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

I too had the warranty extension condenser replacement recently. I had it diagnosed on a long road trip but they didn't have the part, then replaced a few weeks later at home. Notably, the home dealer did want to retest, even given the paperwork from the first dealer.

I too am skeptical of two different problems at the same time. Especially as the known one is a leak, so nothing mechanically wrong with the part.

 

I'm not sure if that is possible - or at least whether they'd have a reason to look and how difficult it is...

I can say from experience I went to closest dealer and they refused warranty claiming it was from road debris. I went to another dealer 6 months later (where I bought the car) figuring it was worth a shot and while service writer warned up front it wouldn't be covered if road damage etc, they ended up warranting it. Not sure whether they didn't see something other ppl did, maybe some dealers follow the letter a bit stricter, or who knows what.

TL, DR - try another dealer IMO

 

Brought in my 2018 Touring with almost 25k miles for the A/C failing. Sure enough, the condenser was leaking significantly and they replaced it under warranty.



However, now they've identified the system's low and high gauges are too far from normal levels, the cause of which is a blockage in the system, likely the pressure valve. I'm feeling like this should be covered by the extended warranty as well as from what I've found online it seems that blockages tend to occur from leaky/faulty condensers. I'm not a mechanic though, so wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience.

Apologies if this was brought up already in the thread but couldn't find anyone else mentioning this experience.

 

I have no experience with this, but I find it hard to believe the scenario.

• Your A/C dies, and they identify the known condenser defect as the cause. It is clearly bad (visually apparent).
• They replace the condenser only to find that lo and behold there is another problem (unrelated to the condenser failure)?

Let me ask you this - Did you take the car in 'shortly' after the A/C failed, or could you have conceivably been driving around for many months not knowing that all the refrigerant had leaked out? The reason I ask is that without refrigerant, moisture will get into the system [over time] and could cause some corrosion resulting in the valve sticking (or similar). That would not happen quickly, but the trouble is that nobody runs the A/C during the winter, so if the condenser fails and the refrigerant leaks out in the fall, you may not know it until the next summer (hence a 'long' time for peripheral damage to occur).

That would still be the "fault" of the condenser, but seasonal timing could make the difference as to whether additional damage occurs.

If it were me, I would certainly push back. You may get nowhere, but my feeling is that whatever this blockage is, it would not have occurred if the condenser had not failed in the first place. Either that, or you had an incompetent mechanic who somehow caused additional damage during the condenser replacement.

 

That's my thought too. I'm in New England so all winter I only use the A/C for defogging, which is not often. I also park in a garage both at home and at work and the A/C still worked enough to keep a cool car cool. I only noticed the A/C wasn't functioning properly when it was trying to cool the car down after it was sitting in the sun on a 90-degree day. I think it's fair to assume I was driving with a faulty A/C compressor for multiple months.

I did purchase an extended warranty for 10 years that covers almost all repairs with a $100 deductible, including a car rental covered for up to 5 days. I may be better off just taking the rental for $100 since it's going to take them a few days to get the part in (~$50/day) since the dealer doesn't cover a courtesy vehicle.

Edit: Forgot to say, thank you! Appreciate your input.

 

Another A/C failed, Clarity Touring 2018, 39k miles. Called the dealer and scheduled to bring the car, unfortunately will have to wait more than a week for the first available opening.

 

The condenser leak, replaced under Honda A/C extended warranty