I have a 2010 Honda Fit (100,000) that has given me no issues for 2 years. Just recently my wife and myself drove to Vegas and on the way the a/c started to act up blowing half the speed and half the temp. We decided to get the car checked out at a local Purrfect Auto Service franchise before leaving Vegas. The manager was helpful and actually had to work on the car himself towards the end of the 8 hour fix. He let us know that because it was a new part with new fluids that the compressor needed to cycle before the a/c started blowing cold air. On the way back it did cycle from warm to cold but never really rested on super cold. I parked the car that night and the car rested for another 24hrs parked. My wife then went to drive it and it was now blowing warm air again. We stopped using the a/c while we figured out how we were going to approach this considering we paid a pretty penny to get it fixed and the warranty was only valid at the "franchise" where the repair took place.


It has been technically a week since the "repair." My wife said a smell came out of the a/c when she just recently tried to turn it on and now the car has started to jerk when my wife is pulling away from a light or reversing.


Could this be because of a freon leak, making the a/c not work after the new compressor was installed. Which would then cause the compressor to disengage and engage causing jerking?


Long story but I would appreciate any help!

 

I think the diagnosis was wrong. The fan suddenly blowing at only half the speed does not suggest compressor failure. Either the resistor pack (most likely) or the fan or associated electronics gave up.

That aside, you probably now have a freon leak (as it worked for a while and then stopped getting cold).

Also possibly the serpentine belt was mis installed, leading to an incorrect tension, and the jerk on pulling off. Or a seized compressor.

 

I'd agree that "jerking" has something to do with the a/c compressor being resistant to turning upon start up. The Freon charge in the a/c system also contains the lubrication oil for the compressor, so if the gas is gone, the oil isn't lubing the compressor anymore. Since the serpentine belt drives the a/c compressor, any failure could feed back into the engine / drive wheels and you'll feel a jolt / jerk.

I'm not sure if the cabin HVAC fan is impacted by an a/c compressor failure. It maybe a separate issue altogether.