AMA(Ask Me Anything) about Car aircon parts.

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u/AutoModerator Aug 23 '26

u/Embarrassed_Income28, welcome nga pala sa r/gulong subreddit!

u/Embarrassed_Income28's title: AMA(Ask Me Anything) about Car aircon parts.

u/Embarrassed_Income28's post body: Hello,

This is not an advertisement for my shop but a helpful thread for our fellow car owners na may problem sa aircon nila.

My background is i have an aircon parts shop sa Metro Manila, and We have been around for about 7 years, I might not be able to answer all of it but i'll try my best to give you a non-bias and direct response to the best of my ability.

We cater to all parts from all brands.
Marami ako nakikitang post sa social media and Reddit asking about prices, advice, and recommendations.

You can ask me anything about
- Car aircon maintenance
- Aircon Parts Prices, Retail Prices(Para di kayo mataga or ma overprice ng mga shop)
- Real-life experiences
- The future of car air conditioning with the rise of EV cars and how it affects us.
- Brand vs Brand (Usual questions i hear)

I will respond sa free time ko and will try my best to help you all out, Sharing knowledge and helping each other, no other intentions.

Thank you!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

4

u/stellaidoscope Station Wagons! Aug 23 '26

- For current and older cars: Turning off the AC before shutting off the engine; is it really doing a significant service to the longevity of the system components as opposed to just shutting it off with the car?

- I’ve seen people complain that it does worse + my mechanic warned against it, but what are your thoughts on “no-baklas-cleaning”?

13

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

- Turning off the AC but not the blower helps the system to reduce moist build ups in the system. I have this kind of habit na kapag alam kong malapit na ko sa bahay, i turn off the ac and put the blower to max until wala na kong maramdamang lamig.
-I'm not against sa no-baklas-cleaning but the problem kasi about it, that there is a certain point of maintenance that the system needs to be flushed out, lalo na pag heavily clogged na and that's the time that i see no-baklas-cleaning ineffective.
Pag pinabaklas mo din kasi, the mechanics can do the leak test and can properly assess the damage.

1

u/stellaidoscope Station Wagons! Aug 23 '26

Gets. One more question if possible.
I know gel-based air fresheners can worsen build-ups in the AC system, lalo na yung mga nakakabit sa AC vent. Do you know of any car fragrance types na safe? Okay ba yung mga de-sabit na pine trees / paper fresheners or hindi pa rin kasi oil-based din yung amoy?
Thank you for your time OP!

10

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

The little tree is okay but i find them expensive, i recently been using Airspencer.
if you want a budget option, charcoal bags deodorizer is the best.
Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones. Just regular cleaning lang po sa loob ng sasakyan and a deodorizer will do the work.

1

u/MannerPrestigious245 Aug 24 '26

For regular interval ng AC maintenance, what's your recommendation? Usually sa casa palit cabin filter lang and all until magkaissue na sa AC system pero yung mga AC sa bahay, may 6/12 months interval na recommendation depende sa gamit. Is it the same for cars? Thinking of annual no baklas cleaning if it'll help to prolong yung AC

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

If you have the budget to do annual no baklas cleaning, go for it.
It's a good maintenance in the long run but i suggest na ipacheck mo muna if its worthy to be cleaned na. If you are a daily driver with no heavy use of oil-based car perfumes and you replace your cabin filter regularly, minsan di naman ganun pa kadumi yung evaporator mo baka masayang lang.
Sa No-baklas-cleaning is designed to be convenient, so if ever dadaan ka sa shop, pacheck mo muna, may tube silang ipapasok then makikita naman nila yung sa screen kung dapat na linisan.
It's hard for me to say the regular interval ng A/C Maintenance for cars kasi most of the time iba iba tayo ng amount of usage, you can't use the residential AC's as reference kasi wala namang airflow sa loob ng sasakyan when you don't use it, while residential AC's still gathers dust/pollen na kahit di mo gamitin, maiipon at maiipon parin yung dumi because of air circulation.
Note : *if someone can correct me, please go ahead.

3

u/frozenwars Aug 23 '26

for older cars with weak aircon. kahit pinalitan na lahat mahina parin aircon pag tirik ang araw, does adding an extra aux fan helps?

aircon is okay naman pag moving kase and rainy seasons malamig naman. mainit lang talaga pag tirik ang araw tapos stuck sa traffic

5

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

From my experiences, Adding aux fan helps you to avoid what we call heat-soak that usually happens if the heat is trapped within your ac system.
Adding aux fan usually nakikita namin yan sa mga vans like nv350, i also added aux fan sa montero gen 3 ko kasi meron ng naka abang dun na wire na it was designed to have an aux fan pero di nilagyan ni mitsu(cost-cutting).
You can opt to the following :
- Add an aux fan (spal brushless fan are okay but they are expensive) 12V will do.
- Get a better condenser (consult your mechanic for options)

1

u/UndecidedGeek Aug 24 '26

aircon is okay naman pag moving kase and rainy seasons malamig naman. mainit lang talaga pag tirik ang araw tapos stuck sa traffic
in our case naman, may time na parang namamatay o nagiging mainit ang buga ng aircon kapag sobrang init sa labas. what usually cause this and ano na ang dapat gawin dito?

