This is the 2nd time I'm posting...first being years ago...so I'm relatively new and if I'm posting this in the wrong section, I apologize. I have an '09 Honda Fit and one day the air conditioning will be freezing, the next day it will blow hot air. I took it to my local station and they tested it and added Freon and dye. It ran beautifully for a week then hot air again. Took it to the Honda dealer and they said I need everything replaced...relay, coil, condenser, etc. for over a$1k. Took it back to local station and they said the hole in the condenser is so small it won't be an issue for a couple years but let us check it again. So after a while they came out and said they'll replace all for $850 something but not the condenser. Then I thought...if it's cold sometimes but not all the time, everything must be working except for the relay. So today I had the relay replaced for $55. But sadly it's not the relay...still running hot. Has this happened to anyone else and what was your solution?

 

not on my Fit, but i replaced a car that had a faulty ac unit that the dealer could not fix even after the 4th try.

might want to think about just getting a new car or pay the entire repair whichever seems worthwhile to you. for a 09, i would not spend any more money.

 

If it is alternating between working and not working a various days, IT IS NOT THE CONDENSER. A condenser leak will allow the refrigerant to leak out. It can not leak out on one day and return on another.

That said, condenser leaks are common on the FIT, They are usually caused by flying debris from the road hitting the condenser. A home-brew rock / debris guard in front of the condenser is always a good idea. We made ours out of 1/4" or 3/8" plastic screening.

If you do have a real condenser leak then, why to you need to replace all of that other stuff? What does a condenser leak have to do with a bad compressor, relay, etc.? A new condenser from Rock Auto is $50.00 to $70.00 depending on which brand you buy. I would also replace the receiver / dryer at the same time which is another $10.00 to $11.00. Throw in a couple of pounds of r-134 and maybe an o-ring or two and we are at $100.00 for parts. The whole job (including recharging) should be 2.0 to 2.5 hours. That is $300 to $350 for labor at the rate they quoted you.

I think you are being taken for a ride.

 

I put plastic screening in the lower grill opening to protect from road damage.

As it happens, I recently had my A/C stop cooling and make noise under the hood. The problem turned out to be the compressor clutch and driver coil. Cost me $995 with a discount, but they also did a suck-n-fill and replaced the belt. It's a 2010 with 86K.