Quote:
Originally Posted by aigel
If you walk into a shop with a system that's depressurized, they will replace the expansion valve and the dryer. DELETED
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This is correct so long as its a good shop. Once atmosphere is introduced to the AC the dryer should be replaced. The expansion valve can be cleaned if a catastrophic failure didn't send crud into the system. Seals are soft and naturally can get hard. Swapping seals isn't too tough.
Replacing everything like hoses and compressor is not necessary. Pulingl a vacuum and holding it overnight will tell you if hoses are bad or compressor seals are leaking.
Running a high pressure test will tell you if the compressor is on its way out.
If you know what you are doing - any vehicle with AC can be brought to cold - the cost will require a case by case analysis.