Price Check on A/C compressor

[99Camry314]

My a/c went out the other day. So i made an appointment to my local mechanic who does all of my work on my cars. i asked him to give me a price quote for the A/C compressor because it is broken and he quoted me $1,098. That includes the parts, labor, and tax. I believe that my A/C compressor is broken but $1,098 is too much right now for me. My question is what is the going rate for brand new compressor fixed by a manhanic? My other question is should i just by a brand new compressor and just install it myself. If i do that what are some good brands that i can pick from. I will also have my friend help me because he is very very good at working with cars.

[Lightning Blue]

IMO, get a used, rebuilt compressor:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=390050246644 - 1 year warranty, even has a lifetime warranty available.

More:

http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_dmp...ssor&_osacat=0

[davemac2]

that's kind of high, but typical costs to replace a compressor will be quoted anywhere from $600-$1000. It's not only the compressor, but the reciever/dryer, a system flush and recharge. There is about 3hrs of labor in there too. Still though, A/C work always seems to be pricey. A reman'ed compressor is a crapshoot in my opinion. The quality of remans out there is very questionable. They may work, but possibly not optimal. They can perform subpar on very hot days.

If you want to do it yourself, I'd either buy a new compressor, or take a chance and pull a compressor at a junk yard and put it in. But you will need to flush the system yourself, and replace the dryer/receiver, then have it evacuated and recharged with freon and oil at an A/C shop. They will likely charge you $100-$150, so if you pull a used compressor, you can likely fix it for < $200. Otherwise with a new compressor and this DIY route, you are looking at $400-$500 min.

dave mc