the_duke

I've had mine in the service position a couple of times and can see how they could break it if they weren't careful. 100% their fault and you shouldn't have to pay a dime. Carelessness is what caused the issue not the age of the car.

MainelyA8

I try to avoid them as well, and this is exactly why. In this case, it was more convenient for me though. Or so I thought! I do miss having two vehicles, and this is one of the reasons why.

I understand sometimes these things happen. I expected something like the crankshaft pulley bolts being frozen to happen; that's not unusual on an older vehicle. A condenser is a pretty substantial part to break though. It's pretty ballsy to tell me that you broke it, and tell me that I'm paying for it too. My AC has worked great all summer. It could be a little low; who knows. But, I didn't feel as though I should have to compromise at all.

I spoke with the manager today, who finally agreed that they would cover the costs of the condenser and the AC recharge. I'm glad it didn't have to go any further, but also a slightly disappointed, as I've had good experiences with this shop up until this point. I'll be skeptical to use them for any repairs in the future now.

MainelyA8

They claimed that removal of the condenser and radiator, and complete removal of the bumper cover was not a part of the service position. I tried to understand how they would be able to replace the water pump, thermostat, and all of the pulleys without removing those items. This also contradicts what the dealership, and several DIYs have told me.

Mister Bally

I'll only say that I have dealt with seized connections on AC condensors before. No amount of heat & penetrating oil would break it free. I then removed the hose with the condensor by disconnecting the hose at the other end.

I wouldn't rule out galvanic corrosion. The bolts are steel and the hose mount & condensor are aluminum.

ltooz_a6_a8_q7

I would never own an Audi if I have to take it to a shop to get things done. People will have bad days, and I sure don't want them to have theirs while working on my car.
Hope the nightmare be over soon. Make sure the belt and everything else put back correctly.
Cheers,
Louis

MainelyA8

I wouldn't doubt it if there was some corrosion that played a role in the break. But, they never actually mentioned that, and changed the story from "we broke it" to "it's your fault because of the condition it was in".

If they had told me it was corroded, and needed to be disconnected and then recharged in order to get the job done, I would have been completely OK with that.