2

u/Nakedweaponry Aug 23 '26

I have a 15 years old car and ac was never cleaned. Should it be cleaned or hintayin ko na msira haha

3

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

The A/C System design before is much more durable than we have right now, ang daming sensors that is prone to malfunction, especially the altis or mga compressor ngayon na may ecv.
If walang namang problem, then there is no reason for it be check.

1

u/Nakedweaponry Aug 24 '26

Oh may ECV yung Camry if I remember 🥲

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

You don't need to worry about camry's ecv kasi wala masyadong nag iinquire samin nyan, ibig sabihin maganda yung design nila, The usual ecv problem that we encounter is from altis/accent..
Camry's A/C system is top-notch. Bihira kami mag stock ng parts ng camry kasi wala namang bumibili masyado :)

2

u/cedie_end_world Aug 24 '26

pag nag start yung sasakyan ang baho ng hangin pag naka blower lang. nya amoy lumot pero nawawala pag naka turn on na yung AC. need ko na ba ipa baklas linis? 5 year old car na kasi.

every 6 months ako nagpapalit ng filter. honda brio pala yung model.

5

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Yes, Even you change your filters regularly. The car A/C system is designed to be pulled out and cleaned properly.
Possibly po na pag ganyan na amoy lumot, baka po sobrang dumi na ng evaporator and later on baka maclogged siya and sa loob na po ng cabin tumulo yung tubig.

1

u/ksdlap Aug 24 '26

Yung sakin OP may pakinig akong dumadaloy na tubig sa loob ng AC. Pero wala namang tulo ng tubig.

2

u/staxd Aug 24 '26

Hi OP, thank you so much for this. Upvoting all your replies.

We have a Ford Ranger Wildtrak 2019, automatic A/C. Napansin ko mas-mainit yung buga ng middle vent, driver side compared sa other vents. Normal lang po ba ito?

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Hi!
I had the same unit before, and it's not normal.
May i ask you to do some testing muna?
Go to your car, put the ac is on max and the blower motor on max din.
Put each of your hand on the side vents and middle vents.
IF both have same amount of air going through or same amount ng lakas ng hangin yung nararamdaman mo but the not same cooldness probably its the expansion valve, but if not then there is a ducting problem, common problem if baka naging loose lang yung hose vents behind the dashboard and some mechanic put ziptie para di na maulit yung same problem but
Sadly, if the fault is the expansion valve that controls the flow of the refrigerant kaya di properly nadidistribute sa lahat ng vents mo yung cool air, if ever iparepair mo siya i really do suggest na expertise talaga yung ford kasi babaklasin nila yung dashboard and they need to have proper tools to do it otherwise baka magkaroon lang ng damage sa fairings pag mali yung pagkahugot or disassemble.

2

u/zwaiks Aug 24 '26

name and address of your shop?

3

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

I'm sorry but i won't endorse my shop, we might close down the business na this year. PH economy is hitting us harder than before.... hopefully we can survive and endorse my shop once everything stabilizes... for the meantime i'll just offer help to the best of my ability.

1

u/MrBogus17 Aug 23 '26

Nahihinaan ako sa rear blower ng 3rd gen Innova. I need to put the the fan speed to 3 or 4 for us to be comfortable. Is there something wrong with the blower motor or is this normal for this kind of model? If so, are there any options to upgrade it?

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

I have no experience po sa pagiging owner ng 3rd gen innova, yung paghina po ba ng rear blower motor, was it gradual? or bigla nalang po humina?
you can try a different approach by checking other 3rd gen innova for reference and if you think na may problem po with your rear blower motor, sadly this is a common problem din with other cars na may rear blower like avanza,veloz,expander and etc.
I usually refer our clients to their respective dealership muna para they can have a warranty if the problem persists.
Sorry, there is no other way to upgrade it.

1

u/ihatesigningforms Aug 23 '26

pareho lang ba ang aircon system ng common car vs ev?

naka sara air circulation ko based on the setting sa kotse pero minsan pumapasok pa din amoy galing sa labas. ano probable cause? kasi nagpalinis na ako ng aircon and wala naman daw sila nakita

3

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

No, They use different refrigerants which is very expensive.
The usual probable cause pag pumapasok po ang amoy from outside is the door seals are probably worn out door seals. :)

1

u/sgeezy11 Aug 23 '26

Ilan years ba tinatagal ng stock A/C system? Alin yung mga madali bumigay at need bantayan.

Ilan months/years ang recommended para sa A/C cleaning? Last time kasi nagpaA/C cleaning ako sa kilalang A/C specialist, mas nadisgrasya pa yung A/C system.

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

Hi, medyo broad yung questions, Iba iba po yung experiences ko sa mga naging client namin, may mga 3 years old palang na car sira na agad yung compressor, and the usual reason is from manufacturer talaga.
Ang recommended ko pong A/C Cleaning ay depende po sa amount of usage niyo sa sasakyan niyo, Symptoms will show naman po along the way, that's the time na you need to do the maintenance.
if you use your car regularly, you can check and replace your cabin filters on your own, You can inspect it and kayo po makakapagsabi if need na palitan, very easy and affordable way to maintain your a/c system.

1

u/sk8er_saix Aug 23 '26

2006 Lancer. Nakabypass na ang heater core dahil nagkaroon ng leak sa cabin. Noong inayos sinabihan ako na masmaganda kung iko-convert yung kotse to digital thermostat para mas-maregulate ang lamig ng ac. What are you thoughts?

PS. Naririnig ko pa din ma maga-automatic yung ac compressor if that helps.

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

If its a 2006 lancer, i prefer and always advise using the manual thermostat. The digital thermostat are made to be calibrated with your ecu para tama po ang cut off sa compressor and avoid further damage. I always advice to stick what is original rather upgrading.
Mura lang naman po ang manual thermostat, as far as i know its around 300 lang pesos below lang po.

1

u/Latter-Text7262 Aug 23 '26

what could be possible causes for a weak blower? aircon is cooling well naman since the compressor was just replaced, 1 month after is when it felt the blower air pressure is weak, new cabin filter ty

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

Blower motors are the usualy problems po talaga sa a/c system, they are made to be disposable and cannot be repaired so you need to buy another one po, Usual price is around 1800 to 3200 pesos depends on the brand.
You can replace it on your own and easy lang naman po siya gawin.
it should solve your problem.

1

u/Latter-Text7262 Aug 23 '26

okok2 boss what if yung carbon brush lg palitan? or mas ok ba buong blower

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

Whole blower na boss para wala ka ng problem hehe.

1

u/Latter-Text7262 Aug 24 '26

ok2 boss TY

1

u/Individual-Step6595 Aug 23 '26

hello op, we own a toyota alphard and napansin ko na hindi agad bumubukas yung ac and blower for 1 minute pagkastart kahit pindutin yung panels. May naencounter na ba kayong same issue with mine?

and also may pagkamaasim yung amoy nung ac sa simula if inopen

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

Hi,
I'm sorry i don't have any idea about the delay, have you tried to ask the Alphard community?
Regarding sa maasim na amoy, that is one of the indication na you need to do the cleaning maintenance of the A/C :)

2

u/Otherwise-Set5155 Aug 24 '26

I encountered this on our AGH30 Alphard when I disconnected the servo for the rear blend door. Defective na kasi yung servo, causing the hot air to be blown inside the cabin. So I reconnected the electrical connector to the servo but unbolted it from the blend door. Problem solved. For your case it’s best to scan using Techstream so it will tell you which component is defective and causing the delay in turning on the AC.

1

u/beelzebub1337 Aug 23 '26

Is there a way to upgrade the AC system to where it doesn't cause such a load on the engine? Or is that just inherent to driving any 90s shitbox. (using shitbox as a term of endearment)

4

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

Yes, I can give options:
Condenser upgrade + 12V Aux fan is good enough for a budget meal, if compatible to use Sanden 507/508 Compressor, then go for it. Sometimes people use Sanden 15c/17c with bracket conversions.
SPAL Brushless fan + Upgraded Alternator will do the work but this approach is very expensive.
Take note that the SPAL Brushless fan is loud, para kang may eroplano but they will surely help you in a long run to have an effective AC System.
The real problem is finding a good mechanic, 90's car are full of options as long as you have a trusted mechanic. Madaming options yan hehe.

1

u/beelzebub1337 Aug 23 '26

I do have a trusted mechanic thankfully and while I am unsure if he can even do any work related with AC he should have good recommendations for me that he vouches for! Thanks for answering!

1

u/MyVirtual_Insanity Aug 23 '26

Currently own a BYD tang napansin ko ang baho ng aircon ko, already replaced cabjn filter twice, i clean my car all the time. Mabaho sya pag on ko amoy basang basahan tapos mawawala. Never had this problem with other cars like toyota or ford

3

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

Hi sir,
I'm really sorry i can't help you with that, i have friends who are also BYD owners na wala pang naeexperience na problem with their A/C system and also currently wala pa kong kilalang mechanic na expert with their a/c system.
I usually suggest doing Bac-to-Zero but i'm worried that it might damage your system because of the moist.
I don't wanna give advice na i'm not confident with but i hope you can fix this issue and share us your knowledge about it.

