Honda Civic - No A/C 

Less than 10% of the shops in America would have let this guy out the door without a new compressor. Eric, you are an honest man my friend.

wow my first shout out that I know of :-) thanks Eric O. love your channel and glad to see it has been steadily growing. Keep up the great work bud, love the humor and the funny one liners too. Thanks again, cheers.

Thank you so much for posting this video!!! I also have a 2003 honda civic and the a/c hasn't worked since I got it. I don't know much about working on cars, but after watching this video I decided it tear it apart and try to fix mine the same way you showed on the video. I did it! My a/c works every time now. I have 3 young kids and can't afford to take it to a shop. I cannot thank you enough for making this video! I use to not go anywhere with the kids when it was hot out, now I don't have to worry about the kids getting too hot!!❤❤❤

I have been a mechanic for going on some 40yrs and I always consider myself as a servant to my community and there has been lots of horror stories about how we rip off the community but you and your diligent efforts to resolve people's problems gives us all the good name thank you Eric for being a hard-working smart and wise mechanic!!!!

I like how you didn't slam or dismiss the owner's efforts for trying to diagnose or learn about the problem on his own. Good job on the repair and I learned something! Thanks!

It's fun watching the old videos! Eric wasn't so comfortable yet, but he knew he was on to a good idea.

I have been without my AC for a few years in my 2001 LX and this was the key to it all! Fixed it this fine Sunday afternoon and on a great day to test it. It was almost 90 where I live so I could get a great test of it. I had never thought about the clutch itself not engaging (Like your customer, I am not a mechanic but more than willing to tinker and educate myself). I darted out to my garage when I saw you nudge the clutch plate and tried it and damned near screamed out loud with happiness. Long story short, got the coolant topped up and am pushing 50 sitting idle in the garage and 42 out on the road at 30 mph. THANK YOU greatly for posting this video!

The 99 dislikes are from lazy and crooked mechanics! Your videos are great and as always I learned somthing new. Thanks!

I know how old this video is, but I can’t help but comment that it never ceases to amaze me how many times Eric’s repairs include no new parts, just some investigative prowess. 👍👍☮️

"Colder than a polar bear's pajamas..." I lost it there man! Your humor and down to earth ways are only some of the reasons you and your channel are in my top five channels! Keep it up bud! Thanks for the teachings and the entertainment!

My son had a 2000 Honda Accord V6 when he was attending University of Florida. He called me and said the A/C sometimes blew cold air and then it would suddenly quit. I did some research and found that Honda compressors had the arrangement described by Eric with an adjustable air gap. With a lot of miles, the air gap got too large. My son's Accord had over 150,000 miles on it. Since he was hundreds of miles away I had to find someone in Gainsville Florida to adjust the air gap. Jerry's had good reviews so I recommended them. My son went and met the owner who not only agreed to adjust the air gap for a nominal fee but agreed to credit that fee for a new compressor if it didn't work out. Six years later the A/C still worked great. While Jerry's did not make big money that day on my son, they did maintenance and repairs on my son and his wife's cars for the next six years. Shops and people are so short sighted trying to maximize income without regard to repeat customers and referrals. Nice job Eric. I agree with Sataman Schmidt, over 90% of shops would have simply slapped on a new compressor.

dude, I haven't had AC in 5 years, watched this video, removed the little washer and it's fixed! Thanks! And I'm not much of a handy man.

It's guys, not just mechanics, but GOOD PEOPLE, like Eric and RnW that make RU-vid worthwhile and give mechanics a good name. THX YOU GUYS.

Integrity all the way Eric. I hope he sees this video and becomes a life long customer. This video gives us faith that there are still honest technicians out there. Totally concur with you on the Ratchets and Wrenches channel-a great tech just like yourself!

I wish my assistant smiled like that when I drag her into the garage. Great video!

You just saved me big time with working on my wife's '09 civic. Did exactly as you did with taking a shim off and wheeling back the rust, worked like a charm. THANK YOU.

