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AC Condenser Deformed in Accident

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  • #873004
    Mark BabunovicMark Babunovic
    Participant

      Hi everyone,

      My daughter in her 2012 Civic had a front bumper-buster with the back of a pickup truck, plowing into it with enough force that the truck’s trailer hitch went through the bumper, hit the front bumper beam which in turn hit and slightly deformed the condenser. She was lucky — the car is driveable and the condenser doesn’t appear to have made contact with the radiator, but the middle of the condenser is pushed in by about an inch, with maybe 4 inches of just one row of fins crushed flat .

      It goes into the shop tomorrow for the body work, but my question is whether I should keep the condenser assuming the system isn’t leaking refrigerant (which it still has from checking the shrader valve). I’ve told the shop not to touch it — if the condenser needs replacing I will take care of it — and I’ve pulled the compressor clutch fuse so no one’s tempted to try it.

      I can keep an eye out for leaks, but am I inviting problems/risking debris in the system with a slightly deformed condenser? Should I just change it after I get the car back from the shop, just to be safe?

      Thanks in advance.

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    • #873012
      JamesJames
      Participant

        Hard to say. I am not an AC expert but like you I would be inclined to leave alone if not leaking. Those condensers usually open up if there is a problem and if someone else thinks different please reply but I would not start throwing parts at it if it is not leaking and AC is ok. Hope your daughter is ok as I have two of my own.

        #873017
        Mark BabunovicMark Babunovic
        Participant

          Thanks for your advice and your concern — she’s fine, having worn her seat belt. Hopefully she’s also safer, having learned the lesson that taking your eyes off a wet road in heavy traffic to reach for your phone isn’t smart 😳

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