I put a new compressor in my daughters car yesterday, the oil pan was yellow with the tell tale signs of oil pouring out of the front seal of the compressor. Cost of the compressor was 145.00 for an OEM reman, 20.00 for O-rings and 40.00 for a new drier. This wasn't terrible, took me 3 hours from start to finish. The upper bolt is a PIA and the drier was a PIA, you have to split the rear evap AC line and break the line to the rear AC solenoid to get it out. I opted to reuse my old clutch but most come with a new one, to remove the clutch, remove the nut and gently pry off the top cover, then use snap ring pliers and remove clip, then a 3 jaw puller will remove the outer pulley. Once you get that off you will see another snap ring, remove that and it will come off, you will also have to remove the hi temp switch from the compressor. Clean everything up and re-install on new compressor. I put 3 ounces of PAG46 in the compressor and an ounce in the drier, the system holds 5 ounces and there is no way to know how much oil is out in the system. I always use Parker o-ring lube for my o-rings, never put them on dry. When everything is back together throw the vacuum pump on. I pulled the system down to 600 microns, the key is to have zero micron rise in an hour, with no micron rise I charged 2.38# in and fired it off, my discharge air temp was 40 degrees.

 

impressive - i have seen many of those reman compressors fail because of clutch failure (and i guess that is the cheap that we get from china), but you
are the first that i have known to remove the clutch and put the original (i guess you had the original compressor) clutch on a new (reman) compressor.
One question: there is a ac flush for the evaporator and condensor. Did you use that or not?

 

There is no need to use AC flush if your compressor did not have a catastrophic failure, even then, if the drier did not break I would not use it. To use it properly you would have to break the lines going into the front and rear evaporator after the metering device, and flush both of them and blow enough nitrogen through there to get all of out. If the drier is in tact then there is really no need and you most likely would do more harm then good. But disclaimer, I am a large commercial HVAC tech, specializing in 500+ ton units, and firmly believe, as I have for 28 years, that only 2 things belong in a refrigeration system, refrigerant and oil, nothing else, no leak dye, conditioners etc.

 

We have a very slow leak on a 2010 FEH. Seems to need a top up every year. Any weak spots on the 2008-12 owners should be aware of?

 

I don't know anything really about them but just look for oil and you will find the leak, you could bubble soap your schraders.