Help needed: Repeated AC Compressor failures on V70 Wagon

[MadOverlord]

Our family V70 has been plagued by repeated AC compressor failures. The first one died just before the warranty expired, so they fixed it for free. Then about a week after the 1 year warranty on the replacement expired, guess what died.

That one we had to pay for. $$$

Now, a year and a half later, the 3rd compressor has just started to go bad. The dealer is making sympathetic noises about trying to get Volvo to pay for it, but I'd appreciate any ammo people can supply. After all, once is an accident, twice a coincidence, but 3 times is enemy action!

It occurs to me that the root of the problem may not be the compressors themselves, but some other component of the AC system that is somehow causing the compressor to go bad. If this is possible, I'd like to hear about it, because they should have caught it the first time around.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

best
R

[KLS]

Is that dealership adding sufficient oil to the compressor? Not much else can make one fail early, unless they put in a poor quality rebuilt one.


Ken

[MadOverlord]

Thanks for the tip. I ended up compromising; Volvo paid for the new compressor and I paid $180 in labor to put it in. I put them on notice that if this one fails in a year or two, they'll be paying ME to keep me quiet.

[urbanamom]

Check the evaporator. We had a major problem with our other car and we went back and forth to the dealer. Come to find out that anytime the system is open, the evaporator should be replaced. Ever since that issue, no problems.

[Guest]

youmean the reciever dryer should be replaced any time the system is open..