Took my brother's scion XD to a shop because the ac stopped working and they quoted us $1800 and said the whole system needed to be done. The used car dealer we bought it from had us send it to a different mechanic who he knew and it turns out all it needed was a recharge. 2 years later it's still blowing cold.
@@aussie2uGA AC is not truly sealed though, there are "rubber" seals and flexible piping that slowly leak refrigerant naturally. It is 100% normal for a car to lose roughly an ounce a year, which means after a few years your modern 14oz or less system is down, but it isn't extremely low until it gets near the 1/2 way point, depending upon climate. The only truly sealed systems are those on home air conditioners and the like with all metal tubing and soldered fittings, except for a few access points and the power pass through for the compressor.
One of the ports on the A/C lines must have been leaking ever so slightly and working them with a recharge must have allowed them to seal. Sometimes there are simple fixes
Wizzard, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari don't build air compressors. They are all supplied by Bosch, including the starter motors and generators from Bosch factories, Bosch has an excellent service network here in Europe where you can have these devices overhauled. I don't know how it is in the US. Yes, here an air conditioning pump is also expensive at Maseratidaler. But if only the electric clutch is defective, you can simply have it repaired here at a Bosch service point
The guy that actually invented the AC magnetic compressor clutch worked for GM but developed it in his basement. GM sued him when he tried to patent it, and the case went on for years but he persevered and won! He died a few years ago and his heirs sold the house he owned in Fort Lauderdale. If you have Google earth, look up 1818 SE 10th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He wound up doing pretty good because of his invention; The house sold for $24,000,000 last year-
Replacing the compressor as a whole is also a good idea for the sake of reliability because if you tear into it to replace the clutch or the actuator or whatever, there is that much more that can go wrong, PLUS, if something goes wrong, YOUR butt is on the hook instead of the compressor's manufacturer. They can warranty the unit as a whole, but not when you are the one tearing into it.
The secret to a happy life is low expectations . My 1987 W124 with 735000 km and my 1996 Trooper both have original compressors. The Trooper has never even had a 134a top up. It's at 293000 km. But I do know pain; our 2022 Kia Telluride has already been topped up as it was blowing warm!!
Mom's 2016 Kia Sportage had it's AC compressor fail too. Thankfully it was a relatively easy fix, but the car isn't even 10 years old and had just crossed the 100k mile mark.
Also keep in mind the air conditioning system works (depending on ambient outside temperature and humidity) with defrost mode to evaporate the moisture from incoming air in the winter time. This helps reduce condensation buildup on the windshield etc.
@@1575murray correct, some systems will allow that however some climate control systems will not. On certain models if you push the AC button the lamp will go out as expected however if in defrost mode you can actually look at the compressor and still see it running. This is called priority override from the climate control module.
"She had a busy schedule" translates as "works in education, and is waiting for Christmas break," right? I'm a school principal, and any non-essential service waits until a longer break or summer. My car needs touch-up paint on the bumper, but it will still need it in June. If my A/C went, I'd probably just roll down the windows until the next break rolled around.
Wizard just so you know that Levante uses many of the parts out of the FCA (Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep) parts bin. You should be able to cross reference that compressor probably to a RAM as it borrows lots of parts from it. Clutch kit for that compressor should be easy and cheap to get and replace also.
@@pfsantos007 Fiat group use a lot of German parts (as someone put it to me when we were looking at an Alfa 75 many years ago, under the bonnet the only bits that went wrong were labelled Bosch). I found a better picture of the compressor, got the Delphi / Mahle (same company for air conditioning) part number from the picture and googled that. Comes back as belonging to 3 different Maseratis but no other cars.
