact. About 70ml &550g sounds like the formula for poor cooling. And with EV compressor oil being AUD $200 for 50ml, its always ok to guess isnt it. And the fact you need to be licensed and qualified to work on A/C. And accountable for gas used and recovered.

But what would i know. I just work at a dealer. :roll:

 

[Regulo]

So £3700 is the right price? Just asking.

 

[Paddy]

Hi, first, yep they used the correct oil indeed they only use non conductive oil in my local garage as it is a possible issue with all hybrids.
The £3700 quote from Mitsubishi was £3000 for the part £700 labour.
The part is just an electric pump, there us no way it is worth anything like £3000, but as the saying goes, they charge what the market can bear.

 

[greendwarf]

As I have mentioned before car manufacturers gave up making a profit on car sales many years ago in favour of mark up on spares. But in any industry the margin is always lower on high volume items. I don't remember anyone else reporting compressor failure in this forum, which suggests these have a very low volume demand. So the high cost in maintaining a UK low turnover stock and re-supply from Japan (?) has to be paid for somehow. You wouldn't want to have to wait 3 months for one to be sent from abroad. :idea: