Need A/C Help! Replaced Evaporator twice and still not cooling!

[signal.quest]

I had my 2004 Pilot evaporator replaced about 4 months ago and my AC worked fine until 1 month ago. It stopped cooling. I returned it to the mechanic and he told me the evaporator had leak again. He replaced it again. He charged me for the labor and told me the evaporator was under Honda warranty. He also replaced another small part (I think a sensor) for $96 that he said should be replaced while he is doing the work in case it is causing problems. I tested the A/C two days later and it is not cooling! I am extremely frustrated! Can someone please help me make sense of this? Thanks.

[rocky]

Lets firstly figure out what work was actually done.

An evaporator which is cold absorbs the heat from the air that is passed through it and then cold air is forced out through the vents inside the car by the blower motor.

To replace that would require a huge amount of work taking the dash of the car apart.

The Condenser is a second radiator looking like part that is visible in front of the engine's radiator. It is easily damaged by rocks and other road debris.

Honda own part would cost as much as $300 while aftermarket versions are a third of the price.

Which part was replaced?

[signal.quest]

I was told it was the evaporator. The mechanic bought the part from the Honda dealer. If I remember correctly the part was more than $300. The first time it was replaced my A/C worked for about 3 months - all summer. The mechanic told me the he was able to access the evaporator by taking the glove box out. Only an hour worth of labor.

[signal.quest]

I found the $96 part was the expansion valve. My mechanic is now telling me it looks like the rear evaporator is leaking by the drain. He says the rear evaporator is like $500 and 5 hours of labor. He says an option might be to bypass the rear A/C using the correct lines if he can locate them from a dealer or after market. Does this sound correct?

[krazykarguy]

There are no bypass lines because all Pilots were equipped with rear A/C.

I am beginning to question your mechanic, who has replaced the same [most likely still fine] part twice in error. The part he says you need now is indeed a $500 part, however, I doubt that 5 hours of labor is involved... Evacuate A/C system (15 minutes), pull front seats (15 minutes), remove center console & related trim (a generous 45 minutes), then R&R the rear evaporator unit (1 hour?), then 30 minutes to re-charge the system. That's barely over half of what they think it will be.

How did the mechanic diagnose the original leak, and diagnose the leak in the rear that he has suddenly discovered?

[signal.quest]

Originally Posted by krazykarguy

There are no bypass lines because all Pilots were equipped with rear A/C.

I am beginning to question your mechanic, who has replaced the same [most likely still fine] part twice in error. The part he says you need now is indeed a $500 part, however, I doubt that 5 hours of labor is involved... Evacuate A/C system (15 minutes), pull front seats (15 minutes), remove center console & related trim (a generous 45 minutes), then R&R the rear evaporator unit (1 hour?), then 30 minutes to re-charge the system. That's barely over half of what they think it will be.

How did the mechanic diagnose the original leak, and diagnose the leak in the rear that he has suddenly discovered?

He put the green dye in the system to find the leak. He showed me the first evaporator had a hole and was dripping green. That worked for 3 months. The second one he told me was leaking at a solder joint - I did not see it. He now says he sees green dye leaking at the rear drain and nowhere else. He told me sometimes when AC systems are fixed that other weak points can then fail...