@@katywalker8322 Exactly. I had the AC compressor fail in my Maserati Spyder. I first ordered the wrong compressor (the car uses 2 different one's), and then had to order the correct one. The correct one had a dealer quote of over $3000 for the compressor. Ironically, I found a European shop that cross referenced it to a Ferrari Enzo (ironically enough), and the Ferrari Compressor was around $900. I ordered the Ferrari compressor, had my mechanic put it in, an it works great. Even has the correct Maserati part number stamped on it...😁
I think the junkie thing mostly applies to the Ghibli and Quattroporte because they are older designs and I’ve seen a lot of complaints about the gear shifter not wanting to go into the right gear and the massive panel gaps in the interior and of course everyone complains about the Chrysler infotainment and switch gear but everyone forgets that switchgear originally came from Mercedes.
Yes credit where credit is OVERDUE. Germans gave us other problems too. Unrelated is THEIR HIGHLY TOUTED cure for opium addiction...1800s .....heroin....sent from Germany to USA as a cure.....THANKS. BEFORE WW1 ...WW2. Good tiger/leopard tanks Good steel.... Good beer
I think that most hate actually stems from Doug DeMuro himself and his initial review of the Ghibli and then the Levante review that followed suit. Ironically enough, the reviews were on bare bones base models, which are only ever normally on lots as loaner cars. Even as a Ghibli owner, I couldn’t muster up many nice things to say about a base Ghibli. These are simply produced for nice lease figures and appeasing “entry price” of ownership of a Maserati. The funny thing is the auto journalists from the big magazines always had decent praise for the cars which actually has seemed to garner higher praise with every slight update that Maserati has continually released for the models. Doug made his comedic negative comments and, because people loves to hate on Maserati, everyone ran with them.
AC goes out on every southern car no matter the manufacturer. Further south you go, the higher frequency of failures. At least southern states don't generally experience rust issues like northern states.
Exactly. By the time you get to Florida, your A/C runs year around. Hence, it will get far more wear that using it for 3 months in Montana or something...
@@newbassplayer4005factz ! @ Joshtheweatherman I’ve never seen a Maserati Quattro Porte with 190 K. Not to mention an ac compressor failing at 42k miles is crazy work. My Toyota 3rd car with 215k still. Has the original ac compressor with ice cold ac. A 2019 or whatever year Maserati shouldn’t be haven’t ac compressor failure at 40k miles or 50k .
I feel like Maserati gets thrown under the rug, therefore their resale values plummet. But the truth is, they make pretty reliable cars. I drove a 2010 Maserati Quattroporte Sport with over 190k city and highway miles, and it had no lights on other than the tire pressure (which is typical after 7 years). They are much more reliable than any modern BMW, Mercedes, or Volkswagen product that's out there.
@ Joshtheweatherman I’ve never seen a Maserati Quattro Porte with 190 K. Not to mention an ac compressor failing at 42k miles is crazy work. My Toyota 3rd car with 215k still. Has the original ac compressor with ice cold ac. A 2019 or whatever year Maserati shouldn’t be haven’t ac compressor failure at 40k miles or 50k .
@@rickybobbydastar6534 I guess they were made better in the early 2010s, idk. Chrysler quality went to crap around 2019, so it makes sense that Maserati followed behind. Because they have a lot of shared parts with Chrysler.
Had a shonky shop try and take advantage of my MIL recently. She has to get it approved every 12 months for her work and they tried to tell her that all 4 of her shocks went at the same time and needed to be replaced for at least $2500. I said NOPE took it to my shop and my mechanic was FURIOUS at the other shop for doing that. He did the front shocks (and even those he said he was on the verge of passing) and it cost her about $1000
I have 2017 Levante I bought new. One of the most reliable vehicles I every had. Brakes, tires and oil changes is all it ever needed. Much better than the X5 it replaced. I’m with you Wizard BMW sucks.
I love my E46 330i ZHP, very reliable; almost 300,000KMS on the odometer, other than a mass airflow sensor, belts, tensioners, and spark plugs every part on that car is original. I bought it new in 2005 and have been the only owner. I only allow the dealership to repair my car, oil changes are DIY every 3,000 miles. By around 2012 is when BMW went to hell, those turbo 4-cyl engines are garbage.
