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

[Fe2_O3]

I remember the conversation @Roen and @Landshark were having on page 17 about whether Clarity A/C evaporator issues were a second leading cause of A/C problems.

The other Clarity Forum has a thread about evaporator issues and created a form for those who have had to drop $$$ on an evaporator to report in so Honda can get a handle on the problem.

Another suggestion from that Forum: For those of you who are dealing with this, contact the NHTSA at www.safercar.gov as well. When the A/C doesn't work, the car can't defrost the windshield properly, which is a USDOT defined safety issue.
Even if your car has been fixed, report the problem. Let them know if it's the compressor or evaporator.

So, please, if you've had to replace your evaporator, sign onto the form to help you get a refund and help the rest of us!

 

[wpc]

FYI, my Clarity just had an AC problem. As part of my research I read the comments in this thread. I decided to DIY it rather than go through the dealership. I used an AC manifold gauge to test system pressure, it was very low. I evacuated the refrigerant and held a vacuum to check for leaks (expecting to replace my condenser or evaporator as mentioned on this forum.)

Vacuum held, no leaks.

Consequently, I suspected the problem was the R-1234yf so I replaced it with R-134a (I could be wrong.) The AC works now but I don't know if I'm damaging my system by running the R-134a with the special Honda Clarity POE oil. They might be incompatible. I wrote a detailed post on how I did it and the tools I used on Clarity Forum dot com.

The Honda R-1234yf machines are supposed to identify leaks and prohibit a charge. So I'm a little suspicious of dealerships charging $300 to recover and refill then deciding they found a leak in a major component on the call back.

How is the R134A working now?

 

[BobbyB]

I had my faulty condenser replaced in October of last year. AC started to act up again starting in late February, making progressively louder and longer hissing noises. Took the car to get diagnosed at the dealership, now it appears the evaporator is leaking refrigerant. The cost to get his fixed is around $2700-3000. I'm still waiting for the final price as my service advisor has contacted Honda on my behalf to see if they would cover some of the cost.

 

[wpc]

I had my faulty condenser replaced in October of last year. AC started to act up again starting in late February, making progressively louder and longer hissing noises. Took the car to get diagnosed at the dealership, now it appears the evaporator is leaking refrigerant. The cost to get his fixed is around $2700-3000. I'm still waiting for the final price as my service advisor has contacted Honda on my behalf to see if they would cover some of the cost.

this is literally the exact same as me but i'm futher out

initial issue with condenser 11/2022, now 4/2024 my evaporator is leaking. They have to be related. When one goes bad it makes the other go bad? Seems like everyone who had one go bad eventually had the other go bad. I opened a ticket with American Honda because I'm 3 months past the 3 year warranty and the car only has 28k miles so this should not be happening. I'm seriously considering BradClarity's fix and converting this to R134A if his fix has held up for 3+ years.

 

[BobbyB]

this is literally the exact same as me but i'm futher out

initial issue with condenser 11/2022, now 4/2024 my evaporator is leaking. They have to be related. When one goes bad it makes the other go bad? Seems like everyone who had one go bad eventually had the other go bad. I opened a ticket with American Honda because I'm 3 months past the 3 year warranty and the car only has 28k miles so this should not be happening. I'm seriously considering BradClarity's fix and converting this to R134A if his fix has held up for 3+ years.

That's really unfortunate. I hope Honda can help us solve this issue. Especially for you, 28k miles is such a small amount driven for such an expensive fix. I'm considering just selling the car because I'm not sure how long the AC will last if I pay for it to be fixed.

 

[wpc]

That's really unfortunate. I hope Honda can help us solve this issue. Especially for you, 28k miles is such a small amount driven for such an expensive fix. I'm considering just selling the car because I'm not sure how long the AC will last if I pay for it to be fixed.

I was planning to buy refill bottles of r1234yf and Just fill it up and see how long it lasts. If it's a tiny leak it might not even be worth the effort and just fill it every other year or something

 

[Adi]

Yesterday I took my Clarity to Honda dealer,and they confirmed that my one year old condenser is leaking and needs replaced again. For free since is still under extended warranty.

 

[SSSS]

Hi, I have my clarity ac condenser go out. They tell me that the condenser is covered but the receiver tube is not and it costs $900+. This is ridiculous. Do I have a recourse? It is 4 year old with 33k touring model.

Very unhappy and angry about this unexpected major expense.

