How much is a car AC compressor repair?

Air conditioning is a great but complex system, now fitted to almost all modern cars. A key component of any air conditioning system is the compressor, also known as the pump.

In this article we’ll discuss what happens when an air conditioning compressor needs replacing, including what symptoms to look out for and how much it’s likely to cost to replace. 

How much does it cost to repair an AC compressor?

Budget to pay between £250 and £630 to have an AC compressor/pump replaced. The cost will depend on the make and model of your car, as well as if other items need doing at the same time. 

In general, luxury cra brands such as Mercedes and BMW cost more than less expensive cars such as those made by Ford, Vauxhall etc. However an even bigger factor is where you have the work done, as main dealer garages will typically charge a much higher hourly rate for labour.

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What does an air conditioning compressor do?

Any air conditioning system works on the principle of condensing and then evaporating a refrigerant. In order to do this and remove heat energy, a compressor is needed to increase the pressure in the system.

In a typical AC system, the refrigerant moves to the compressor after leaving the evaporator coil inside the car (and passing through an expansion valve), where it has absorbed heat energy. 

After the refrigerant is compressed, it condenses in the AC condenser unit in the engine bay, releasing heat to the atmosphere.

AC compressors are generally driven from the engine via the auxiliary belt, often sitting near the alternator and power steering pump (if fitted).

How to tell if your air con pump is bad?

The first thing you’re likely to notice with any AC issue is the lack of cold air from the vents, this can be a symptom of a bad AC compressor, but could be caused by a number of other things, such as:

Symptoms of a bad AC compressor:

• No cold air from the vents

• A clicking or grinding noise, after pressing the AC button

• A belt squeal noise, that gets louder as the engine revs increase

How long does it take to replace an air conditioning compressor?

In most cars, an AC compressor can be replaced within a day, this does assume that the garage has diagnosed and bought in the new part in advance, or the part is readily available. 

Depending how busy and/or well organised the garage is, expect to leave your car for 1-3 days on average. 

Some cars, particularly sports or high end cars, can take more time to repair, as there may be other components in the way. 

What causes air conditioning compressors to fail?

Whilst relatively simple components, AC compressors are running at high pressure, heat and RPM all the time the air conditioning is being used. They are also sometimes subject to water ingress and road dirt that can affect seals and bearings. 

Typically there a three failure modes for the average car air conditioning compressor:

• Seized bearings - sometimes caused by a lack of refrigerant, but also happens due to age. This can sometimes cause the belt to squeal. 

• Worn out seals - inside the compressor are seals to retain the refrigerant, when these wear out, not only does the refrigerant leak, but the compressor is no longer able to create the pressure needed to work

• Broken clutch - a clutch is used to disengage the compressor when the AC is not turned on, if this wears out, the compressor will not be powered when needed.

Find out more about AC leak repair costs.

Repair Your AC with Bumper

With hundreds of approved garages across the country, you’ll have no issue getting your air conditioning, or any other issue repaired. What's more, with Bumper's interest-free car repair loans, you can split the cost into monthly payments.