@@VanquishMediaDE If I’m being honest, I have to say the X5 wasn’t a bad truck. I had it with the diesel and it got very good mileage. My biggest complaint was with BMW service and corporate. They were very unprofessional and would constantly try to upcharge.
Not really. My chevy has polish czech german mexican made OEM parts. You dont know till you need to know. Or nissan w mercedes engine Ford suspension.....God help us.
Had some similar problems with my Alfa GTV6. Engine/Transmission was bullet proof with proper maintenance. Driveshaft had three guibo's with no boltable crossmember to take entire driveshaft out
I've noticed the same thing many times. Every Fiat / Alfa i worked on, the parts that failed was always German or british. But hey, let's blame the italians anyway, cause that's what the internet experts wants.
@@rogerringold616 My 2016 Smart forFour (4 seater model the U.S. didn't get). Uses a Renault 1.0l 3-cylinder engine from the head on it's redesigned by Mercedes and Smart. And oh boy did they screw it. All Renault and Nissan models that use this engine have no problem with it because the have an engine up front. Mine is the back just like in the Smart forTwo and the 2014-today Renault Twingo (technological twin of the Smart but a little cheaper). I had a faulty crankshaft sensor at 11.000miles and stranded because of it. 2.5h labor to change that thing, overheating problems, faulty starter motors, problems with the dry dual clutch transmission overheating if used to much in stop and go traffic (ironic for a car designed for the city), mines currently at 18.000miles when it hits 35.000 I'll yeet it :)
Something similar happened to my '16 KIA Forte under warranty. I noticed a small drop of oil under the car. After a quick visual I noticed the bottom of my A/C Compressor was very damp with that (PAG) oil. I took it to my KIA dealer & they said: _"How do you know the compressor is leaking? Are you a mechanic? Your A/C works fine!"_ I insisted an inspection & got a new compressor for FREE.
I would have recorded him being the lower body part he is. He should be severely reprimanded by dealership/ manager owner and exposed. No need to be nasty. People already apprehensive coming to a dealership
Demonstrates the Hyundai/Kia service (or lack thereof). The local Hyundai/Kia dealer is one of the worst rated dealers in the area. Hyundai/Kia is notorious for trying to weasel out of every warranty repair, especially their so called 100k mile "powertrain warranty).
@@joshuamast5128 Yeah, the Hyundai Kia dealers have a notorious reputation to be atrocious. One of the reasons I completely deleted them off any buy list, as practically everyone that has had one says they are basically incompetent, corrupt and useless. Even my brother which had a Genesis took his car in and it was a massive cluster of incompetence. He sold it already...
While the compressor isn’t cheap, it’s honestly not far off the price of a compressor from your average modern car. Hell, the compressors for newer Hondas are about $800 or more. Doesn’t look that bad to change either.
I have owned a 2014 Panamera and a 2017 Quattroporte. The Maserati has had far fewer problems and, when they do occur, are far less expensive and easier to fix. On the modern German cars, almost every electronic component is coded to the car. Thus, even if you replace something yourself, you must often take a trip to the stealer. I will acknowledge that they are not nearly as reliable as a Corolla, However, a good DIY mechanic can handle most of the issues you will encounter on a Maserati. But please, let those who have never owned one keep bashing them. It keeps the prices down on the used ones. I never buy new.
I loved my 911, it was very reliable but even Porsche has fallen victim to outsourcing, not much of the parts are made in Germany, almost everything is made in some lesser country. Almost everything on my 2017 E-Klass was made in China and Mexico (except the infotainment system that was made in Germany). I love my 2016 Gran Turismo.
Yup also keep in mind some cars have heat pumps. To heat the cabin. So you need the compressor year round. Even in cold. This is especially true on most electric vehicles
@@StratoArticA I lived on Black Mountain in Henderson Nevada for several years. (Las Vegas) and I love AC also. Question and I don't know the answer: Almost all homes in Henderson and Vegas have the whole AC unit mounted on the roof. When you needed AC work a large crane was required. Why are they mounted on the roofs instead of the back porch in the shade? Like 90% of all private homes. I had to take the ladder and hose to clean the dust and sand out of the coils a lot.