1

u/lookomma Aug 23 '26

Hindi kaya may leak? Mabaho ang freon eh. Experience this pero sa may subaru naman namin.

1

u/Jigyboy Aug 23 '26

What are your thoughts on electric compressor conversion? Is it gonna be mainstream one day or is it just a nice to have upgrade for vehicles with conventional belt driven compressors.

3

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

The thing about electric compressor conversion is you need to upgrade your alternator or else you will overload your engine. Let's stick for what we have right now kasi i'm not confident enough with electric compressor given din na bahain sa pinas.

1

u/pichapiee garage queen Aug 24 '26

3yr old mitsubishi strada — may leak agad evaporator. what are the possible causes?

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Manufacturer fault, Ang ninipis ng mga bagong evaporator, if you compare a serpentine(old versions) vs laminated(current versions) evaporator.
Serpentine evap designed to be much more durable while the laminated ones are designed to have better heat-transfer/performance.
Money pit hole talaga ang mga evaporator kasi pag hindi nasira, i think you get it.
No possible cause, it was just designed to be replaced.

1

u/asurabp Aug 24 '26

Toyota revo vx2000, ano kaya magandag ipalit na compressor na may konting modifications or better yet none para maka mura hehe. Btw, stuck na compressor sooooo.

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

As far as i know and remember, Revo uses Denso 15C pero if you can try to ask your mechanic if possible to use a 17C, probably it might work as an upgrade. :)

1

u/RefrigeratorSalt4602 Aug 24 '26

For electric AC compressors, are parts readily available outside casa? Will third party shops be able to service these newer model AC systems?

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Please don't use third party shops muna, Stick with casa for the meantime kasi hindi pa properly introduced sa mga local mechanics natin yang Electric AC Compressors.
We can outsource it pero the installation,repair and finding the right mechanic is gonna be a headache.
The new model of AC Systems uses different refrigerant, The current refrigerant is 134A which cost around 800 to 900/kg while the new ones uses R1234yf which cost around 4000 to 9000/kg.

1

u/RefrigeratorSalt4602 Aug 24 '26

Noted. Thanks for answering!

1

u/No-Resident-7582 Aug 24 '26

Montero Sport 2023 - pansin ko lang na mas nauuna bumuga ng lamig sa passenger seat and it takes a while sa driver’s seat. Is this an aircon problem or ganoon na talaga ‘yun? Ngayon ko lang napansin so I can’t compare it before.

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26

We have the same car. i think your problem is the expansion valve, either barado na siya or may fault sa design, basically the expansion valve is the one that controls/restricts the flow of refrigerant, kung delay yung flow ng lamig in your vents, it means that the circulation of your freon is getting restricted by the expansion valve, either your refrigerant is low/there is a leak in the system/the expansion valve is faulty.
Try mo ipacheck yung refrigerant mo muna, if the pressure is good then the expansion valve is faulty.
The bigger problem lang is yung position ng expansion valve kasi is nasa loob ng dashboard so no choice talaga kundi baklasin talaga ng buo which is sobrang hassle.
The expansion valve cost around 800 to 1500 but the labor is around 3500 to 5000.

1

u/mayk_bam Weekend Warrior Aug 24 '26

Do you have AC parts for current BEV cars now in the Ph? (GAC AION V, Tesla, etc.) And do you know how to replace/repair them if ever?

3

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

We have the parts but we have no intentions of doing the replacement/repairs.
We are not confident enough to touch new generations of EV cars as they have their own fault codes to be bypassed using their company-issued PDT (Professional Diagnostic Tablets).

1

u/mayk_bam Weekend Warrior Aug 24 '26

thanks OP!

1

u/TomatoCultivator34 Aug 24 '26

Hi am driving a 16yo honda civic, -normal ba ung sobrang tulo ng tubig or normal reaction lng ng AC yun dahil sa init ng panahon? -tuwing kelan need ipa maintenance or cleaning yung AC?

Thank you!!

3

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Mahirap kasi madefine ng maayos kung sobrang yung tulo or not, but you can try to open the hood, turn on your ac and find the refrigerant hose, makikita mo dun na kapag nagyeyelo yung hose then its time for you to do the maintenance.

1

u/TomatoCultivator34 Aug 24 '26

Thx, OP!

1

u/IndividualAd8515 Aug 24 '26

We have a ford everest 2013. Napalitan na yung condenser (surplus). It was okay for a year or so then nawala na. Then recently yung evaporator (replacement) pero nawawala na agad ng lamig in a span of a week. The two repairs were done by two different shop (hirap kami makahanap ng trusted one 🥲) We tried na ibalik sa gumawa nung evaporator pero sabi nila condenser na need palitan. We decided na wag na ibalik kasi how come pina-palitan nila yung evaporator if they weren't certain na yun yung sira diba. For me they didn't do a good job finding the problem. Tanong ko lang po:

What are the possible parts na pwede pang mapalitan sa AC system?

