A/C problems 2016 Nissan Quest.

[JTK]

The a/c stopped working on our van. According to the darling bride, she "told me WEEKS ago" LOL. I gave it quick once over and didn't notice oily residue from either evap core drain tube, condenser, lines, etc. Off to the dealer it went given I have an extended warranty for another 10K miles or so. Currently have ~83K miles on the van. Day one at the dealer was troubleshooting and seeing if warranty would cover it. Day 2 was waiting for parts. Wrong part came in. Day 3 (Saturday), part came in, but tech won't have time to finish it today, but should be done on Monday. Apparently it's something with the rear a/c line(s), which I know is all too common for any such equipped vehicle in the rust belt as the lines in the right rear wheel take a beating. Thing is, this van is immaculate underneath being only a few years old.

Curious to see what the cost of repairs will add up to. I'm assuming the Quest, Murano and Pathfinder all have the same system given it's a shared chassis. Supposedly it shouldn't cost me anything. It better not given I paid ~$2K for the extended warranty when we bought the van used (1yr old ex rental with 32K miles) I hate rear HVAC. It's great when you need it, but when it leaks and it will with rust belt use, you loose everything.

 

[cpayne5]

Yeah, rear HVAC just complicates things, but it is a nice creature comfort for those behind the first row.

In July two years ago we took our 2005 Suburban to Florida for two weeks. The rear a/c lines sprung a leak on the first day. I had a hard time trying to find a good automotive a/c shop in the area - your would think they'd be on every corner in Florida. I was hoping to find someone who could just splice the line and fix in place. No such luck. The shops wanted to order new line sets from the dealer and install them for some ungodly amount (labor). I ended up ordering a rear a/c block off kit and installing it in the driveway of our rental house. I then had a local shop do a vac and charge to get us home.

 

[JMJNet]

It is difficult to patch because AC system is a high pressure system.
We cannot just put a Waterweld where it leaks.
Don't ask me how I know. LOL.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted by JMJNet
It is difficult to patch because AC system is a high pressure system.
We cannot just put a Waterweld where it leaks.
Don't ask me how I know. LOL.

I repair ac lines like mentioned every day. I weld fittings onto the existing line ( in the truck!)and crimp the new line in place with a hand held crimper.

 

[dishdude]

I'm guessing it was only the rear that wasn't working or you would have heard about it immediately! Although I would think it would be all one system.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted by dishdude
I'm guessing it was only the rear that wasn't working or you would have heard about it immediately! Although I would think it would be all one system.


A rear HVAC leak takes the whole system out unfortunately.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by JTK
Originally Posted by dishdude
I'm guessing it was only the rear that wasn't working or you would have heard about it immediately! Although I would think it would be all one system.


A rear HVAC leak takes the whole system out unfortunately.


I figured. But even in Buffalo, this and the radio breaking are the two things I'd think you'd be hearing about everyday until fixed!

 

[cronk]

I replaced the rear heat/ac lines in our 2011 Quest this spring.
Was a pretty big job, had to drop the rear cradle down to fish the lines through. Luckily my buddy helped and we did it on his 2 post lift so it wasnt that bad.
The lines were very expensive, I work for a dealership so I got them at 10% over cost and I think it was still close to $700.
I sprayed the new ones down with Amsoil Metal protector to hopefully help them last longer, plan on spraying annually.
Mine looked like they were leaking in front of the rh rear wheel where it looks like they are subject to road spray coming off the tire.
Be glad you got it covered under warranty.

This has been the only major repair so far on our Quest.

 

[KrisZ]

It's also a known problem on Grand Caravans/T&Cs.

On my minivan, aside from spraying the area with rust proofing oil, I was able to fashion a red neck protective cover so the lines are not exposed to direct spray coming from the rear tire. It seems to be working so far.

 

[JTK]

Got the van back today. "Replaced rear AC lines from rear subframe to evaporator core". Per the write up, it was two separate pipe assembles to the tune of $534.98, some refrigerant, coolant and $480 labor. Total was $1092.86. Aftermarket extended warranty (which was sold through this dealership chain) covered it all.

From what I can see in the r/r wheel well and under the van, none of lines look new to me, but the a/c is cold once again.

I'm kind of surprised they didn't try to sell me a cabin air filter or anything else given the van is a 2016 with ~84K miles on it, but I guess were talking a Nissan. It'll probably be back. LOL