2007 m35 with 207k miles, a/c compressor going

[coronaglen]

so the dealer just had to fix the a/c fans on the radiator and the thermostat. but he said the a/c compressor is going out. making noise. 1400 to fix.

should I worry about the end is near for the car? the service person was telling me to start looking for a new car.

thoughts anyone?

what is a fair price for the a/c compressor and is that something i can do?

i am not that good at being a mechanic.

thanks

glen

this is the first thing to go bad on it by the way. i drove it from brand new to now.

[svard75]

Sorry to hear about this happening. I would definitely get a second opinion but given you had this car from new and it's likely paid off in full by now you could use it as a trade in to get a newer car.

At the same time it depends on your goals. $1400 is not a lot for hopefully a good refurbished or brand new compressor and the labor involved in replacing it plus capturing the gas, pressure testing with the new compressor and refilling it if necessary. These cars are capable of high mileage so if that's your goal then fix it and move along.

Good luck.

[Larz]

First, I'm sorry to hear that you are faced with an expensive repair.
But, it's great that you've had the car for over 200k miles and I assume it still runs great otherwise. You, sir, are at the crossroads of car ownership. You could trade the car though with high miles I doubt any dealer will give you what you might expect, since they will have to sell it at auction and still make a profit on the trade-in price - even less if the air con isn't fixed.
Since you have it paid off you should consider the following:
You have one of the last of the 'aggressive - sporty - posh' looking M models. The newer M models look only slightly better than the cheaper sedans on the the market. Having said that, the newer models of any brand might have more up-to-date tech features yours does not have. You might want to consider what you pay for 12 months car payments and weigh that against repair bills and see which yearly amount appeals to you more. Even if you spend 3,000 in one year on repairs, it's only half what a new car payment will be and those monthly payments could go on until the year 2019 (and you still have to pay for costs not covered after the warranty goes out in addition to those monthly payments)

Personally, I would take stock of the car, consider what else might need to be repaired or replaced in the next year, and then make a decision to fix it or trade it.

[cruzad3r]

is it cheaper for you (financially) to buy a new car with payment than to fix your current car. Furthermore, have you keep up with the maintenance of your current car? If not, you will likely see more of these old and worn parts broken.

if you don't have the time or the mean to fix the car yourself, it's best to get something newer with less mile to offset the frequent trips to dealer or shop-alike.

[veery]

You should be able to get a compressor for ~$300, and it should cost no more than about 3.5 hours plus refrigerant gas and some oil to replace it $1400 is way too much IMO. If you live in a warm place, fix it and sell it on the open market and buy yourself a new car. Meanwhile you be COOL. If you are in a cool place sell it as is.

I thought I had a bad compressor and it turned to be a door in the dash. Make sure with a good diagnosis if you will fix.