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Thread: A/C Service...

  1. #1
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    A/C Service...

    Guys (and gals),

    My A/C system is cycling way too much. I can even feel it cycling on/off while accelerating and driving. It's gotten to the point I can feel the vent temperature starting to increase a bit before it kicks back on.

    It still cools decently. But I don't think it's like it was originally. I think it has lost refrigerant, leading to the cycling. So I'm going to take it to the dealer. I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow. I decided to let the dealer play with it after I realized it's running the 1234yf stuff. Which is spensive as some you already know. I assumed this car was running 134a, but I was plum wrong.

    Question is, would there be any repercussions to me pulling the OBD connector out of its mount and shoving it back up in wiring loom under the dash? Of course I'm assuming it snaps into its bracket, like my 23 year old truck does. But I may be plum wrong on that too.

    The reason to do that would be, I don't want shop monkeys connecting to my ECU and running updates / reflashing my ECU. The ECU is perfectly fine how it is. And, I don't want them to have any justification for trying to charge me for a diagnostic. The "person" on the phone today tried to say that it was $269 diagnostic fee. This is a hardware issue, there's nothing in the ECU that is going to determine if the refrigerant is low.

    Yet I don't want to get there and have this whole thing blow up in my face, and them refuse to do anything with my car because they can't find the connector. The Dodge dealership that touched my truck 22 years ago noticed that there was no connector but moved on passed it and worked on the issue (which also required no connection to the ECU).

    What do you guys think?


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  2. #2
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    What do you guys think?


    I only use dealerships for maintenance/service under 3 circumstances -

    1. Warranty work
    2. Factory Recall
    3. My local small town mechanics refers me to the dealership. I let them tell me it's not something they can do for way less!

    Dealership service is a minimum 130+ mile round trip for both my Mirage & Forester, and that's using the nearest one (& not the dealership they were purchased from). I trust White Bear Mitsubishi, but that would be a 450 mile round trip for service.

    I would get a 2nd opinion or quote for your A/C unit.

  3. #3
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    Mark - I agree with your idea for a 2nd opinion. The next closest dealer to me is got to be close to 50 miles away. Which is further than I prefer to go. Somehow I stumbled upon the closer dealer's service manager's email. And I emailed him. And he seems to have a fully operational brain. I had questions, he answered all of them with the answer I expected. He was very responsive.

    My question to you guys would be: What year model did the Mirage implement the 1234yf? Because Mark, if the 2018 had 134a and the 2019 had 1234yf, that might push me to buy a 2018 5MT with manual hvac, if I had to replace my 2020.

    However, as I understand, the 134a works really well in a fully evacuated 1234yf system. But I would NEVER consider doing such a thing.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  4. #4
    Every Nissan at work that has the 1234 Refrigerant has leaked it all out within 2 years. The warranty for ac holding a charge on the things is only one year. I haven't looked at the 1234 Mitsu ac warranty but I wouldn't be surprised if it was stupidly short as well.

    I'll look at the 18 and 19's one day and see what they have in them. I do know that the ac lines and fittings are different between the two types of refrigerant.
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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  5. #5
    Senior Member MightyMirageMpg's Avatar
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    If you move the plug they might note it in the system and they could try to use it as grounds for warranty denial in the future if you have a related issue like a bad computer or something, not to mention they might poke around and find it anyway. I'd just hang a tag on it, "please do not update just here for a/c charge" or something.
    Last edited by MightyMirageMpg; 08-29-2023 at 05:03 PM.

  6. #6
    I don't get the fear of having an ecu update done? Worried that they'll program the car to self destruct just after warranty or is there something I'm missing out on?
    Mirage videos:

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


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    MightyMirageMpg (08-29-2023)

  8. #7
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    The fear stems from working for a f'd up company named Hyundai-kia, where they connect to every ECU, update/flash to the latest data, and probably tried to push a diagnostic fee on each customer. My car is fine except the refrigerant capacity and associated leak. I don't want some tech poking around in my ECU changing what doesn't need to be changed (not saying they for sure would, but they might).

    I'm here now at this place, I'm so worked up about being here I'm slightly nauseated. And yes, I unclipped it and tucked it. Wasn't easy to hide as the lead wires weren't very long. They either won't find it and ***** at me, or will find it and ***** at me.

