🔧 Compass - A/C Compressor Replacement

Replacing the A/C compressor on your Compass involves safely recovering the refrigerant, removing the drive belt and A/C lines, swapping the compressor, then pulling a deep vacuum and recharging the system by weight. This is important because opening the A/C system lets air and moisture in, which can quickly damage the new compressor if the system isn’t evacuated correctly.

Before you start (2 quick questions): 1) What refrigerant is on the under-hood A/C label: R-134a or R-1234yf? 2) Do you have access to an A/C recovery/recharge machine (or will a shop recover and recharge for you)?

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 3-6 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ A/C refrigerant is regulated: do not vent to atmosphere; recover it with approved equipment.
• ⚠️ Wear eye protection and gloves: liquid refrigerant can cause frostbite and blindness.
• ⚠️ Keep hands/tools clear of the belt path; the tensioner can snap back forcefully.
• ⚠️ Work on a cool engine; hot exhaust/coolant parts can burn you.
• ⚠️ Disconnect the negative battery terminal before unplugging compressor wiring.
• ⚠️ Cap/plug A/C lines immediately after opening them to keep moisture out.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Socket set (8mm-18mm)
• Ratchet (3/8")
• Extensions (3/8")
• Torque wrench (10-150 ft-lbs)
• Serpentine belt tool (specialty)
• Torx bit set (T20-T40)
• Trim clip remover
• Pick set
• Line caps/plugs assortment
• Drain pan
• Shop rags
• A/C manifold gauge set (specialty)
• Vacuum pump (specialty)
• Refrigerant recovery machine (specialty)
• Refrigerant scale (specialty)
• UV leak light (specialty)

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• A/C compressor - Qty: 1
• A/C compressor clutch electrical connector pigtail - Qty: 1 (only if damaged)
• A/C line O-ring set - Qty: 1
• Receiver/drier or desiccant element - Qty: 1
• PAG A/C oil (correct type per under-hood label/service info) - Qty: 1
• A/C refrigerant (must match under-hood label: R-134a or R-1234yf) - Qty: 1 (charge by weight)
• UV dye (A/C-safe) - Qty: 1 (optional)
• Serpentine belt - Qty: 1 (optional if worn/cracked)

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels.
• Recover the refrigerant with approved equipment before loosening any A/C line.
• Disconnect the negative battery cable using a 10mm socket.
• If you’re not doing the evacuate/recharge yourself, plan for a shop to perform: recover, vacuum, and recharge by weight.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Verify refrigerant type and charge spec

• Open the hood and read the A/C label for refrigerant type and factory charge weight.
• Write the charge weight down; you must recharge by weight using a refrigerant scale (specialty).

Step 2: Recover the refrigerant

• Connect an A/C manifold gauge set (specialty) to the high- and low-side service ports (this tool reads system pressure and connects service equipment).
• Use a refrigerant recovery machine (specialty) to recover the refrigerant completely.
• Confirm both gauges read near 0 psi before opening any lines.

Step 3: Disconnect battery and raise the front

• Disconnect the negative battery terminal using a 10mm socket.
• Lift the front with a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) and support with jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove any lower splash shield(s) using a socket set (8mm-10mm) and trim clip remover.

Step 4: Remove the serpentine belt from the compressor

• Relieve belt tension using a serpentine belt tool (specialty).
• Slip the belt off the A/C compressor pulley and slowly release the tensioner.
• Tip: snap a photo of belt routing.

Step 5: Unplug compressor electrical connector

• Locate the compressor clutch/control connector at the compressor and unplug it by hand; use a pick set gently if the lock tab is stubborn.

Step 6: Remove the A/C lines from the compressor

• Place a drain pan under the compressor and keep shop rags ready.
• Remove the A/C line retaining bolt(s) using the correct size from your socket set (8mm-13mm).
• Carefully wiggle the lines free (do not pry hard on aluminum tubes).
• Immediately install line caps/plugs assortment on the open lines and compressor ports.
• Remove old O-rings with a pick set (don’t scratch the sealing surfaces).

Step 7: Remove the compressor

• Support the compressor by hand.
• Remove the compressor mounting bolts using a ratchet (3/8"), extensions (3/8"), and the appropriate socket from your socket set (13mm-18mm).
• Remove the compressor from below/through the wheel well area as access allows.
• Torque note: Torque to OEM specification for compressor mounting bolts (spec varies by compressor/bracket configuration).

Step 8: Match compressor oil quantity (critical)

• Drain oil from the old compressor into a measuring container over the drain pan.
• Drain any shipping oil from the new compressor and add back the same measured amount using PAG A/C oil specified for your A/C label/service info.
• Slowly rotate the compressor hub by hand a few turns to distribute oil.
• Tip: too much oil hurts cooling.

Step 9: Install new O-rings and reinstall compressor

• Lightly coat new A/C O-rings with clean PAG A/C oil.
• Position the new compressor and hand-start mounting bolts using your ratchet (3/8") and socket set.
• Tighten mounting bolts evenly, then use a torque wrench (10-150 ft-lbs) to finish: Torque to OEM specification.

Step 10: Reconnect A/C lines

• Remove caps/plugs and install the lines straight into the ports (avoid cocking them sideways).
• Install the line retaining bolt(s) using a socket set (8mm-13mm) and finish with a torque wrench (10-150 ft-lbs): Torque to OEM specification.

Step 11: Reconnect electrical, reinstall belt, reinstall shields

• Plug the compressor connector back in until it clicks.
• Route the belt and relieve tension using the serpentine belt tool (specialty), then slip the belt fully onto the compressor pulley.
• Reinstall splash shield(s) using a socket set (8mm-10mm) and trim clip remover.
• Lower the vehicle off the jack stands.
• Reconnect the negative battery terminal using a 10mm socket.

Step 12: Replace receiver/drier (or desiccant element), then evacuate and recharge

• Replace the receiver/drier or desiccant element per the A/C system layout on your Compass (this removes moisture from the system).
• Connect the A/C manifold gauge set (specialty) and pull vacuum using a vacuum pump (specialty) for at least 30–45 minutes (a vacuum pump removes air and moisture).
• Close valves and verify vacuum holds (no rapid rise). If it rises, you have a leak that must be fixed before charging.
• Recharge using a refrigerant scale (specialty) to the exact under-hood label weight.
• If using UV dye, add only A/C-safe dye in the correct amount for your equipment.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and set A/C to MAX with blower high; confirm cold air and stable compressor operation.
• Check for abnormal belt noises and verify the belt tracks correctly on all pulleys.
• Inspect all compressor line connections for oily residue (a common sign of a refrigerant/oil leak).
• Use a UV leak light (specialty) to check for dye leaks if dye was added.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $900-$1,800 (parts + labor + recover/recharge)

DIY Cost: $350-$900 (parts only, assuming you already have A/C service equipment)

You Save: $550-$900 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2.5-4.5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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