YOU Sir, are an awesome mechanic! Always thinking out of the box. You must have a large and well satisfied customer base. I make my living as a Heavy Jet Mechanic where the quality and precision of my maintenance is not the goal it is the legal standard. After 35+ years wrenching large jet aircraft of all shapes and sizes it is easy to recognize an awesome wrench when I see one. I am not permitted to deviate from the standard. In the case of the A/C clutch, where you repaired it and extended it's life I would have had to replace it, but that is the difference between your car and your airplane. Your dedication to your customer is admirable. G'Day Mate!

Thank you Dr. O. Just got a 2009 Honda Fit for our daughter for her Sweet 16 birthday. Everything was fine except that the AC would cut out once it has been running for a while. Nudge the compressor clutch plate with a long pry bar and the compressor started to run again. So, perhaps the SMA cheap fix will fix this problem. Took 15 minutes to remove the nut and clutch plate, (10 minutes to jack up the car and place them on jack stands, 4 minutes to remove the push pins and 1 minute to zip off the nut with my impact driver and remove the clutch plate). The shim was very thin so I did the SMA fix and replaced the clutch plate without the shim. Ran the engine for 15 minutes and the AC kept on pumping cold air all the time. Hopefully, this is the fix, if not I will replace the clutch assembly with a new clutch assembly. Thanks again for making this great video. Save me $1000 by not having to go to a shop and have a new compressor installed.

78° & 74% humidity? That would be a great day here in the deep South! I've seen days of mid to upper 90's with the heat index of 115°!!! Even 80° here can feel like 100° at times when the dew point gets above 70°. Great video sir.

An honest Mechanic, Diligent and cares about family and viewers, Excellent video as always.

I’ve taught myself many things about my car I’ve never knew before just by watching videos by really good you tubers. I thank all of you cause I learn something and get experience doing it I even tackled some of the repairs myself and felt good afterwards that I actually fixed a problem.

Another great repair... Your customers in upstate new york are certainly blessed to have you Dr. O

I'm in the Arizona desert. In 2019, the AC on my 1998 Nissan Frontier (260K miles) was operating intermittently. A few years before, I had wired up a dash light to show me when the AC compressor clutch was getting positive voltage; So when it stopped pushing cold air into the cab and that light remained on, I immediately pulled over, left everything running, saw the AC clutch was not engaged, so tapped it with my softball bat (similar to what Eric did) and it engaged. So I knew what my issue was; after removing the center bolt, I used three 5mm bolts to extract the AC clutch drive plate, and then removed the thinner of the two shims. That fixed it, and I didn't even need to pull the AC belt off to do the repair. This summer, similar happened on my 1988 Mazda truck, which also had been experiencing some "failure to crank" issues. I pulled over, saw the AC compressor on it was not engaged, did the tap with softball bat again and it engaged. So as I drove home I figured it also had an air gap/shim issue. But when I got home, I noticed that its alternator was not operating, and its warning light was not lighting up. Shop tested my alternator (was bad) and I installed a lifetime warranty O'Reilly alternator since I've had good experience with one that '98 Frontier), and AC was all fixed, and no more failure to crank either.

Sweet fix dude! Just did one of these Civic A/C clutch jobs earlier in the spring. The old clutch friction surfaces looked pretty lathed, but the magnet coil was still perfectly good! I bet most shops would just install a whole new Reman junk compressor in there instead of doing this 5-minute free "no parts required" fix...

quick, easy, low cost repair...love it!

I really enjoy your videos I have been wrenching on cars for almost 40 years and the way steps you take on diagnosing and even when you found the problem you still dig deeper taking measurements (corvette hot no start) as someone else mentioned you would make a great teacher.I have been to tech schools but I know i would learn more just watching your videos.Thanks for the time you take to make theses videos to help others.