Excellent video. A nearby Maserati dealer told me they will not deal with any Maseratis built before 2018. Apparently they improved for the 2018+ MY. That said it is a Mahle compressor which used to be made in Germany but I believe they are now made in China.
I had an old Jag...Sovereign the big one..rectangle head lights...horrible electrical .....Federal suit...court ordered repairs/recall. On specific doors...etc....until it broke it was wonderful...smooth/powerful/fast/pretty car/ leather wood....air bag suspension. 92 had 4 models instead of 3 trim levels. 105 wheel base....longest modern jag ....heartbreaking .
@@anthonyxuereb792 Yes, but they also build to a price for Maserati. So if they sign up to build a $200 compressor then Maserati knows to expect it to last 20k miles. If the contract is at $300 then it will last 40k miles, etc. It's always a balance of cost & quality. Like Wizard says, life of the car = warranty in far too many situations.
Scrub those brake calipers with Dawn dish detergent and water! That is something I do whenever I have a wheel off and have the time to do it. I use a plastic dish brush, makes them look brand new.
Still $1k if you do the work yourself. Paying a Maserati mechanic to diagnose and fix the problem is a whole other story. If that car came into the Wizards shop with the same issue I’m sure it’s at least a $2k fix with replacement of the freon, labor and diagnostic.
I doubt a masserati owner cares about a 1k-2k repair... Also costed the same to fix my Toyota Tacoma AC that had a line that burst, sucked in dirt, and self destructed the system.
I had my exotic car mechanic replace my A/C compressor on my Maserati a few months ago. The price was around $2100, and I sourced the compressor for him at around $900. At the time, the dealer wanted over $3000 for the compressor alone.
@@redbaron6805 Sounds like you have a decent mechanic. Problem with doing A/C repairs is even if you have the ability to replace parts yourself only shops have the machine to extract and refill the refrigerant properly. You can fill it with a can and a gauge but only if you vent the old refrigerant to the atmosphere which is illegal. Also properly testing the system requires a pressure gauge. $2k isnt that bad its just saying you can do it for $1k parts is leaving out all the diagnosis and labor which nearly everyone will need to pay for. Some jobs you can do at home and others you just cant without specialized tools and equipment.
@@CouchMan88 Very true. A/C compressor replacement requires specialized equipment, hence most people simply can't do it themselves, even less so legally. So, I think $1200 for the labor is pretty reasonable. The fact that the shop let me source my own parts for it, and even waited patiently for the compressor to arrive from Europe while the car sat on their lift, was even more generous of them. Even though they specialize in exotic cars, they were still honest and reliable, and the prices were pretty fair. They are definitely my go to shop for the Maserati.
To my amazement a local garage here in England tried the " Aircon parts are difficult to get and expensive for foreign cars " trick on me when I took my Kia Sorento there with a holed condenser. I got a new condenser, drier and the hoses he said he couldn't get, for about half his price quote. He still inflated the bill, so I've never been back. On the other hand my Skoda specialist who looks after my current Octavia 4x4 is totally upfront and genuine. Guess who gets our business.
thanks for helping dispel the myths about these cars...As an Italian American it has hurt my heart to see how comfortable people are making often downright racist comments online about how supposedly crap Italian cars are...and the people making these comments have never even owned an Italian car...they never make such racist statements about British cars, despite having similar reputations, and they often overstate the reliability of German cars. Anyway thanks for being fair and honest Car Wiz.