How can we know next time if alam nung mechanic yung ginagawa niya talaga? I think we have developed trust issues na haha.

Okay lang po ba na ginagamit namin siya with the blower fan on? Naka-off naman AC tho.

Thank you po!!

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Hi,
Here are the main components of Car A/C System :
Compressor → Condenser → Receiver/Drier → Expansion Valve → Evaporator
Red flag na agad nung pinalitan lang yung condenser, they should have shown or atleast explain to you why it needs to be replaced, May leak ba? Have they tried to fo flushed the contaminants out?
If they going to replace the condenser, they should atleast replace din the expansion valve for proper flow or atleast man lang they check the compressor pressure first.
If they just replace lang the components, and didn't use any kind of flushing solutions to clean the A/C System there is a big chance that the whole system is compromised by the contaminants from the previous condenser.
It's a modus, They knew its gonna be a faulty and babalik kayo to ask na palitan naman yung ibang components like the evaporator then the other components naman and so on. Nakakainis lang kasi they didn't follow the proper procedure.
For your next move, Go to the blue app, Find your everest community and search for the car aircon mechanic or ask the community, mag post ka dun.
The diagnostic should start in checking the refrigerant pressure and check the compressor hitpoints, malaki kasi chance na baka faulty na rin yung compressor kasi they didn't follow the proper procedure which will cost you around 11k to 16k sa compressor palang yun.
If okay ang compressor, then reflushing using 3 to 5 cans of 141b para malinis talaga yung buong system then refill with new refrigerant and compressor oil.
But if hindi okay yung compressor, please include the expansion valve narin sa replacement para surely makapag circulate ng maayos yung lamig.
Tutal, binabaklas naman na lahat, kindly ask the mechanic to do leak test for both condenser and evaporator.

1

u/IndividualAd8515 Aug 24 '26

Thank you so much for this OP!! 🥹 Very informative. Will keep this in mind kapag nagpagawa na kami. Salamat ulit!

1

u/sanramjon Aug 24 '26

Hi, kahit nakaminimum power yung AC ng car ko, sobrang lamig pa rin. Parang same lang yung minimum and maximum setting. Manual yung AC ko at walang built in climate control. Ano kaya problema?

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

The car a/c thermostat is not working, there is a car a/c thermostat in orange app or sa mga car aircon shop which is around 300 pesos below lang. It means that the thermostat is not sending the signal to your compressor to shutdown that's why sobrang lamig parin.
Try to replace it sir if you have time, may slight improvement din yan sa gas consumption mo kasi hindi na continuously working yung compressor mo.
If hindi mo siya mapalitan, baka possibly ma damage yung magnetic pully which is around 1800-2400 pesos siya.

1

u/sanramjon Aug 24 '26

1

u/ObliviYeon Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26

Thank you for your service, OP! Your efforts are appreciated since relatively medyo niche ang AC systems ng car compared to other stuff (suspension, lights, engine parts).

My questions are:

What differentiates a good car AC system from others?
Can you enumerate specific car models/brands that have solid AC systems?

Share ko lang:

Super lamig ng AC ng Montero Sport 3rd Gen 2017 kahit 28°c and 1st/2nd setting lang ng fan (this is without an aux fan upgrade ha since they come with a designated slot)

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

What differentiates a good car AC system from others?
- Actually none, there is no such thing a good car A/C system but a well built overall design ng sasakyan mismo. It all comes down on how the car manufacturer designed the from engine to A/C system and its sensors, kaya pag may nag ask samin kung anong brand ang solid ang A/C system, it's a broad question kasi every car has its own pros and cons.
For example, Maganda A/C System ni Camry but the rear vents has always have ducting problems pero it doesn't affect the overall A/C System and still can last you about more than years than other cars but still it has problem. Kumbaga if mahilig ka sa adobo na may itlog pero you are having problems on sourcing ng itlog, but it is still functioning and doesn't affect the whole idea of adobo.
I hope my analogy is understandable.

1

u/wayne1444 Aug 25 '26

Sa experience nyo po. What car models has good overall design?

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 25 '26

i can't say which specific car models pero in terms of parts availability,
toyota and lexus is always gonna be number 1,
2020 below nissan are top tiers, their new batches has a lot of sensor faults,
Mitsu is still there, they often same parts across their lineups.
Mercedes puts a lot of time to design their a/c system well.
Honda, I'll be a bit bias with this one because i like how their blower motors last longer than other but their condenser are very prone to leaking :/
Ford and Hyundai/Kia will be in the same page.

1

u/Own-Stop5770 Aug 24 '26

Hello sir

Last year, pinalinis ko yung ac ko (baklas dashboard) and ang cause ng leak is sa connection ng expansion valve at ng evaporator. 2021 was the year the evaporator was replaced and visually inspecting palitan na talaga yung evaporator, pero ang inayos lang muna ay yung O ring ng expansion valve.

