2005 AC compressor terminal

[DaisyJazz]

Hi, my AC has been playing up for quite sometime. I have asked at several MOT's about it and they all tell me it's fine. Note MOT is November/December.
Last couple of weeks it has been kicking out boiling hot air, so ask my current garage and they booked me in with their AC guy for a regas.
Phone me to tell me the car is ready to pick up, give me some story about they can't tell me how much as the guy hadn't worked it all out. So, I begin panicking that they have just done all sorts and the bill is going to be sky high.
We get there to be told "it's very poorly. The compressor is terminal. £500 - £1000 to fix. Not worth it as the car isn't worth that much. Our AC guy said he wouldn't fix it anyway because he might change the compressor and find there is other stuff wrong and the bill could go higher. Anyway, you can open the windows and it won't be so hot soon."
But my concern is this; they seem to have disconnected it and now when you push the AC switch, the light doesn't come on. My OH doesn't get that in the winter if I don't have the AC and heat on, all the windows mist up. He says I can wipe them with a cloth and open the window.
We are quite poor and I am a disabled driver, so fixing isn't ever going to happen.
Is this going to be dangerous?
I just feel so upset. They had my car all day and only told me right on the death knell of 5pm.
Sorry, I am offloading but I feel so upset and stupid for not getting the AC serviced sooner.

[Marco1979]

If the diagnose is correct, disconnecting it is probably for the better. It would not make much of a difference in winter. It cannot cool the air enough to dehumidify it properly. Also, hot air is a must in demystifying, so the engine needs to be on for a minute or two.
However, the way it was communicated to you and decisions already made for you is not the way it should be.

Somewhere else on the forum I read about a bag of silica gel to prevent myst. Maybe that would help at next to no costs.

[Lord Voltermore]

Sorry to hear of your troubles  . But  A/C systems do tend to deteriorate with age, and repairs can be very expensive.  If a compressor needs replacing its also quite likely other pipework, such as  condenser radiator will also be nearing the end of its useful life,and may leak soon, or as a result of  necessary dismantling. 

The garage could perhaps have  broken the bad news more diplomatically and at an earlier stage . But in their defence I would say they were right to point out the potential costs, of £500 as a minimum, and  quite likely to escalate as more problems are revealed . These could easily exceed the value of a 20 year old car. 

A less reputable garage  might be happy to  commence the work, and hit you with  increasingly higher bills as more problems are revealed.

 A few owners might chose  to pay £1500 in repairs to keep their 'old faithful' on the road even though it doesnt make financial sense.  On the bright side the car will still be usable  without A/C ,perhaps for a few more years, and you have the option  of putting what you might have spent on repairs towards your next car. 

Check out these 'reusable  dehumidifiers' in Halfords.   One or two of these may help with your misting problem. 
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-accessories/interior-car-accessories/simply-reuseable-car-dehumidifier-350g-720790.html?

Whilst you are on the halfords site you could check out their  DIY aircon leak  products.  Your car will have R-134a aircon.  You would need to buy  a trigger/gauge  kit, regas cylinder  and superseal.  Total cost maybe £120 or so .  However  there is no guarantee leak kits will work , especially  if ,as claimed, your  compressor  is knackered . And it wouldnt work if they have disconnected pipes etc during their diagnosis.   If it doesnt work you will have wasted your money.    Aircon specialists do not recommend using these products, and its not just because they lose the business.   I dont know enough to recommend it, just drawing it to your attention.  It would be at your own risk.  Personally I might give it a try on  a 2010 car or newer, if it has symptoms of a slight A/C leak   but  with a 2005 car I would just accept its game over for A/C  .

[RichardA]

Has the compressor actually seized or is not engaging electrically? On my 2007 Jazz it was the latter and was fixed by replacing the A/C relay.

On my car the A/C relay was the same type as used for the horn, so I swapped them around and the A/C worked and the horn didn't. So I ordered a new relay for about £20 from an online specialist.

(My Jazz was the Sport with the electronic climate control and not the manual A/C and I checked the manual before fiddling with anything).

[degzi]

Blimey I was only charged £300 for supply and fit of a 2nd hand compressor.

[HertsHonda]

Think I would check that the original inspection did not remove a fuse (or fuses) in the A/C system or disconnect (and not replace) some part of its electrical system.

Several years ago I had a Ford Ka with an A/C problem.
A mobile A/C engineer injected a fluorescent dye and detected a leak. He drained the A/C, I purchased new pipes (and maybe condenser), reassembled the A/C. The engineer then returned and regassed A/C.

[Nearly messed up the job by trying to re-attach the compressor to engine block while the drive belt was under tension!]