Two Ways To Prevent A/C Damage from Rocks DIY/Photos
 

Quite a few posts have been made about rocks causing holes in the A/C condenser, loss of refrigerant/loss of a/c function, NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. Posters have had to pay $700.+ to the dealer for condenser replacement, or have bought their own replacement condenser from parts stores or eBay auctions, and replaced it themselves.

HERE ARE TWO WAYS TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM

1. Use metal screen (as I did), or perforated metal sheet, or plastic "gutter guard" (keeps leaves out of rain gutters) as posters in several other threads did, or any other perforated material to act as a "rock and bug catcher" to stop damage to your condenser. The ideal material would be 1/4"- 3/8" mesh stainless steel screen. Unfortunately, that is impossible to find at any store, and Internet vendors for such materials have minimum purchase of at least $1000. Whatever you use needs to be as open as possible, while having openings small enough to stop rocks big enough to cause damage.

2. Add a custom grill that bolts on/over the existing joke of a plastic grill.

I used the screen method first, but got annoyed by the constant collection of leaves that would cling to the screen. So I bought the Aluminum Billet Grill, which will do the job without collecting leaves.

SCREEN METHOD

Tools needed: metal shears, scratch awl or center punch, electric drill with 3/16" drill bit.

Materials needed: black plastic zip ties, 4"-6" long, metal screen, ideally 1/4" mesh (but 1/8" mesh is far more common) 6" wide. The grill length is about 2-1/2 feet. Screening comes in rolls about 25 feet long, sells for around $16.00.

Take off the bumper and lay it face-down on a blanket to prevent scratches. Measure and cut the screen to allow about 1/2" extra on each end. Drill 3/16" holes in the plastic vanes of the grill about 1/4" down from the top edge. Put the holes in the center, between each of the vertical vanes, and put two holes in each end between the horizontal vanes.

Lay the screen, perforated metal sheet, plastic "gutter guard", over the grill. If you are using 1/8" mesh screen, use the scratch awl or center punch to form holes along the inner edges of the grill to match the placement of the drilled holes.

Now use the plastic zip ties to stitch the screening material in place. Reinstall the bumper, and you are done. Only a bullet will damage your condenser in the future.

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People who have used other materials can either add their own replies and contributions to this thread, or can post their own DIY tutorials.

THE CUSTOM GRILL METHOD

1. Remove the bumper, and set it face up on a blanket. Test fit the grill. If it looks OK, follow the grill manufacturer's instructions.

I used this grill:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/07-20...mZ250304712205

If you buy this grill (GREAT quality materials and workmanship, good fit)-- take one of the supplied mounting screws to your hardware store, and buy 4 (sheet metal screws, button head, phillips drive, I think size 8 but make sure with your example) that are 1/2" LONGER than your example.

2. Lay the new grill on a table, drop the mounting screws through the holes, and thread on the "Z" hooks just until they are engaged on the threads.

3. Lay the grill over the plastic stock grill, sit down with your legs under the bumper, and position the hooks over the vertical ribs of the grill while you tighten the screws and draw the hooks into contact with the back edges of the plastic ribs. Don't tighten the screws too much or you will bend the plastic ribs.

4. Put the bumper back on (don't forget to reconnect the fog light - I did, and had to take the bumper loose one more time), re-fasten all of the bumper clips and screws, and you're done. Pics----------

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Looking good. I like the lower grill guard and cannot wait to see it in conjunction with the upper grill guard.


Rep +1!

Thanks! With today's styling trending away from chrome styling hardware, I am hoping that both grills together won't remind me of a 1956 Cadillac or Buick. If there is too much "shiny shit", I will take 'em off and paint the front surfaces flat black and re-install them.

cool thanks for this DIY :wavey:

sorry but i think it's kind of ugly

I'm sure that you will have company, and you are welcome to your opinion. I think that cheap plastic with holes big enough to cause failure of the a/c condenser is ugly, as well as short sighted on Honda's part.

yeah.
maybe if you did the same thing, but painted it black.
i'd like to see that

Yeah I really don't like that ebay grille installed

im not a fan of how it looks but it serves a purpose and that is good. i bet it will look 1000 times better painted black. but if you paint it, you will have to worry about the paint being chipped and probably will need repainting every 2 months. maybe its time to invest in a "hotcoat" powder coating kit.

oh dave, i forgot to ask, what type of ramps are those? i am in the market for some.