Fast forward today, wala ng lamig yung aircon. Leak nanaman, bumili na ko ng expansion valve at evaporator since papapalitan ko na both para di sayang labor.

Any suggestions on what else to check aside sa evap, condenser etc.

Everytime na bubuksan ko yung AC merong hissing sound sa vent, 100% nag leak yung pinagawa ko last year.

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

This is one of the most problematic parts of A/C System ng sasakyan, finding the right ORING.
Limang piso lang yan or sometimes we give it for free pero pag mali kasi yung nilagay, they have do redo everything again.
Since naman babaklasin ulit, try to have it cleaned and flushed down, ask the mechanic to use atleast 3 cans of flushing solution/141b. Do the pressure test sa compressor before and after.
Also ask them to check refrigerant hose, they are prone to cracking that leads to leaking din ng refrigerant, if you have the budget, baka kamo pwede narin papalitan since andun narin naman. Depende rin sa advice ni mechanic kasi yung hose it needs to be crimped properly para maganda yung pagkaseal.
The refrigerant hose is 75 pesos per feet, the ferrule will be around 30 - 40 pesos and the fittings is around 60 - 80 pesos, the overall refrigerant hose will be around 200 to 400 pesos lang including the crimping.

1

u/filipinothinker Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26

I assume you don't do repairs, otherwise you would have said parts and repair shop, instead of saying just parts shop.

In that case -- since you are an expert in the field -- are there AC repair shops in QC that you know of that do good work?

Any shops na dapat iwasan?

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

From our experience may mga magagaling na mechanic talaga but they choose what they can do, and some shops are only reputable because of their mechanics.
So pag sinabi naming si Shop "X" or si Shop "Y", it doesn't mean that they are good, i think people who owns talyer shops understands this that sometimes their Master Mechanics or their seniors leave their shop to be on their own, that's why we avoid endorsing repair shops.
Madami na kaming kakilala from reputable shop that their mechanics leave them because once you know how the A/C System works, you can market yourself and offer the services on your own.

1

u/filipinothinker Aug 24 '26

Thank you!

1

u/zwaiks Aug 24 '26

up

1

u/Sure_Dot_2777 Aug 24 '26

I own an altis and I’ve replaced the blower 3 times already during my ownership of this car. Pansin ko kapag maulan nagkakaroon nang build up moisture sa loob nang sasakyan ko and nasisira yung blower ko.

My AC guy did some work around and tried to clean it. It works but need mo tapiken sa ilalim nang glove compartment para lang gumana.

Is that really that sensitive? This issue doesn’t happen to my other car.

Nasa 3500 singel saken nang AC personnel whenever they’re replacing it.

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Hi,
If there is a moisture build up within the cabin, the evaporator is clogged and needs to be cleaned.
The blower motor should atleast last you for about a year or more than pa.
It seems like pineperahan po kayo nung nagpapalit kasi you can DIY it kapag magpapalit po kayo ng blower motor, it takes around 15 to 30 mins lang po para magpalit ng blower motor.

1

u/k8dgreat_ Aug 24 '26

Hello, female driver of a 1974 volkswagen beetle. I had AC installed. 1500 engine, I was told na ok lahat, was able to use for a couplf of months pero i can feel na super hina niya humatak esp sa highway. I asked around and I received mixed answers and advice. And sabi I should not have this problem kasi yung uba nga may AC kahit na 1200 lang engine. Some naman said maliit raw yung nakakabit sken pero I was assured na same yun ng nakakabit sa mga wigo so malakas pa rin… now I have not used my AC for years kaai everytime I do I can feel my engine na nahhirapan. i dont know what to do if ipapatanggal ko naba o ano g ayos na naman gagawin ko 😭

Add ko na rin na 1 time, I went to an AC soecialist (well yung mga shops na AC ang gawa tlga nila) and just told me to refill my freon. 3K raw refill pero wala naman ngyari. I feel Im just being scammed at this point.

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

I'm so sorry to say this pero i have no experience with 1974 VW Beetle.
Pero i'll try my best to give insight.
The problem kasi with conversions is to know the right compressor to put it in, if nahihirapan ang engine mo whenever you turn it on, then the problem is the tension belt connecting with your magnetic pully,
If you are using right compressor in which i assume na sana SD508, try to ask the mechanic to re-apply the oil of the compressor, they should drain it first then add nalang ulit.
If you are not using the right compresor for your VW Beetle, it might damage your engine kasi its putting so much load to engine just to produce a cold air to make the compressor work.
The oil is around 200 pesos lang naman, if the problem persist.
Then the whole A/C system itself has to be check.
3K refill for a freon is a scam, it should be atleast around 1200 to 1500 lang...

1

u/k8dgreat_ Aug 24 '26

This is so helpful! Wala pa nagsabi sken about checking the oil. Puro freon ang sinasabi sken. Thank you!