 

[su_A_ve]

Welp - looks like I finally started to get AC issues. Noticed that it takes times to cool and temps have only hit mostly 80s. Also, some odd high pitch noises I never heard before when parked.

I do have Honda Care for a couple of years. I'll call first to get it pre approved. Then will call the dealer to schedule this check plus replacing the sun visor (Honda Care approved it already).

 

[insightman]

Hi, I have my clarity ac condenser go out. They tell me that the condenser is covered but the receiver tube is not and it costs $900+. This is ridiculous. Do I have a recourse? It is 4 year old with 33k touring model.

Very unhappy and angry about this unexpected major expense.

To save $900, you can drive a long way to try a different dealer.

 

[mclohse]

New to this forum, just wanted opinions from other Clarity owners. A but ago, my A/C stopped blowing cold, so I searched it up, assumed it would be a condenser leak. They did a diagnosis and it turned out to be the expansion valve. Was there any issues with this part too? It doesn’t seem like there is an extended warranty for this part. They quoted $850 for the replacement of it. I’m assuming this is not covered by anything and I have to pay out of pocket. The car is a 2018 with 78k miles. Why is it having issues like this?? Has anyone else had any experience?

 

[megreyhair]

Many people here had their condenser replaced and no one had reported receiver tube was not covered. Like insightman said, try another dealer.

 

[mclohse]

Many people here had their condenser replaced and no one had reported receiver tube was not covered. Like insightman said, try another dealer.

How could this work? I thought Honda would be the one to cover the costs. Do the dealerships not disclose when it’s covered or not?

 

[SSSS]

How could this work? I thought Honda would be the one to cover the costs. Do the dealerships not disclose when it’s covered or not?

I called Honda and they said it is not covered. They also said that one does not affect the other. I do not believe it, but do not know what to do outside of getting mad at the person and the situation

 

[MrFixit]

I called Honda and they said it is not covered. They also said that one does not affect the other. I do not believe it, but do not know what to do outside of getting mad at the person and the situation

It sucks that the dealer / Honda hold all the cards here.
At the very least, you are entitled to be given the defective part for a 'non-warranty' repair. Make sure they give you the bad part, and ask them to identify the defect when they hand it to you.

 

[su_A_ve]

So when I called to schedule the service they asked if it was blowing warm air on one side only. As I’ve been driving alone for a bit, I didn’t notice and sure enough, it seems to blow cold air on the passenger side but warm or fresh air on the driver. After a while, it seems to blow colder air on the driver side..

 

[MrFixit]

As I’ve been driving alone for a bit, I didn’t notice and sure enough, it seems to blow cold air on the passenger side but warm or fresh air on the driver

My interpretation of this is that there is a leak (likely the dreaded condenser). When the Freon charge is correct, evaporation will occur uniformly throughout the evaporator. As the Freon charge drops, evaporation will no longer be uniform, and thus only one part of the evaporator will be cooling. If you assume (for simplicity) that the driver side air flows through one side of the evaporator and passenger side air flows through the other side, it makes sense that one side would die before the other. Eventually of course, there is insufficient Freon for any cooling action. So, I think you likely discovered the problem before you lost all your Freon. This is a good thing because your system will not be contaminated with outside air, minimizing the risk of additional damage.

 

[SSSS]

It sucks that the dealer / Honda hold all the cards here.
At the very least, you are entitled to be given the defective part for a 'non-warranty' repair. Make sure they give you the bad part, and ask them to identify the defect when they hand it to you.

Thank you l. The repair and the damage is already done.

 

[su_A_ve]

My interpretation of this is that there is a leak (likely the dreaded condenser). When the Freon charge is correct, evaporation will occur uniformly throughout the evaporator. As the Freon charge drops, evaporation will no longer be uniform, and thus only one part of the evaporator will be cooling. If you assume (for simplicity) that the driver side air flows through one side of the evaporator and passenger side air flows through the other side, it makes sense that one side would die before the other. Eventually of course, there is insufficient Freon for any cooling action. So, I think you likely discovered the problem before you lost all your Freon. This is a good thing because your system will not be contaminated with outside air, minimizing the risk of additional damage.

Condenser was replaced under the extended warranty. Can't complain as it went bad after almost six years. Hopefully it'll hold.

 

[insightman]

Condenser was replaced under the extended warranty. Can't complain as it went bad after almost six years. Hopefully it'll hold.

You have permission to complain when the replacement goes bad--as my 2018's second condenser did with less than 20K miles on the odo.