Comments on: Ask the Readers: Should We Fix the Air Conditioner in Our 1998 Jeep?

By: Les@SpillingBuckets

Les@SpillingBuckets — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:39:33 +0000

How often do you have a loaded car and drive several hours out of state? Once, twice per year? Plus it's almost fall/winter when you'll want heat more than anything.

I'd say leave it, and save up money to get a better car or fix it next spring when it's hot again.

By: Sense

Sense — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:13:15 +0000

I agree with Cindy; August is almost over and I doubt it will be hot for much longer.

(I love Mike's suggestion to put the work out there but it may be tricky to get someone good/reliable. You'd be taking a risk. I'd at least get another quote.)

However, if your husband is the one that has to drive in it every day, he should be the one to make the call. He'll have to live with it, after all!

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:05:22 +0000

I had 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee where the whole dash had to be removed to fix the heat (It was a known defect in this model). I was quoted $1200 by a mechanic to fix it. A friend of my neighbor is a mechanic at a tire store and offered to do it for $500. He just comes by the house and does the work there and charges less since he doesn't have anyone else to pay. I talked to him the other day and this guy is trying to find as many people to do after hour work for as possible because of the economy. This may be something to ask around and see if you can find. (I never had the work done, I just bundled up, and I'm in Florida).

By: One Frugal Girl

One Frugal Girl — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:33:17 +0000

@Cindy -- That's actually a great suggestion. Why spend money today on something we won't need for another eight or nine months?

@Anonymous -- The mechanic claims the other work was necessary and still functional. It's just that another part broke in the mean time. In other words we're tough out of luck for the work he already performed and the previous work has no bearing on the future fixes.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:52:21 +0000

Is the work your mechanic performed under warranty? If so, you should pay for labor but not parts.

By: Cindy Brick

Cindy Brick — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:28:47 +0000

How hot will it get for the rest of the year? I'm guessing it won't be bad…why not wait and save money for it now, and look for the best price quote you can in the meantime? Then if you still want to, fix it in the spring, when air conditioning becomes much more important…