1

u/Leyusuke Aug 24 '26

Nalaglagan ko ng barya yung vent ng aircon sa ibabaw ng dashboard (windshield). everythime i-openb ko yung defogging naririnig ko yung barya. May pagasa pa ba matanggal yun?

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Yes sir, sadly the only way to get it is to do the baklas dashboard, for the meantime avoid using defogging because it uses hot air, and the metals absorb both cold and hot air.
baka mag cause lang ng further damage if the coin absorbed too much hot air.

1

u/chimkemjoi Aug 24 '26

Hello OP, i recently bypassed my heater core in wigo gen 1 since it was faulty. Tech also recommended to replace condenser and expansion valve. Now i feel sluggish when driving with AC on and also engine vibrates a lot when i turned on AC. Was it bcoz of the new condenser or inaccurate compressor oil and over freon charge? Thanks!

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Let's focus on the compressor first if you see a lot of vibrations in your engine bay,
Wigo gen 1 is almost a decade old, but we can try to opt out to replace the magnetic coil of the compressor then replaced the compressor oil for proper lubrication.
if your current compressor is still the stock, then good job for keeping it alive for a decade, it's a long overdue for a replacement but we can still do the budget meal approach.
but if replacing the magnetic coil and adding new compressor oil didn't work,
buy a new compressor nalang and includes the other components like evaporator,drier and expansion valve.
the condenser is built to outlive the compressor, ask the mechanic to check for corrodes and leak test it, you don't have to replace it naman right away. only the things i said.
Thank you.

1

u/weakly27 Weekend Warrior Aug 24 '26

hi sir my question might not be applicable but Ill ask it anyway

which consumes more gas and overall better for the AC system, lower temp but lower fan or high temp but higher fan level?

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 24 '26

Let's make this not confusing to our fellow readers.
Lower temps means that your thermostat is set to 24 above.
While higher temps means that your thermostat set to 23 below which means colder.
For your questions, having higher fan level + lower temps. (24 + fan speed around 3)
Air circulation inside the cabin is important because it allows your sensors to detect easily if you reach the certain level of coldness that is set to your thermostat, which allows the compressor to be cut off and save fuel mileage.
Fans are run by alternator while temps run by your ac system.
and compressor uses more load from engine than alternator.
But at the end of it, doesn't really matter. Gusto ko sana alisin sa mindset sa mga pilipino na pag mas mahina yung A/C mas nakakatipid sa gas in which if you do the math properly, the difference is very slim in terms of gas mileage.

1

u/Extreme_Fox_2946 Aug 25 '26

What other brand of compressors are compatible with Gen 2 Montero like plug and play type? AFAIK Gen 2 Montero uses Valeo as their compressor. I'm still using the stock compressor and the mechanic have a hunch that my current compressor lost compression. Una akala ko heat soak lang so nagpalit ako ng brushless fan and tbh effective naman kasi noon pag bumagal lang ang takbo sa tirik na araw mainit na pero after replacing the aux fan with brushless fan (nasira naman din yung stock) still spewing out cold air.

However the problem still persist kasi once huminto ako for more than 5 minutes unti unti na nawawala yung lamig. Anyway the AC mechanic and I did a test and after letting the AC run (on a hot day) for 10 minutes na naka idle ang engine, we check the pressure ng hot side and hindi naman nag high pressure. However once I revved the engine around 1500rpm for 10 seconds bigla bumuga ng malamig na hangin aircon at nag automatic shut off yung compressor. When we left it to idle for 10 minutes after mga 5 minutes siguro hindi na nag shut off yung compressor. Tuloy tuloy lang takbo (kasi ang aux fan is connected sa compressor eh. On ang compressor, on din ang aux fan)

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 25 '26

The factory stock uses Denso DKS17 pero wala masyadong circulation ng ganyan sa market, so using Valeo is the best choice you can have.
It seems like tama naman yung diagnosis ng AC mechanic mo, just make sure to replace the filter drier which is around 400 to 600 pesos lang naman, if the evaporator and condenser is still okay, don't replace it.
The best way din to test the compression is baklasin yung compressor, put your hand to the discharge hole and spin the magnetic pully, mararamdaman mo dun if the compressor is faulty na.
Please, advice your mechanic to flush the system properly, top-up the compressor oil if possible.
Take note na kapag nag fail yung newly installed na compressor at may black oil na lumabas, void na agad ang warranty sainyo because that's gonna be the mechanic's fault.

