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A/C Compressor for car put in yesterday...this morning I got an engine coolant signal come on before I even started the car. (1 Viewer)

Ministry of Pain

Ministry of Pain

Footballguy
This thread was originally going to be about all the money I managed to save on my AC for my car. It was troubling when I came out to my car this morning and the coolant alert came on my Volvo S60, in fact as soon as I opened the door it alerted me to not start the car. 

I did call my mechanic and he walked me thru a simple solution to make the signal go away, I poured a little water in where the coolant would go and it did make the signal disappear but I think I should likely have this checked and not just shrug it off. 

I can't ever remember buying coolant for my car so I don't know if you just buy this stuff like you do oil or other fluids for the engine from Pep Boys or if I need to go have it checked for leaks which brings up the other part of this...anyway my mechanic might have knocked something loose when he was working on the AC compressor yesterday?

Let me share that I was told I needed an new AC Compressor and it was going to be a $1,200 job when one of my friends....one of my Christian friends says I know a guy that will do that for a lot less. I ended up ordering the part from Parts Geek out of New Jersey, a very good experience I might add, they actually answer the phones. It was like $250 to get it shipped to my house, then I paid this guy to put it in for me, I saved about $800. 

I have a small garage near my house that does all my oil changes and basics on the car, I was going to maybe take it to them and have it checked for any leaks. 

My brain is telling me too big of a coincidence with the AC being worked on yesterday that this signal came on today. 

 
Cowboysfan8 said:
probably a sensor or something else dumb. If it’s leaking coolant there will be a puddle. Just keep an eye on it imo
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What cowboys wrote. The symptoms of leaking coolant are not usually subtle. A coolant leak can be slow-ish, but there are two things to look out for: 1) noticeable white 'smoke' coming out of the exhaust, and/or 2) drips or puddles where the car is parked.

The coolant-leak puddles aren't necessarily huge ... a drip area as small as a quarter is still as much of a concern as a puddle big enough for animals to drink out of. If you park on a surface that doesn't visibly capture leaks (e.g. grass), you can put a piece of cardboard or similar under your car's engine area overnight to see what turns up. If you park on concrete or similar, and you do see some puddling, wipe some up with your finger or a paper towel and see if you can make out a distinct color -- coolant will be bright yellow, orange, or now sometimes pink.

Anyway, either of those symptoms alone is a big red flag -- white smoke or dripping/puddling when parked.

For some peace of mind and for self-diagnosis, get used to checking out the temperature gauge frequently as you drive. @Ministry of Pain, does your S60's instrument panel look more like this or is it the digital one? Anyway, you'll notice that the temperature gauge normally rests at about the midway point or so when driving around. If you start seeing the temperature gauge creeping up and resting past the midway point -- or worse, if the temperature gauge slowly rises as you drive and approaches the red ... get to a service center ASAP.

 
belljr said:
Cant wait for the report of all the leaking when it's the A/C dripping
Click to expand...
I am assuming he'll be able to distinguish between dripping water and dripping coolant.

If not: the water spot will evaporate after a short time. The coolant spot won't.

...

@Ministry of Pain, how old is your Volvo? Approximate mileage? Ridden hard, or babied like an old lady going to church? Any previous wrecks, especially those affecting the car's front end (even mild ones)?

 
Doug B said:
What cowboys wrote. The symptoms of leaking coolant are not usually subtle. A coolant leak can be slow-ish, but there are two things to look out for: 1) noticeable white 'smoke' coming out of the exhaust, and/or 2) drips or puddles where the car is parked.

The coolant-leak puddles aren't necessarily huge ... a drip area as small as a quarter is still as much of a concern as a puddle big enough for animals to drink out of. If you park on a surface that doesn't visibly capture leaks (e.g. grass), you can put a piece of cardboard or similar under your car's engine area overnight to see what turns up. If you park on concrete or similar, and you do see some puddling, wipe some up with your finger or a paper towel and see if you can make out a distinct color -- coolant will be bright yellow, orange, or now sometimes pink.

Anyway, either of those symptoms alone is a big red flag -- white smoke or dripping/puddling when parked.

