97 Del Sol Compressor Issues

cyndiread

New Member
This is my first post on the group, so hope I am doing this right.

I have a white, manual transmission, 1997 Del Sol that has been my baby since day 1. I took it in to Honda for service and drove out 6 hours later in a 4 door Civic Sedan. By days end, I will have both cars in my garage, as I love my Del Sol....and I couldn't trade it in~and was advised to sell it independently.

I am disabled and have a 98lb service dog that I keep "in tow", and it has been a challenge with my Del Sol...but we have managed pretty well so far. Yesterday, I was advised that there is a problem with the compressor, and it would cost me approx $1800 to get this resolved. There were a few other things that the mechanic advised that would make it "brand new" that brought the ticket up to about $2700.

This car is my baby....always garaged...clean....now has 1 small door ding which no one can see but me....that kind of car.

OK...so this car needs some engine work, and maybe a ding popped out if you can see it...and then you can have people tell you just how special this car is. Every single time I bring this car in to have it serviced~~anywhere....all the mechanics tell me how clean it is, and how it is in show shape. I don't know what that means in guy terms...I just know that I have been a freak about keeping this car like brand new.

I need to get it in the hands of someone who wants to take care of it and have fun with it. It sounds stupid, I know...but it has served me well, I just needed a sedan (bleh=)...I'm getting older, and having MS has finally pushed me in to an automatic transmission 4 door Civic.

I saw the Kelly Blue Book at $2000 It's worth much more to me, but again...it's my baby.


~cyndi
 

xxBLOOD88SHOTxx

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So are you selling that Del Sol because it needs work? The only "compressor" on the car is the AC compressor and if a dealer if going to charge you 1800 bucks to replace one they need to be brought out back and hit in the head with said AC compressor.
 


XpL0d3r

I had a Civic once.
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:welcome: to ClubCivic!

I moved your post (and reply to it above) to a new thread of your own.

Unfortunately, you are not allowed to sell your vehicle here until you have a post count of 30 and are active here for at least 30 days. I've removed the selling portion of your post and have moved it to the tech section.

Like above me, if the AC compressor is bad, it's certainly not $1800. I would get a second opinion on the matter from another mechanic elsewhere. At this point with these cars being nearly 20 years old, a used AC compressor should be easy to source, and install from a shop would be a couple hundred bucks at most.

Congrats on the sedan too! My mother had MS so I saw her go from the point of fully functioning to not being able to drive at all. I hope it never gets to that point for you though, and I wish you the best in dealing with it! :thumbs up
 

cyndiread

New Member
xxBLOOD88SHOTxx said:
So are you selling that Del Sol because it needs work? The only "compressor" on the car is the AC compressor and if a dealer if going to charge you 1800 bucks to replace one they need to be brought out back and hit in the head with said AC compressor.
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Actually, that was only part of it. This is what the Honda service report says: Tech added right side axle seal, power steering rack boots, right rear trailing arm bushing. $2750 plus tax.
 


R3dline

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you can replace all that for a few hundred, im guessing this is a for sale thread? prolly better to sell it on a facebook group, or if you want to chance it, craigslist.
 

cyndiread

New Member
R3dline said:
you can replace all that for a few hundred, im guessing this is a for sale thread? prolly better to sell it on a facebook group, or if you want to chance it, craigslist.
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Thank you for responding. I'm not a Craigslist kinda girl...and I don't have the know-how or energy to repair the car myself. It's a beauty....just has that mess of stuff wrong, and me and my big dog are both getting older so it is just time. It's going to sit in my garage until I can think of a good avenue to take with it which is fair to all involved. I switched the tags over and the plates today to the new one, but there is nothing like a Del Sol....and I will miss driving a stick for sure.

There is a FB group that I have a membership request pending....so maybe I will find out more there. There is also one located at an independent dealership that is inflated to $4500, which makes me feel like the buy/sell side of this is no fun and can be shady.

I come from a Marine Corps family, and I volunteer with suicidal soldiers...I wouldn't mind putting this car in someone's hands that it would help, and not set them back with the repair. It has a brand new exhaust system, new tires, and a new axel...so that has to be a plus.

Thank you for your thoughts~~~cyndi
 

cyndiread

New Member
XpL0d3r said:
:welcome: to ClubCivic!

I moved your post (and reply to it above) to a new thread of your own.

