As you can imagine we hear this all the time so here are a few things to think about before you waste your hard-earned money.
The lack of education with regards to vehicle Air-Conditioning systems and how they work unfortunately allows unscrupulous mechanical shops to rip people off. Only a few weeks back we had the perfect example sadly in our own town.
A young Mother with no Partner and 2 small children asked for a RE-GAS as her cars air-conditioning system was not blowing cold and there was a funny smell.
This business proceeded to inform her and I quote. “Well the smell could be your evaporator but that will cost you thousands to fix so we just recommend a re-gas”. In response, she asks how long that would last? The Reply “It should last 12 months but it quite normal to have to re-gas you’re a/c system in this climate every year” Quoted price just over $300.00.
Thankfully she had a good friend who suggested that she bring the car to us for re-check. Yes, they were right the evaporator was the problem, Would a re-gas solve the problem? NO the new gas would have been lucky to last a month because of the damage to the evaporator.
Cost of repairing the system under $1,000
When someone offers you a RE-GAS ask for proof that they have checked the system thoroughly and seek a second opinion. Paying for a re-gas when there is a known leak is just a complete waste of your money and all you are doing is lining some unscrupulous mechanics shops pockets.