For some peace of mind and for self-diagnosis, get used to checking out the temperature gauge frequently as you drive. @Ministry of Pain, does your S60's instrument panel look more like this or is it the digital one? Anyway, you'll notice that the temperature gauge normally rests at about the midway point or so when driving around. If you start seeing the temperature gauge creeping up and resting past the midway point -- or worse, if the temperature gauge slowly rises as you drive and approaches the red ... get to a service center ASAP.
Click to expand...
Digital and thank you for the information. 

 
Doug B said:
I am assuming he'll be able to distinguish between dripping water and dripping coolant.

If not: the water spot will evaporate after a short time. The coolant spot won't.

...

@Ministry of Pain, how old is your Volvo? Approximate mileage? Ridden hard, or babied like an old lady going to church? Any previous wrecks, especially those affecting the car's front end (even mild ones)?
Click to expand...
2014...I bought it in 2017 with 35k miles on it. I drive fast, I wouldn't say old lady going to church, no. 

It now has over 93k miles on it, and it was rear ended a few months ago not that much damage(small little dent and scratches) but they ended up putting an entire new bumper on my car. I certainly am not planning on trading it in or getting a new car any time soon. 

 
The sensor answer seems logical to this non-mechanic as the new parts were just installed.  But what was the level on the coolant before you poured water in?  Did the install guy leave it empty?  I saved money once having brake pads installed by a friend's cousin.  The brake pads eventually fell off on the road somewhere and I only had 2 of 5 lug nuts attached to my tire when someone else happened to notice and told me to take it to a mechanic.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ministry of Pain said:
2014...I bought it in 2017 with 35k miles on it. I drive fast, I wouldn't say old lady going to church, no. 

It now has over 93k miles on it, and it was rear ended a few months ago not that much damage(small little dent and scratches) but they ended up putting an entire new bumper on my car. I certainly am not planning on trading it in or getting a new car any time soon. 
Click to expand...
You can expect to get a lot more miles out of that car, it sounds like. It's just getting to the point where you can't quite take the car's health for granted anymore.

The various electronic sensors in modern cars can be a PITA, but at least you'll usually get a tipoff if something serious is afoot (and, yeah, also some 'false positives').

Have you ever taken a vehicle to an auto-parts retailer (esp. one with a shop, like Pep Boys) that offers diagnostic code-reading services for free or cheap? If not, see if you can find a place nearby that does it.

It might even be that Volvo offers a service -- maybe a phone app or via email -- that can automatically alert you if your car's computer is throwing codes. Here's an example of what Ford offers these days. 2014 might be borderline ... not sure if such services were available back then, but it's worth checking into.

 
I had a problem with low coolant. Didn't see any leaks. I just needed to replace the radiator cap. I changed all my coolant out also since it had been a few years. I always like to start with the easiest cheapest solution.

 
belljr said:
Cant wait for the report of all the leaking when it's the A/C dripping
Click to expand...


I would be concerned the failed ac compressor caused debris through the whole system. Usually you have to replace the expansion valve and the condensor along when changing the compressor otherwise you will just destroy your new compressor with all the debris left in the system.

 
Ministry of Pain said:
Let me share that I was told I needed an new AC Compressor and it was going to be a $1,200 job when one of my friends....one of my Christian friends says I know a guy that will do that for a lot less. I ended up ordering the part from Parts Geek out of New Jersey, a very good experience I might add, they actually answer the phones. It was like $250 to get it shipped to my house, then I paid this guy to put it in for me, I saved about $800. 
Click to expand...


This remains to be determined at this point. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Doug B said:
You can expect to get a lot more miles out of that car, it sounds like. It's just getting to the point where you can't quite take the car's health for granted anymore.

The various electronic sensors in modern cars can be a PITA, but at least you'll usually get a tipoff if something serious is afoot (and, yeah, also some 'false positives').

Have you ever taken a vehicle to an auto-parts retailer (esp. one with a shop, like Pep Boys) that offers diagnostic code-reading services for free or cheap? If not, see if you can find a place nearby that does it.

