Is it worth repairing the air conditioning condenser in my 2003 Honda Accord?

I have been quoted £571.68 by Aylesbury Honda to replace the air conditioning condenser and seals on my 2003 Honda Accord 2.4i Exec Tourer Auto, which seems like an awful lot of money to me, when the car’s probably only worth around £1500 as a trade-in. I’ve had the car for eight years and in total it has only done 104,000 miles. I am now retired and only do about 6000 miles a year. I have to say that it is the best car I’ve ever had in terms of reliability and comfort. I’d be grateful for your advice on whether or not you feel it is worth having the repair done and, if so, does the price seem reasonable?

Asked on 14 December 2013 by PA, Aylesbury

Answered by Honest John
The price is fair for effectively replacing the a/c 'radiator'. Whether to have it done or not is a different matter. You're obviously not going to really need a/c until next spring. If you don't have it done you will need to make sure that the a/c pump cannot clutch in, because with no gas and lubricant in the system it might seize and throw off the auxiliaries belt.
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