This video makes an excellent point, you don't have to become an expert on the subject, but educate yourself a little bit about what's going on. In this day and age, there is no excuse for ignorance

Thank you for your honesty! It's awesome that you are helping people with what they need and not just what you can sell them to jack up the price.

Great video. Great detail. Never would have guessed a shim on the clutch would be the problem. You saved this owner several bucks, thanks for being up front and honest.

Eric, thanks for all the great info and humor. I just did this repair to my '04 Civic....at a campground with a grill bush! It took me longer to get the jack out and tire off than to fix the clutch. "Torqued to spec." Love it.

If he can help, maybe we can help. There is always a blessing in helping. Helping is a gift.

Awesome video Eric. Not only do I have the same gen Civic, but I learned something. Keep up the great work.

hands down one of the very best youtube channels. I always look forward to your videos and my wife even watches them. we both laugh. she was yelling at the screen for Vanessa to honk the horn since you were messing with her. Great great videos keep up the phenomenal work.

Eric, thank you for being honest with ur customers it is wonderful thing to have integrity- moral and ethics in what you offer in your business I really respect what you do and how you operate.

This is the most fun I've ever had watching an AC repair.

Another fantastic video! Never boring. Always teaching new stuff. Thanks for all you do, Eric.

Great job ! Your detailed video's showing each step of the way of the repair are fantastic ! What a great channel you have.

Nice fix! My mom had one of these, and the rust monster smoked the bearings in the clutch two times in 10 years. Just totally rocking and rolling and making a racket. One time it got hot enough wobbling around to chew up the coil too. I put two clutch kits in it about 8 years apart. IIRC, it was sort of a pain to find a puller that would work for me with the compressor installed, but I did manage to do it. When she sold it the nose seal was leaking pretty good, but it "worked" and with 300k miles it was probably one last ditch Craigslist sale from the scrapper. Fun car to work on though: pretty much all makes sense and you only need about three wrenches and sockets, plus that one crank holder tool.

This video saved me the $1200.00 that the Honda dealership quoted to replace the A/C clutch. I was afraid to take the shim out, the plates feeler gauge was tight at .20. So I filed a little on the center of the outside plate that contacted shim. I polished the surfaces up a bit and put it back together. This was on a 2006 Civic with 227,000 miles. Thanks a million for this channel!

Eric, you are the master mechanic and above all very honest. Another crooked mechanic would have said to this customer, "you need a brand new compressor and everything that comes with it. "

Thank you for this video! I agree with the comments, you are an honest mechanic and we all learned big time.

Eric, I had the exact same issue in my 2005 Honda Civic LX. I appreciate the video, and the knowledge. I just pulled the clutch on my AC Compressor a little over an hour ago, cleaned it up, removed the shim and it started spinning! I bought the car for $500. It was turned in to the dealership my gf works at because the AC didn't work, and the guy said he was going to be charged over 1G at different garages to get it fixed, (plus some other work which would cost him even more) so he traded the car in for something new. When I got it, it only blew hot air. I figured, for $500, I can't really complain, and I've been trying to figure out why it wasn't working for the last month. Bought a can of R134 and the gauge said it was full. So I assumed the compressor had failed, and was locked up. Then I saw your video, I put the car up on jack stands and whacked the compressor with a rubber hammer and it started spinning! Since I was able to get it spinning, I grabbed my gauge and checked the pressure and at that point, there was nothing in the system at all, so I started filling it up. Within a couple of minutes the AC was blowing cold. I turned the AC off and on like in your video, but after it turned off, it wouldn't turn back on. So I grabbed my impact, pulled the clutch off, and removed the shim with a strong refrigerator magnet. Took my wire brushes with some brake clean and cleaned up the clutch assembly (off the car obviously) then reinstalled in. Now it works each and every time I turn the AC on. So again, thank you for the video, this helped me out a lot, and saved me $190 for a new AC compressor - - at least for now :)

This was the exact same issue I had with my 2004 Civic, found this video, did the repair and it's still working perfect after 2 years!! Thank you for the video cause Honda diagnosed it originally and said the compressor needed to be changed..

