"Does not produce enough coolness anymore..."
Is your AC clutch
actually locked up? Does your AC system cool at all...
or does it simply need to be recharged and maybe a fitting or "O" ring replaced? Recharging the AC system and repairing a leaking AC line doesn't have the profit margin in it that replacing the entire compressor has.
If the clutch is fine and the compressor is still able to hold pressure and kicks on and off properly, I'd want to know if your AC system could be recharged and still function
first. Don't be afraid to get a second opinion from another shop either. Replacing the compressor, drier AND recharging your system will run anywhere from $500 to $700 at a rip-off shop and
if they don't install it correctly, it will fail within a few months, maybe a year.
IMHO, there are several of the "BIG NAME" national repair shops out there that make their living on convincing "their" customers that something "needs to be replaced/repaired". In my opinion, these places are rip-off artists who prey on those who don't understand the mechanicals of their vehicle, particularity women and the elderly. A couple of them start with the letter "M".
They make their money on parts mark-ups and their labor just like normal repair shops do, only their margins are higher. Just because a guy works at a repair shop and has a tool box doesn't make them an expert (or honest) mechanic anymore than me wearing a speedo at the beach makes me a swim suit model.
I
am awesome in a speedo, though.