    I told the service manager they may not be able to scan the obd codes and he gave me a look. I left it at that.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  9. #8
    Gotcha, if it makes you feel any better the wife took her turd Kia in and got a new sunroof replaced under warranty(shattered on the highway) and a year or so later it still runs! They didn't charge her a dime but they did sucker her into having them give it a "wash and detail" because it's basically a trash can on wheels.
    Mirage videos:

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  10. #9
    Senior Member Wallythacker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post

    What do you guys think?


    I only use dealerships for maintenance/service under 3 circumstances -

    1. Warranty work
    2. Factory Recall
    3. My local small town mechanics refers me to the dealership. I let them tell me it's not something they can do for way less!

    Dealership service is a minimum 130+ mile round trip for both my Mirage & Forester, and that's using the nearest one (& not the dealership they were purchased from). I trust White Bear Mitsubishi, but that would be a 450 mile round trip for service.

    I would get a 2nd opinion or quote for your A/C unit.
    Ditto, my round trip is about 110 miles. The next nearest is the best dealership IMO and its a 275 mi round trip AND their hours are 9-5, M-F, Sat 9-12. Ever hear of a dealership with bank hours?

    Quote Originally Posted by 7milesout View Post
    Mark - I agree with your idea for a 2nd opinion. The next closest dealer to me is got to be close to 50 miles away. Which is further than I prefer to go. Somehow I stumbled upon the closer dealer's service manager's email. And I emailed him. And he seems to have a fully operational brain. I had questions, he answered all of them with the answer I expected. He was very responsive.

    My question to you guys would be: What year model did the Mirage implement the 1234yf? Because Mark, if the 2018 had 134a and the 2019 had 1234yf, that might push me to buy a 2018 5MT with manual hvac, if I had to replace my 2020.

    However, as I understand, the 134a works really well in a fully evacuated 1234yf system. But I would NEVER consider doing such a thing.
    How did the visit go? What did they try to add on? Was it warranty or not? Would you go there again for work?

    Ok, what does my 2017 have? The same as my 2014? Are they both the same as my Saturn Vue 2006? TIA

    Explain to me like I'm in 2nd grade the dif between 134a and 1234yf?
    Zero, 2014 ES Plus 5MT, written off but not forgotten.
    Zero II, 2014 SE, 5MT, climate She's HOME now!
    Shelby AKA "Cute", 2017 ES 5MT, A/C.

    Mirage owners look at the world differently than everyone else, but in a better way
    We're driving the Beetle of the 21st century, the greatest small car now available!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES PLus 1.2 manual: 39.0 mpg (US) ... 16.6 km/L ... 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.8 mpg (Imp)


  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wallythacker View Post
    How did the visit go? What did they try to add on? Was it warranty or not? Would you go there again for work?

    Explain to me like I'm in 2nd grade the dif between 134a and 1234yf?
    The visit went better than expected. Probably because I had my head farther up their arses than most customers. They didn't try to add anything on. They didn't try to scan my OBD, they saw it was "missing" and guessed my intent and went at the A.C. system.

    They said they are going to replace the compressor. I revved it to ~3,000 rpm for them with the hood up and turned the compressor ON/OFF/ON/OFF... and they heard the whine loud and clear. All compressors either leak or will leak, it's just a matter of at what rate. Between the low refrigerant and noisy compressor, they're going to replace it under warranty (when they get one in). Overall a good visit.

    I talked to a salesfemale (she was better than most salesmales). They had no Mirages. She said they recently sold 3 right after unloading them from the truck. I would go there again (only for warranty work or out of desperation).

    The difference between the refrigerants. 134a is about $10 for 16 ounces and pollutes the environment a 1 out of 10. 1234yf is about $50 for 12 ounces and pollutes the environment about 0.5 out of 10.

    But otherwise 134a will work just fine in a 1234yf evacuated system. They don't mix well. When 1234yf becomes "affordable" they're will be a new refrigerant that costs $1,000 for 12 ounces. It will be mandated because at that point 1234yf will become the devil and it will also be deemed discriminatory against select minority groups. Whichever select group is the hip group the be discriminated against at that time.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  12. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to 7milesout For This Useful Post:

    Fummins (09-05-2023),twister77 (08-30-2023)

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