Another one from the UK checking your garage out and it is good to see someone putting the facts and process as it happens. The good and the bad, this is reality in most DIY or pro jobs. I have watched many of your videos and have had a good laugh at times, as I have been restoring cars with little or no knowledge and your videos are a life saver at times. I am currently restoring a BMW Z3 2002 2.2i and sorting out the problem with the A/C not working, I am gradually sorting this out with your tips. I like how your family are involved in your life and I find them great. The important years are here and now. You will reflect on this as your get older, believe me... I only wish if I could turn back time, they are golden. Keep up the good work, find time and don't work all hours, this will be my tip to you. Regards

Eric, I love your channel! You are a true mechanic and IThank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

Another excellent presentation, I learn something with every video. Thank you Eric.

Had a 09 uk civic in today ac not working. serviced the the gas it was low. Regased. Still no chill Checked the compressor relay it was blown/faulty, replaced relay still no chill. Tapped the clutch boom. Removed the shim happy days. 3 faults on the ac. Top tip eric remembered this vid when you released it. 👍👍👍👍👍 Regards kinger uk 6/7/18

Yeah its been my experience that 99 % of the shops out there wouldnt even tell you about removing the shims but rather try to push a whole new compressor on you. I didnt realize you could even buy just the clutch disc and stator till I started watching ETCG videos on A/C clutch repairs. He does a great video on replacing an Acura RL clutch disc only but does talk and show the little shims that adjust the gap. People make it always sound like its a low charge but sometimes its something more like in this case. Great job Eric O.

Eric another awesome vid. Made me smile messing with Venessa. Keep up the great vids.God bless you and your family.

thank you! im going to advanced auto school and you really are a good teacher ive learned some stuff i can go and show off in class lol thank you and god bless you guys are awesome!!

Been having a really bad time trying to get the a/c fixed in a 2005 Honda Civic EX. This was the exact problem and fix. Thank you so much for your time and effort!!! Saved me at least $300-$400. Thanks again!!!!

Eric your my hero, and my daughters. She bought a 2005 honda civic, same thing fixed it!!!!kudos to you Eric, Thank you.

Seems like we are getting more videos, more often from you. And its AWESOME! I really hate the opinion a lot of mechanics have when it comes to RU-vid/forums. I pulled the trans and changed the clutch in my fwd ford, solely from a step by step w/ pics a member posted on a forum. If it wasn't for people like you & others, people like me would be screwed & broke.

I'm a licensed refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic and I learned a lot. You're great Eric! Mitch

Eric..... Once again you have taken the time to share valuable information with us. Thank-you! I never would have attempted such a job before now, but I'm motivated and determined to improve my ac situation as it's been 80 to 95 degrees here this week in Ottawa, Ontario. I am mechanically inclined so I will now tackle this job on my 03 Civic coupe thanks to the encouragement offered by your video. Sharing your valuable information can and usually does instill confidence in others to take on such tasks. If you were to take this vehicle into a Honda dealership they would soak you for more than $700 to fix this problem and would more than likely replace the whole compressor rather than service it. I have watched several of your videos and find them very informative. Perhaps one day, I will drop in and meet you and your charming wife. Paul........Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Really awesome video! I can't thank you enough. One of the biggest tips that I pulled out of this video was the location of the clutch and what that working or not working of that clutch! Also useful was the location of the compressor. Most videos do not show really simple items like that! THANKS AGAIN!!

20:36 "Torqued to spec" lol. I hope this becomes a recurring catch phrase.

Thank you so much for posting this! I've got an '03 Mitsubishi outlander that is doing this exact thing and wanted to know what was wrong before I took it into the mechanic. Awesome as always!

You're a good, honest man, Eric. It's refreshing to see!!

We've been chasing AC issues with our 2003 civic for a while and it turned out that the ac clutch gap was too large and removing that shim fixed the problem. Thank you for sharing this!

