Clarity A/C problem (and warranty extension on pg 10)

Unfortunately, mine is in the shop. They tell me they will have the part tomorrow (Paragon, Queens NY)

 

From what I’ve found on the internet, Canada and the United States are actually different countries. Among the many differences, one is that the Canadian year is only 70% as long as a US year. This means the 10 year Canadian Warranty will expire in less time than the 8 year US Vehicle Service Contract.

 

The failure allegedly occurs due to corrosion. This would suggest that there is a compatibility issue between the coolant and one of the materials used in the condenser.

Regardless of where the condensers are manufactured, they could be manufactured with globally sourced parts. Parts aren’t always manufactured to design specifications. It’s possible that inferior materials were used during periods when Honda inspectors were not present at the facility where the condensers were made. Sounds coconuts, doesn’t it?

Without being certain that Honda remedied the issue, it could be hit or miss as to whether or not a replacement unit will outlast the original. There’s also no guarantee, but a unit that has not failed for 4 years may have been made with different materials than the ones that are failing at shorter intervals.

 

So mine is done. I guess the good news is that we have a 10 year warranty, and many people's cars failed less than 5 years in, so we'll know sometime before they hit 10 years if the new part is bad. In my case, my car is about 5.5 years from manufacture (early 2018) and just failed, but it's been anemic for a while, so if it's anemic at 9.5 years I'll take it in.

 

Now it was my turn.
I noticed during the last couple of weeks the A/C was a bit sluggish in cooling the car under the scorching 107F. I checked the pressure through the ODBII and looked good, and since I didn't do a long trip I couldn't figure out if it would cool the cabin eventually. However, Friday I drove from scorching LV (107F) to scorcher Phoenix (113F). The first part of the trip was OK, but after the refueling stop I noticed there was no cool air coming out of the vents, or at least very intermittently. The HVAC pressure was in 147, outside temp 113F, inside temp 90F, settings in Lo. Today I returned early in the morning trying to avoid the worst of the heat (it was 88-89, cloudy with some rain along the way). The AC was working fine, pressure was in 109. I could feel very cold air freezing my hands, although the inner temp (as read from ODBII) never went below 76F. However, as soon as I got close to Vegas and the clouds and rain from the monsoon fell behind, the sun started pounding, temp hit 105F and the cool air went away again, except for some occasional burst. Inner temp went up from 75 to 89 degrees in less than 10 minutes. Pressure again in the 140's. One would say this AC can't beat this summer heat, but I've been in Vegas for three years and the two previous summers were very nasty, the AC did just fine. Taking it to the dealer tomorrow, hoping my extended HondaCare warranty will cover whatever it is and I get the car fixed soon (I have to go back to Phoenix in a week!). Fingers crossed! I never paid attention to this thread before, but this is making me think seriously to sell the car for the first time. I had a Hyundai Elantra, a Mazda CX7 and a Mazda 6 before. They had their share of troubles, but never the AC...

 

We had the AC condensor replaced on our 2018 Clarity (14,000 miles) two months ago. We did not notice any decrease in the AC cooling but I noticed oil smears (and drips) on the plastic undertray beneath the radiators when I changed the engine oil. Looking at the bottom of the condensor through the front grill, I noticed that there was oily dirt collecting on the condensor lower frame and fins. I made an appointment and took the Clarity to the dealer. The dealer confirmed that the condensor was leaking using a sniffer after a visual inspection. The condensor was ordered and replaced about ten days later.

The evacuation of the refrigerant collects and measures the refrigerant and oil removed from the system. The leaking condensor had only lost about one third of the refrigerant and oil. So, the AC system still worked since enough refrigerant was still present. The point to notice is that the AC system has over 50cc of oil so that many condensor leaks will show oil on or below the condensor. Finally, the service tech did not drain the DT and ES coolant as they were able to move the ES and DT radiators out of the way without disconnecting the coolant lines so that the condensor could be removed and replaced.

LP

 

What other vehicle offers a 10 year warranty on the A/C condenser? While another failure may be somewhat inconvenient, the part is covered for an extended period of time.

 

I think the evaporator which isn't covered is quickly becoming the concern now.

 

What prompted that thought?

 

Anecdotally, the 2nd most frequent cause of AC troubles on the Clarity and the reports I've come across of the condensor being repaired, but then refrigerant leaking out of the evaporator and requiring a $2900 repair.