Unfortunately, you are not allowed to sell your vehicle here until you have a post count of 30 and are active here for at least 30 days. I've removed the selling portion of your post and have moved it to the tech section.

Like above me, if the AC compressor is bad, it's certainly not $1800. I would get a second opinion on the matter from another mechanic elsewhere. At this point with these cars being nearly 20 years old, a used AC compressor should be easy to source, and install from a shop would be a couple hundred bucks at most.

Congrats on the sedan too! My mother had MS so I saw her go from the point of fully functioning to not being able to drive at all. I hope it never gets to that point for you though, and I wish you the best in dealing with it! :thumbs up
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Thank you! Yeah....I just Googled Honda Del Sol and found you guys....and I was still in shock from the whole day of making the decision to buy the new one. When the guy came out and told me that the trade would be $750, he looked at my dog and apologized to me like I was going to send her out to do bitework on him =)

Sorry to hear about your Mom....I am alone, so if that ends up happening to me, I am screwed. As long as I can stay healthy for the time that my pooch is around...I'll take that. She's a rescue baby with lots of bills(8 years now)....and I made that commitment to take care of her...so 5-6k a year goes to her and allergies....etc..etc... MS has been a long road, and I've been doing the MS dance since 1990.

I'm not sure what I am going to do with this car now. I kind of thought there would be a community like you guys that would let me know that this car was more than scrapyard material.

Thank you!

~cyndi
 

cyndiread

New Member
xxBLOOD88SHOTxx said:
Facebook is just as bad as Craigslist, so be careful.
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I think selling something like this in general is not safe unless you are surrounded by cops or military. There is so much violence and deception out there now. I don't know....maybe I look scary to deal with too...lol

~cyndi
 

cyndiread

New Member
I just noticed you gave me my own thread..... =) <giggling> I feel special now =) Really, thank you! At least I can keep you posted on what happens to the Del Sol.

Hey...I have a 2015 Civic Sedan....so I'm still a Honda girl....so I can still hang around if I don't cause too much trouble, right? Maybe I'll learn something.

Eventually, I need to get the proper wheels on this car and tint the windows too. Oh, the technology...I miss driving that little Tonka Toy. I was told it would drive forever all the time by mechanics.
 

xxBLOOD88SHOTxx

Surge Master
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cyndiread said:
I think selling something like this in general is not safe unless you are surrounded by cops or military. There is so much violence and deception out there now. I don't know....maybe I look scary to deal with too...lol

~cyndi
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Gonna have to let us be the judge of that, only way to tell really.


The word forever is thrown around way too much, especially by mechanics.
 

mc360

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If your car is as mint as you say it is I'm sure it's worth more than 3,000 whether the ac works or not, most people ask 3 for a beat up one with high miles
 

cyndiread

New Member
mc360 said:
If your car is as mint as you say it is I'm sure it's worth more than 3,000 whether the ac works or not, most people ask 3 for a beat up one with high miles
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I have to clean it up a bit (German Shepherd Dog hair =), and then I'll take a gazillion pics of every angle....then maybe you guys can tell me what you think. I'm in Florida, and it's still hot here, so I need to detail it in the early morning or late evening because the heat makes me sick.

It doesn't have plates on it....so how does it work when I do list it somewhere when someone wants to drive it? What is to stop them from just driving off with it~I hope this goes well....once I get my act together.

Nice to know that I may not just think my car is worth a lot more than what the dealer said. People generally think there "stuff" is worth more than it actually is....which is why I was never good at garage sales. I get cranky when people start haggling.
 

cyndiread

New Member
Well....I agree with that for sure. I have some law enforcement peeps that would watch my back, I think. I'm just letting the dust settle for a bit so I can think with a clear head.

It's funny....when I was walking between both cars in my garage...I couldn't help but run my hands along both. Even a little dirty, my Del Sol felt baby smooth...better than the 2015. It has been in two small wrecks where the front and back bumper were replaced. The back bumper paint match is perfect...the front is close, but maybe because I know....I see it.

I know every little thing about that Del Sol...and I am still sitting with the book of the 2015 with my phone trying to synch everything.

I wish I had the money to fix the stuff wrong with it, tag and insure it, and just keep it in my garage. It is great to have the top off and just drive.....something about a stick with the top off.
 

cyndiread

New Member
One of my friends trains her GSD with a guy that is in a group of guys that race Honda's. He is running around the country playing Lacross right now but wants to see my car when he gets home. This might work out for everyone.
 
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