94Q air compressor help/question/conundrum

[rhakari]

hey all. used to post here a ton back in '03 but then tapered off alot and can't remember my old name/password combo. but today i have areason to come back.

as i was pulling into my driveway i noticed what looked like steam coming out of my hood and a hissing noise. looked around and found the general area of the problem, popped the wheel off, and lo and behold it looks like the bolt holding the hose that runs between the cooling unit and the compressor snapped in half. crap.

after extensive tooling around, i don't think there's a chance in hell at me getting the other half of the bolt out without going to a mechanic or someone with better tools than i.

links to pics (they're large in size)

location of the problem(follow the screw driver in)http://trashpile.net/upload/IMG_5426.JPG

close uphttp://trashpile.net/upload/IMG_5424.JPG

so my questions.

1. is there anything that i havent thought of doing that i could remove the rest of the bolt?

2. if there isn't, is it safe to drive my car provided that i never turn on the HVAC system until i get it fixed?

for the love of god, please say yes, otherwise i'm screwed right now nad don't want to have to pay towing to get to the dealership

[rhakari]

bueller? bueller?

[3Q Jay]

ouch.system is contaminated. most mech should be able to extract the bolt, worst case you buy a new compressor to go with the new receiver/dryer you will have to replace due to air entering system.

safe to drive (provided the pipe doesn't contact the belt/pulley or anything.

[rhakari]

so its a sure thing that i will have to buy a new receiver/dryer? crap. any ideas on cost of that?

i dont think there is anything wrong with the compressor with the exception of that blasted bolt, so is contamination enough of a reason to have to buy a new one

[Q45tech]

The usual working life of a compressor is about 10-12 years, if yours is older than that budget for a new one. Receiver dryer gets replaced EVERYTIME the system is opened or a failed component gets replaced.

[rhakari]

Car is at the dealership now. They're looking into what they need to do and will call me sometime later. Looking at at least 275 right now (service fee and then recharging the A/C)

Waht's the reasoning behind the receiver dryer getting replaced each time?

[Q45tech]

The dryer is just what it says it is contains a small amount of dessicant that absorbs water [humidity] in air or R12/134a. Any water no matter how small will freeze in the cold and jam up expansion valve or compressor internals.

Same with home ac, refrigerator, they all contain dryers.

What makes automotive worse is the flexible hoses to allow engine to move and people not maintaining engine mounts to reduce the movement.

Everything cascades when you don't maintain a system in the beginning.

Personally I change the dryer receiver assembly every 100k [6 years] to try to prolong the compressor life and to keep acids from forming which eat the aluminum evaporator from the inside out.

[rhakari]

ok.... so bad news, what i thought was a broken bolt, was actually a broken post coming from the compressor. meaning they have to replace the compressor. they quoted me out at over $1500, my uncle (who is kind enough to help me finance my endeavors) wants me to get a second opinion elsewhere to see if it's any cheaper, but honestly am i going to be able to get it significantly cheaper anywhere else?

sad to say it may be time for a new car after 5 years with my Q

also, does anyone know the cost of a compressor? if its high enough it will save me the trouble of even calling around for a second opinion
Modified by rhakari at 2:26 PM 3/3/2008

[96Qowner]

Arg, $1500?????

Call Infiniti Of Scottsdale, a NICO sponsor, 1-888-216-5328, ask for the NICO discount. MUCH less. Of course, you still have labor, dryer, etc.

[rhakari]

the 1500 was including labor and parts, about to call up scottsdale to get a quote on the compressor, but any idea how many hours of labor it would be? like is it a job where they will have to lift the engine to get at the compressor (ie 7-8 hours), or a less intensive job (2-4 hours)

[maxnix]

You could do it yourself and keep it sealed until you get to an automotive AC specialist to lubricate and recharge it and install the drier and mount the belt and adjust the pulley.

[Q45tech]

Why did it break? Never seen one do that in thousands of units.

Make sure you fix the system bind or engine rotation otherwise you might be wasting money.