 

I left the car at the dealer yesterday morning. They just called to let me know they finally found what is causing the issue: a Freon leak from the compressor. He sent a picture of the compressor "covered in dust from freon leaking out" I have no idea of what the evaporator is, but my repair would cost in the vicinity of $3000 ($2400 for the part alone), so the guy congratulated me for having the 7-year/80000 miles Honda Care extended warranty (Yes, seven, not ten years, or at least this is what they sold me with the car). It seems some seal broke off due to the heat. I wonder if other vehicles have the same issue, but now I'm afraid to take the Clarity on a road trip on summer.. Anyways, the part "should" arrive tomorrow and I "should" have the car the same day. Fingers crossed...

 

We don't have a 10 year option in the US, at least with Hondacare. Limit was 8 from new or 5 additional if bought before the 3 year warranty expires (the one I bought).

 

So sad. AC has been around for so many years and Honda can't get it right. I guess if I have to pay $3k to repair it, then I might just as well buy a few bottles of R-1234yf Refrigerant ($100 at advanced auto parts) and try my luck with it. It should be good enough to last a summer or 2 depending on how bad the leak and how well it sealed the leak.

 

Interesting.

I haven’t been actively gathering data on A/C failures involving the Honda Clarity. I did a title search on this forum using the key word “evaporator” which produced a result of one thread that had a link to another thread. Both were focused on the location of the drain line. Neither mentioned an issue with the evaporator coil.

This thread, which has been running for 4 years and is well over 300 posts in length, has discussed Clarity A/C problems extensively. We have seen numerous condenser coil replacements, none have been “repaired” by the way. Some owners have had the condenser coil replaced more than once.

Perhaps you could share your source of information on all these evaporator coil replacements.

 

Update: the car was supposed to be fixed by today, but the dealer guy just called to tell me I have to wait another day (at least) "because that Clarity AC is very complex and different from the others, not the typical Honda stuff", and it takes the lead mechanic, who is the only "Clarity certified" in the dealership to fix it. Then, when he's done, he will have to "re-pressurize the system", which takes several hours, to make sure the leak is gone. So, the car should be ready tomorrow afternoon (I hope...).
Still wondering why did Honda chose to put a "very complex and different AC system" that also fails frequently. Another failed experiment? In the meantime, riding in my wife's 2013 Civic, I'm enjoying its simple, regular and reliable AC...

 

The dealer guy is probably your service advisor. He told you what he believed you were capable of understanding. Your compressor needs to be replaced. The compressor in the Clarity is driven by electricity as opposed to those on an ICE vehicle which are driven by a belt. So the guy who’s been issued the special gloves and safety goggles has to do the work.

Take the service advisors words with a grain of salt. All air conditioners work on the same principle of moving heat from one area to another. If you really want to know, ask him what makes the A/C system “very complex and different”. He’ll probably be at a loss for words.

What fails frequently is the condenser coil. We’ve seen very few failures of other A/C system components.

 

Thanks so much for the enlightening! You refreshed some ancient knowledge stored on some deep recess of my brain. BTW, since the compressor is driven by electricity, this might also be the reason why my battery mileage dropped so dramatically the last couple of weeks (from 57 to 41 miles) while the battery capacity still reads the same 50.25 Ah. As a side note, the car should have been ready today, but it wasn't. When I called, I found out the service advisor called sick today, and the lady in his place told me that "Honda sent them the wrong part, but the right one is coming tomorrow early in the morning". We'll see. Not that I've been very lucky with the Honda dealers outside of CA. I regret to admit I should have sold the car before moving out...

 

If what the service advisor told you is true, then the error occurred at the warehouse. It isn’t the fault of the dealer that the wrong part was shipped. However, it is also possible that the wrong part was ordered and the dealer is shifting blame to the warehouse. We’ll never know.

FWIW: I had good experiences with Honda of Pasadena in Ca, and have also had a good experience with Lithia Honda of Medford, in Oregon. With the exception of a warranty claim on a door seal, it’s all been routine maintenance, so no major repairs. That said, a good or bad experience with the service department at a car dealer can occur in any State.

 

Finally got the car back today! Compressor replaced and car tested exhaustively for one whole day to make sure there were no more leaks. Only costed me $100 thanks to HondaCare extended warranty, otherwise it would have been $3400... Now the real test will be on Sunday, when I'll be driving back to hell... I mean, Phoenix...

 

I am sure your drive back to hell will be fine. The million dollar question is how long it will keep working...