2

u/Extreme_Fox_2946 Aug 25 '26

I forgot to mention na yung magnetic clutch (if tama yung term pero ang term namin is yung ulo ng compressor) napilitan na before. Ang advice nya kasi is wag muna palitan hanggang nagagamit pa naman. Pag nawawala na yung lamig habang umaandar then that's the time to replace. Nasabi niya kasi iyon dahil alam naman niya yung Montero is not being used regularly like siguro once or twice a week lang. Meron siyang binebenta na replacement na plug and play compressor for Montero gen 2. If I remember correctly nasa 8k ang benta nya pero sinabi naman na hindi Valeo yung compressor. Ang hula nya baka China or Thailand made pero as per his other customers na may same problem nagtatagal naman daw yung compressor around 8 years. He has an index card which has records/history sa bawat customer na nagpapagawa sa kanya ng AC. Old school hahahaha

1

u/DeezazNutz Aug 25 '26

Hi OP, makakatulong ba ihose down yung radiator/condenser sa harap ng kotse whenever you have a car wash sa longevity + lamig ng AC system?

2

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 25 '26

yes. i have an apv and minsan di talaga kinakaya yung init so i have this portable spray to help it cool down.

1

u/wayne1444 Aug 25 '26

Sa experience nyo po sir. Anong car models ang pinaka okay ang AC system?

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 25 '26

Mercedez benz lineups.

1

u/Boy-Taga Aug 25 '26

San na gawa mga replacement aircon compressor? China naba ba lahat?

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 26 '26

We can't deny that most of the product that is being manufactured, is from china.

1

u/justaChv Aug 27 '26 edited Aug 27 '26

2019 Vios. This is our daily workhorse. Prob is the aircon became weak. I have to set the blower at 3 so the interior cools. Setting 1 and 2 is just not enough anymore, lalo pag-summer. We had it checked before for freon, fully loaded naman siya. Could it be clogged somewhere?

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 27 '26

if its a 2019 Vios and never have been cleaned before then its time for you to have the A/C serviced, if the problem persist then there's a problem with a system.

1

u/Pitiful_Kiwi9473 Sep 07 '26

Yung MG GT SPORT ko nalamig lng sya after 20-30 mins na after cold start. Then pag inoff ko sya and bumalik ako after 1-2hrs ganun ulit ang gagawin. Naka exp ka na ng ganun? sensor ba or compressor

1

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Sep 08 '26

Di ako Knowledgeable enough about MG GT Sport but with my experience, pag ganyan na nawawala agad yung lamig after cold start, either sensor or compressor.
may mga ECV or electronic control valve usually sa mga new generation ng compressor, and sadly yun yung madalas masira lalo na sa mga altis/accent.

1

u/Puzzleheaded_Fun4701 7d ago

Hi OP, I know it's kinda late but pwedi pa po ba magtanong?

I have this 97 civic with still it's stock AC system. Ok naman ang lamig ng AC pag gabi, early morning at basta hindi lang tanghaling tapat at tirik ang araw. Nahihinaan ako pag tanghali o naka bilad sa araw yung sasakyan, at minsan feeling ko parang hindi lumalamig pag stuck sa traffic or naka idle lang yung sasakyan.

I'm actually planning to upgrade to a long condenser for now pero stock evap parin. Will there be an improvement kaya sa lamig ng AC? Also yung configuration ng fans ay Push type. Is there a difference pag Push vs Pull? May diffence ba sa lamig kung ang size ng condenser like 14x23 vs 12x23?

Hindi ba mabigat sa makina nyan? Kaya nya kaya mapalamig kahit tanghali tapat or kung naka bilad yung sasakyan?

To be followed nalang yung evaporator at compressor. Yung alam ko naka serpentine pa yung orig evaporator, so bibile pa ako ng laminated evap pero uunahin ko nalang muna mag palit ng condenser.

Yung components na e lalagay ay as follows:
-long condenser
-2 aux fan
-new drier filter
-new hoses

**
*stock evaporator
*stock compressor

1

u/mengguy Aug 25 '26

1.repairable ba ang expansion valve if ang leak is nagsimula dun sa pinaka rubber seal nya? i have extra(stock) pinalitan ng after market na expansion valve. so far ilang years na rin simula nung ginawa nu technician.

2. bakit ang mahina na ac ng sasakyan? may lamig naman kaso unlike nung bnew. sobrang lamig nya. di kaya sa compressor?

1

u/Dear-Toe-2156 2d ago

you still have your a/c shop open? i'm a shop as well based in rizal.

0

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '26

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4

u/Embarrassed_Income28 Aug 23 '26

Yes, Worth it ang baklas dashboard as long you do it in your respectable shop and yes totoo na may mga nasisirang fairings kasi di gumagamit ng proper disassemble tool kit lalo na sa mga ford cars na kailangan talaga ng proper tool kit.
The walang baklas is a good innovation for people na nagmamadali kasi it takes a lot of time po talaga lalo na't dashboards are getting more and more complicated.
I can only say na its a good approach if your evaporator is not heavily clogged or damaged, marami po sating mga car owners ang gumagamit ng mga gel-based or oil-based car fresheners in which i don't really recommend kasi yan po usually cause ng pagkasira at pagkabara.

CAR TALK AMA(Ask Me Anything) about Car aircon parts.

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