These are Blitz Rhino Ramps from a vendor on Amazon. I think the price was around $30.00, but that was 1-1/2 years ago. To use these, you have to make a ramp-for-the-ramp from a 10" length of 2X6 or 2X8. Bevel one end, and on the other countersink a hole for a 3/8" bolt to serve as an anchor pin. The pin drops through the hole in the low end of the ramp.

Manxman, thanks for posting this. After reading your post I have been looking at Honda carsl. I think this is a Honda design issue. The accord, civic, and the odessy all have wide opening.

Well, since after I paint them it will be impossible to get the polished anodized finish back, I am going to wait until I see how the upper and lower grills look together. But I do think that all black would look the best.

I think that the grill is the best solution for rock damage. For those who make a shield for the back side of the plastic stock grill, and for those of them who live in the Northern states who choose to use sheet metal or plastic that is perforated, I think that your shields will have an excellent chance of icing over in the winter and cutting way down on air flow. That may, or may not, cause overheating.

People in cold climates used to, maybe still do, put sheets of cardboard in front of the radiator just to get enough engine heat for the interior heater to work during the coldest periods.

It must save them a lot of money in fabrication cost that they don't spend on an effective grill. It also costs the owners a lot of money in repairs, or in my case, a lot of effort to prevent damage.

Nice idea...
 

Hey Dave,

Hmm... leave it alone, or paint it. I guess if it were my car, I would prolly just leave it alone, at least until I definitely knew which way to go.
I was inspired by your DIY. I started researching other materials/sources. I found this link at JCWhitney:Pro Plus Mesh Grilles : JC Whitney: Auto Parts & Accessories
I am going to try using this some of this stock for my attempt.

Here is my spin on what Kelsodeez mentioned earlier. "Although, im not decided on how it should look, it serves a purpose and that is good. Either way, it will look 1000 dollars better than a damaged condenser."
-macbuddy-

Hey Mike-
Having bought both of the grills, I like the grill solution for the rock problem, but THAT IS A GREAT FIND!!! Very low price, extremely open with no air restriction, color anodized so no corrosion, plenty strong enough to be a perfect shield, zip ties will hold it in perfectly, would resist icing over because of the angles and slants of the mesh,and VERY LOW PRICE. I should use J.C. Whitney more often in my own research. Thanks for your contribution.
Dave

How often does this really happen (serious question)? My civic was the same way, condenser open to the world behind kind-of a grille, but 12 years and a large portion of that on gravel roads and it still worked. Heck it hardly had dings, unlike the radiator that the huge Pontiac horseflies here pummeled into a flat sheet of metal.

At first I thought this was the same thing as I saw on an Si forum, rocks taking out the A/C, then I realized it said "condenser," not "compressor" like those cars are having the problem with.

Rocks don't "take out" compressors. How often do they punch holes in condensers? I don't know or care. Read the threads from people who HAVE had this happen. They don't number in the hundreds, but why do YOU buy liability insurance? How many accidents do you have where you are at fault? I am happy to be guaranteed that a rock CANNOT ruin my a/c condenser.

This is a great find. I placed my order 30 sec after reading this post. +1 rep for you!!

Post pictures when you're done. Since the lower grill is so low and I don't have a lip, I'm going to see if I can do it without removing the bumper cover.

JC Whitney?
 

That is a good find! +1 rep. I'm normally one to insult JC Whitney patrons but I might need to shut up!

Based on past disappointments with purchases, I stopped buying from JCW many years ago, but I would never insult other patrons, just warn them of what to expect. Macbuddy's expanded metal material find is a good one. The only downside might be Whitney's habit of only using USPS for shipping. A sheet of condenser shield material might arrive looking like a giant potato chip, but it's worth the risk to order a sheet.

issues!
 

I'm inclined to agree about suspicion towards JC whitney. I really liked that material as far as having stuff on hand for general repairs and "afro-engineering" however in the pictures they have black yet it's not listed as an option for ordering. I also wish they carried purple but I'm asking a lot. I still think that it's cool stuf to have around! I want the black though!