20:37 "Torqued to spec, let's see what happens" I love it!!

Another great vid, Eric - keep 'em coming!

This just helped me fix my girl’s cousins honda. They said the compressor was bad and I just check all the boxes from this video and it works. Saved em a whole lot of money. Thank you.

July 2020 and this video is still relevant. Worked on my 2011 Honda Civic. Kept turning off after 20 minutes of driving from cold start. Saw your video and followed you to till the end. Even got the chrome package after the wire brush and torqued it to “spec”. ;) fantastic video my friend. Drove my car for a good hour and it never once turned off. The plate looked really close to the clutch but it worked wonders after removing that washer. Definitely saved me a trip to the mechanic and save me some money. Thank you 3000!

Great as always. I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with my AC in my Jeep with no success. Taking it to a shop this week to let the pros take a look. I think it's awesome that you mentioned Ratchets&Wrenches. He does a great job explaining various concepts. He's even got a few Subaru head gasket videos which I know your a big fan of......

Ola sou o cara do Brasil que tinha te perguntado sobre o barulho na suspensão do RAV4. Eu consegui resolver o problema do barulho. Era a mola que tinha furado a borracha e estava encostando ferro com ferro. Gosto de seus vídeos, apesar de não entender o idioma assisto muito deles. Valeu continue a fazer vídeos explicativos sobre mecânica.

Thanks for the great video walking through the steps. Takes me back to working on my wife's 1996 Honda Civic. Replaced a few things here and there but that thing ran for 300K miles and was running good when we sold it.

I have a 2004 Civic and I will remember this video when the A/C clutch won't kick in! Thanks for for this informative video for us do it yourselfers.

Cool video from a honest technician - Sure wish you were based in the UK! - Thanks Eric!

Another excellent video. After watching the video, I picked up a $100 manifold gauge set at the local auto store and found that my low pressure was down below the recommended range on a 10 year old vehicle. Symptom was that compressor was turning on and off every 4 seconds at 70 degrees F ambient temperature. Added 8 ounces of R134a and some dye. Viola, low pressure is now in recommended range for the ambient temperature, the compressor does not cycle as often, and low temperature in the cabin is now 40 degrees F which is an improvement from the previous 51 degrees F.

I love the old videos with Eric just staring at the camera! You've come a long way!!

My 2010 Equinox, at 90,000 miles, has the same problem; the OEM GM A/C clutch kit was available online from Am..... for less than the after market kits they also sell. Thanks for a very thorough examination of this customer's problem and the shout-out to Ratchets and Wrenches, which I also follow. For those trying to figure out how the typical car A/C system works, the guy at the R & W channel has gone to the trouble of making large diagrams of the typical system, with all the various high and low pressure sensor/switches, the relays and fuses, and the involvement of the ECM in controlling the flow of current to the compressor, and explains the theory of how everything is supposed to work. You, Eric, have shown us how theory and practical experience translates into making a quick, solid diagnosis and repair. I particularly appreciate your comment on the average annual loss of the R134a, the effect of which explains how a problem that seems to appear suddenly can actually be the result of normal, accumulated annual losses of R134a, when a person does not have his or her A/C system checked every few years. Also, thanks for pointing out the measurement of the clutch clearances and the importance of those very thin, easy-to-lose shims in maintaining the clearances in these systems.

your a wizard at diagnosis i love your your show

Didn't know about the clutch shims. Learned a lot today. Thanks!

Great channel Eric O! Love the work and your level of integrity is impeccable.

Yep, another educational video, almost a full length tutorial! Thanks for posting.

Well done. I learn more from your diagnostic skill that from reading Chiltons repair manuals. Thank you

Another great video. I have run into something similar with electric PTO clutches on zero turn mowers. These clutches have 3 bolts with springs. As they wear you can adjust the gap by turning the bolts. I would have never guessed though that A/C clutches worked in a similar fashion and could be fixed like you fixed this one.

i think I have watched this video 4 or 5 times over the course of 3 years. it never gets old. having a 270K mile 2005 civic daily driver with no AC problems I expect some trouble soon.

dudeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.my car hasnt had A/C for over 2 years !!!....i did what u did in the video and fixed it no problem....saved me a butttttload of money.....much appreciated my good sir !!!