It might even be that Volvo offers a service -- maybe a phone app or via email -- that can automatically alert you if your car's computer is throwing codes. Here's an example of what Ford offers these days. 2014 might be borderline ... not sure if such services were available back then, but it's worth checking into.
Click to expand...
I agree with you about the life of my car. I always drove Honda and then turned towards Subaru and got my 1st taste of a luxury vehicle when I grabbed this one. It has white pebble leather inside and the seats, especially the driver's side so comfortable, they say chiropractors were involved in the design on these seats but that could be all hype, not sure that's true. But the bottom line is for what you pay for one of these used coming off lease vs what $20,000 will buy you, don't even think you can get an entry level new car for under $20k these days. The downside of Volvo is they do not retain value very well and I don't understand why. I have spent very little in terms of repairs. 

Maybe the timing belt still has another 20k+ miles on it, the mechanic went right for it yesterday to look at and he showed me exactly what he was looking for on the belt and didn't see anything wrong with it. But still the car is 7+ yrs old and almost 100k miles, I'd like to have it replaced sometime soon along with a few other things that tend to go bad in older vehicles. 

 
trogg78 said:
I would be concerned the failed ac compressor caused debris through the whole system. Usually you have to replace the expansion valve and the condensor along when changing the compressor otherwise you will just destroy your new compressor with all the debris left in the system.
Click to expand...
It's been going bad for a long time, it would blow cool but not cold. My son and I tried to pump one of those canisters into the AC, was a nightmare on the Volvo getting to that spot under the hood. 

 
Update: After putting a little water in there, the sensor did go off or away immediately. I did take it for a spin and the engine never got warmer than halfway which is where it always is. 

👍. And the coldest the AC has ever been that I can remember. My wife was turning the vents off in the car :wub:  

 
Mile High said:
Did he have to disconnect something to get to the AC compressor? Coolant doesn't run though the AC.
Click to expand...
Excellent question! Also a fantastic point because the mechanic swears he never was anywhere near that when he put in the AC so I think this is going to be a rare coincidence where it would be easy to think one thing but in actuality it probably is not anything that mechanic did to trigger the sensor. I drove it home with no issues until I saw that sensor triggered this morning. 

Mechanic was quick to tell me to try a little water in there but that still means the coolant was low so I kind of want to figure out why. I don't see a leak but I am going to try and put something under my car tonight and see if anything leaks. 

This place never fails to entertain me when I want to get something done. A great mix of jokes and good information from others who have been thru similar things.

 
Ministry of Pain said:
Excellent question! Also a fantastic point because the mechanic swears he never was anywhere near that when he put in the AC so I think this is going to be a rare coincidence where it would be easy to think one thing but in actuality it probably is not anything that mechanic did to trigger the sensor. I drove it home with no issues until I saw that sensor triggered this morning. 

Mechanic was quick to tell me to try a little water in there but that still means the coolant was low so I kind of want to figure out why. I don't see a leak but I am going to try and put something under my car tonight and see if anything leaks. 

This place never fails to entertain me when I want to get something done. A great mix of jokes and good information from others who have been thru similar things.
Click to expand...
My thought was maybe he had to disconnect a hose and possibly didn't get the camp retighted enough and a small amount of fluid is leaking out while running. 

 
Mile High said:
My thought was maybe he had to disconnect a hose and possibly didn't get the camp retighted enough and a small amount of fluid is leaking out while running. 
Click to expand...
Had a thought: The tech could have goofed for second if he started the job thinking "condenser" instead of "compressor". Replacing the condenser would involve draining the cooling system. I could see someone starting to disconnect a hose and realizing "Whoops, not doing the condenser", then thinking a couple ounces leaking out wouldn't matter. Or he intended to just top it back off at the end, and then forgot. Something like that.

 
Doug B said:
Had a thought: The tech could have goofed for second if he started the job thinking "condenser" instead of "compressor". Replacing the condenser would involve draining the cooling system. I could see someone starting to disconnect a hose and realizing "Whoops, not doing the condenser", then thinking a couple ounces leaking out wouldn't matter. Or he intended to just top it back off at the end, and then forgot. Something like that.
Click to expand...
I have this little gas station that has a small garage, very old school. They have a "Full Service" side and I usually will gas up there very infrequent but when I need some fluids topped off...and I usually don't buy more than $10-$15 worth of gas and just tip the guy who lifts my hood and tops everything off, checks tire pressure so I don't have to waste time at the air pumps, etc...I never had one of these handy until I settled where I am now. Very handy for the lazy like myself. 

 
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