Give Whitney a call- maybe it's an online catalog error. Or, buy a can of black paint while you are waiting for whatever color you ordered to arrive. Jus tryna hep y'all.

I ordered a door hinge repair kit the JCW website said would work on my Saab. Turns out it is an English unit repair kit, almost everything on the Saab is metric so it didn't work. The kit itself was nice quality though. JCW took it back no questions asked.

Much like ebay, I try to do a little homework before just ordering - check for brand names, double check the make/model or part number etc.

Thanks for the lead and the how to!

Yup, i must have mixed it up in my head. I found that thread and it was a bunch of condensors getting punctured.

That first set of pics, if it's painted flat black, is WIN.

I wasn't trying to knock on your diy btw, I'd just never heard of a condensor costing $700 for replacement before. That's ridiculous.

Hey, thanks for the suggestion, and ridiculous is right on $700.00 for getting a condenser replaced. The people who do that just don't know that there are other ways of getting it done.

:D :D :D Here's a photo of my JCWhitney grille:

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/5...6259sp7.th.jpg

The aluminum is very soft - easy to bend and cut. It didn't take long to put on - I've removed the bumper before to install my fogs. I just used some wire ties to secure it to the existing grille. To remove the bumper, there are 2 screws and about a dozen of the black clips. A good tug on either side of the bumper should free it from the rest of the vehicle. Note in the lower left hand corner I didn't get the alignment clip put back in properly. I'm headed out to fix it as soon as I post this. :hyper:

I have enough blue screen left over to do another fit. If you're in the DC area, PM me and you can have it for free.

Great DIY guide. Thanks for posting pics!

Thanks for the compliments on the DIY- glad to help. I used the screen method for a few weeks but was not happy with the fine mesh size. When I found the aluminum billet grill on eBay, I replaced the screen with the grill. A few weeks after that, I totaled the car.

I will pick up my new '09 replacement Sport Fit tomorrow, and will use the JC Whitney expanded aluminum grill material on the new car. In fact, I will use the remaining half of macbuddy's grill material described in Post #15.

All of the new Hondas seem to be designed to keep dealers busy replacing a/c condensers. The prevention is so cheap and simple, it's pretty silly not to do it.

I used the JC Whitney aluminum grill material and I also replaced the horn at the same time. I didn't take off the bumper but only took off the lower grill which was quite easy since you only had 4 push locks and some tabs to remove it. It all slides out easily after removing the upper grill and latch cover ( It also provides easy access to replacing the horn.)

I'm glad that this was so easy for you. I started this thread addressing only GD3's, but mine was totaled. Could't find a single new '08 for sale within 500 miles, so I bought a GE8. As soon as my after-market air horn arrives, and since I already have the Whitney aluminum grill panel, I will do exactly the same procedure. The ease of removing the lower grill is a nice design change from Honda, and makes these mods very convenient.

Yep .... I have to say I am impressed with Honda's efforts at improving things with each rendition. And sometimes it is the little things that matter. I'm very happy with my GE8 and Consumer Reports came out with a study saying they project the cars reliability to be quite high.

Aluminum sheets for grill. Go to Lowes or Menards or any of those fix it yourself places and buy the sheets (different designs) for a very reasonable cost, cut it yourself.

they are so freakin ugly... i always see those idiots with the ricer bodykits putting gutterguard on their cars. it doesn't stay shiny either! it always gets discolored! it looks trashy!

if you should insist on having this they do at least make a black plastic mesh gutterguard.. it will serve the function

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each is to their own...:p

If each is to his own then grow up and stop pissin on what other people do!!

Now now, give respect where respect is due. You are yelling at the "Master of Good Taste"- just look at his avatar.

Master of good taste? He is obnoxious at best. Perhaps a few years as a Ranger serving his country might teach him ,"to each their own," does NOT mean being rude to other people. I would love to have had this dude under my command, especialy in the hand to hand combat training. Respect whom you want. I am moving on. Enough time wasted.

same old!
 

I haven't been around for a few weeks. It appears that nothing's changed at fitfreak!