I see your a Honda man. Nice to see a fellow import man.

Great fix. Love the videos. Keep them coming!

The shim fix worked like a champ on my 2003 Civic EX. Thanks for posting the great video!

This repair worked perfectly for my 05 civic with similar issue. Thanks for posting this.

@Shannon Helton In parts of the country where the AC goes unused for 6 months (or more), the seal on the compressor shaft can harden up and leak a little.

another great video. keep up the good work and keep the videos coming.

Just fixed my ac on my 04 civic si. Your video did the job. Thank you.

Honesty like yours is not easy to find. There's not too many like you. Thanks for another fine video , always a pleasure to see your videos. Also I am always looking for a new video from you whenever I turn on RU-vid ..first thing..peace"😀

Great Video! And I also agree with many others, Most shops would have put a new compressor and such on that car, I know why you have a busy shop, great to know that there are honest shops out there. All the best to the family, God Bless

You saved my summer!!! I have complained to my Honda Service team about poor AC cooling, and after seeing this video, I insisted they evacuate the system to see how much Freon was actually there. 2004 Civic SI a Florida car, it is 98F, 77% humidity here in Tampa Bay today. There was less than 20% of the required Freon, no wonder it was not cooling....After putting the correct amount in the system it is frosty now!!!! I mean ice cold 40F- 35F in Florida mid summer..Thank you very much for the tip....

I'm a youtube watching DIY at home, and i do fairly well, especially when the good guys like you explain the issue I have. I was able to diagnose a faulty magnet 🧲 by ground testing, did the repair myself. I asked a Honda dealer mechanic if he replaced clutch coil magnets he said "Never. Always the compressor". I did the job, $35 ebay coil, done! Next was the fans and their diagnosis, your video on that topic really helped! Also changed out the ETC, and dye test showed me the leak, just a discharge line, easy, and likely just the O-Ring, need to figure out how to pinpoint that. Subscribed For Life!!!

I love doing HVAC because it is something of a mystery how it works to most people. You would be surprised how many technicians in HVAC that struggle with refrigerant related problem.

great job... thanks for all the great videos

I just did this exact same process with my 2010 Fit! Compressor wasn't kicking on and I needed to remove the shim. The clutch face was crusty so I ran it over the wire wheel (I did both faces) It was kind of exciting seeing you going through all the same steps (no recharge for me, don't have the equipment) to get the a/c working again. Excellent confirmation that I did it right. This was really a great example of "if Eric O can do it, you can do it" Thanks!

Such a great channel. Don't have car trouble, but I've learned so much just letting them spin during the day.

I know Vanessa was thinking " make up your dang mind" ...off / on /off / on LOL

*Awesome fix!* Oxide is a great insulator (weaken) from direct metal contact with magnetism (as you just discovered). Having a "short AC usage season" isn't always the case for not needing the system to function properly in cool (or cold) weather. As with many cars (even my '89 Buick) when *"MAX Defrost"* is commanded- the AC compressor will kick on, and with the temperature valve in "heat" position- it will shunt the cold air to outside, and use the heat of the condenser to warm the radiator more quickly, and also use the system to dehumidify the air for a "defogging" effect. It's about the same principal as a "preheated" O2 sensor; it fools the rest of the system into thinking the engine is warmed- and then it runs accordingly.

You da man.....very logical trouble shooter & fast , straight to the problem...best I ve. ever seen.You make car repair look easy every time, even other mechanics cannot fix.If only I was as sharp as you.

So, I tried exactly what was recommended and my AC came back to life. The clutch kicked in like a pro! The AC is ice cold now! Thanks!

Another great video... Thanks Eric-O.!