Is anyone else having AC issues in their Clarity, we have 2 and mine has had the condenser replaced under warranty luckily but the evaporator just went out 6 months later which is not covered. The dealer quoted me $2500 but the manufacturer paid a lot of it. But my wife’s car had the evaporator go out as well the manufacturer paid some of hers too but not as much as mine. The dealer has to call the manufacturer and wheel and deal a price, since my car was the second one I got a better deal, but it’s been $1000 for the both. One of my neighbors has one too and his has had the condenser and the evaporator replaced in his. Any one else?
AC
- Thread starter Front Row
- Start date
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I'm on the 3rd condenser for my 2018 Clarity. Here are some threads where other Clarity owners have had AC issues:
AC blowing warm again
Clarity A/C problem (and warranty extension on pg 10)
FAULTY AC
Just Received 10 years Extended Factory Warranty For Leaking AC Condenser
Air Conditioner compressor failure after condenser replacement
High Temperature Warning after AC Condenser Replacement
AC Question
POLL: Clarity air conditioning output not cool
Clarity AC not working
2018 AC Failure
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petteyg359
Well-Known Member
Got my notice in the app about the fuel pump recall so I need to schedule that, and am now glad I bought a full-replacement glass warranty at the dealer because there was fun in the road today and something cracked my windshield badly, but have had no problems at all with the A/C so far in my 2018.
Honda doesn't have the replacement fuel pumps yet, so it may be difficult to schedule that service.
neal adkins
Active Member
From some research on the web and a local mechanic i decided to put regular r134a into my emty system. I was very careful not to overcharge ( just added the ammount on the sticker on the hood) . The main benefit is that the r134a runs a lower pressure on both the high side and suction side. therefore not as prone to leaking, and is much cheaper than the r1234yf. Ac is working great for about 2 months now. Im not an expert but do have some experience and was advised that the oils in both are the same. The one i used also has stop leak. Do your own research or consult your mechanic. Adapter fittings are available on ebay and Amazon
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petteyg359
Well-Known Member
Finally just had the a/c condenser fail in my 2018 touring after having it just about six years. Dealer is going to replace under warranty.
I beat you by a week! I tried to get the fuel pump done while I was there, but no dice.
petteyg359
Well-Known Member
Lucky me, the evaporator went leaky on me just a couple weeks after the compressor was replaced. They have just replaced it, never gave me a quote before hand, let alone actually ask approval to do so... Hoping they don't charge too much.
neal adkins
Active Member
I know my 2018 was covered under warranty. You could check recalls for your year.
hold up, the *compressor*, not the condenser? That's odd. Those are Sanden SHS33H compressors, they should be pretty solid units. Did you have the condenser replaced earlier?
They cant charge you for something you didn't approve, but if you don't pay im pretty sure they can dig the old evaporator out of the trash and shove it haphazardly back into the car. (and probably proceed to throw the new evaporator away)
MrFixit
Well-Known Member
I think there is a definite pattern of condenser failures & warranty replacement followed by evaporator failures shortly thereafter.
It is hard for me to believe that there isn't some link between the two. If a failed condenser can result in a failed evaporator, then it seems that the evaporator failure (after condenser replacement) should also be covered. Whether the condenser failure causes the evaporator to fail, or maybe the condenser service procedure is faulty and somehow leads to an evaporator failure - the point is that this seems all too common to be coincidence !
It is hard for me to believe that there isn't some link between the two. If a failed condenser can result in a failed evaporator, then it seems that the evaporator failure (after condenser replacement) should also be covered. Whether the condenser failure causes the evaporator to fail, or maybe the condenser service procedure is faulty and somehow leads to an evaporator failure - the point is that this seems all too common to be coincidence !
One big problem with the 1234yf refrigerant like the Clarity uses is that the oil reacts with any moisture to create an acid. It is very critical that the system not be left open to the air for any longer than is absolutely necessary during a repair. It may be that some repairs leave the system open to the air while waiting for a new condensor (or even overnight in a busy shop). Any acid created could then corrode the evaporator as well as another condenso failure.
This is just conjecture on my part. LeoP
This is just conjecture on my part. LeoP
MrFixit
Well-Known Member
Worse than this - the system could be exposed to the air for quite a long time before the owner even realizes that the condenser has failed...
In most areas, the A/C is not used at all for months through fall / winter / early spring so it could be exposed for months before discovery and going to the shop for service.
The Clarity does have a refrigerant pressure sensor. Many autos with this sensor shut the compressor down when the pressure gets too low. This is to prevent a vacuum on the suction (evaporator) side (and also to prevent a compressor failure from the lack of oil circulation). The vacuum would suck in air. With the compressor off, even if the system leaked enough to be at atmospheric pressure, there would not be much moisture entering compared to even a short time with the system completely open. The leakage spots are relatively small. BTW, an auto AC system is considered a safety feature as it helps defog the windshield. I suspect many newer autos have AC pressure sensors and throw a DTC when the AC system is not working correctly. I do not understand why the Clarity, for some people, did not throw a code when most of the refrigerant leaked out.
I caught the condensor failure on our Clarity becuase I saw the oil dripping on the garage floor from the condensor. The AC system was still working well.
LeoP
I caught the condensor failure on our Clarity becuase I saw the oil dripping on the garage floor from the condensor. The AC system was still working well.
LeoP