" it has hurt my heart to see how comfortable people are making often downright rcist comments online about how supposedly crap Italian cars are...and the people making these comments have never even owned an Italian car...they never make such racist statements about British cars, despite having similar reputations" Actually, they do make the same statements about british cars, they're consistently rcist or just don't know the cars across the board. "and they often overstate the reliability of German cars." Not so much any more that german cars are using so much plastic on the engines and things don't last like they used to. I have a fiat 500 in the US and I've learned why people have bad experiences with them, it's because most mechanics here are not familiar with them, don't have the tools and experience, so the work takes longer and thus repair costs are ridiculous. For example a timing belt replacement in the EU for a fiat 500 is cheap, mechanics have done it a hundred times and they're fast at it and they have the tools already, here is the opposite. Sometimes it's blatant rcism, other times it's just the economics of repairs on cars our mechanics aren't familiar with. Fiat came back to the US market after a long absense when they brough the fiat 500 here, then just a few years later they had to pull out of the US again because they couldn't even sell cars here after people had these bad repair experiences. It makes all the difference in the world to have mechanics familiar with the cars you want them to service.
Great video. Glad it has been reliable so have both of my maseratis. All 5 that I have owned to date are great. I also enjoy reading the comments from the uninformed arm chair experts telling you to source the compressor from a dodge or jeep because that is what levante is. They have no idea the platform is unique to maserati as is the engine. Just because it has the same window switches does not make it the same car people...
I love Italian cars. I'm currently on the lookout for a cheap old Alfa 159 as a side project and all my friends think I'm crazy. They all have BMW's, Audis and VW's and they're ALL POS money pits. I see new Audis broke down on the motorway all the time. I can't believe how bad new Audis are, and that people still buy them convinced that they're "quality" cars but it's just out of tribal loyalty.
The italianos have always been the better designed and engineered cars. Maybe not always the best quality control. However, it is much better to deal with a bad part than with a bad design or with a nonsensical (another word for German) engineering.
I owned a Maserati BiTurbo back in the 1990s. Fast, cheap but unreliable! You are probably correct that Maserati is more dependable now. Today's Maserati's look to me like an Italian Buick.
I took my Honda CRV into Westshore Honda here in Tampa. After paying 300 for an ac diagnostics, I was quoted 3 grand. The clutch on the compressor was bad as it was. The mechanic couldn't find the 2 leaks. The advisor originally said that the AC went bad because I had one bad fan. After getting into a heated argument, first with the advisor and the mechanic. I took the car home found both leaks, replaced the compressor and refilled the refrigerant. I took the SUV back for an oil change with the ac thermometer in the vent. It was blowing 41 degrees. Total cost - 700 dollars. Then I spilled the beans. I told the advisor that I actually worked in a shop, and I actually was a mechanic at a truck rental place one time. He apologized and never treated me like a kid after that. The reason that I spent that much is I replaced the condenser which also housed the ac filter. Now air conditioning repair not being my strong suit, it did take me about 7 hours.
Having ran two Maserati's of the previous generations it pays to research the known weak spots and buy a sample that has been fully serviced and repaired by the right shops, or it will cost you a fortune. The Quattroporte that i ran had the upgraded throttle body and all associated sensors replaced before i bought it. you can brick the instrument pack if you use the wrong equipment to reset the service light. They are superb cars to drive, until they break, then your wallet will melt!
The distinction between cross plane / flat plane does not apply to V6 engines. All known V6 engines neither have 1 plane crankshaft (flat), nor 2 planes crankshaft (cross), but 3 planes separated by 120 degrees. (and I even think that 90 degrees V6 split-pin cranckshafts have 6 planes)
That compressor is going on five years old. Lots of parts that can wear or fail, especially if the mfr went for low cost, low quality Mexican or Chinese junk.
A compressor failed in my 4 year old Honda Accord. I had a compressor cut out on a virtually brand new Hyundai Santa Fe with around 10k miles on it. A/C compressor failures are not exactly common in newer cars, but they are far from being rare or unheard of.
I love my 2016 Gran Turismo, it is not my daily driver (that would be my 2015 Volvo S60 T5) but it has been very reliable for a spring and summer weekend toy.
I had a few shops tell me I needed to replace my a/c compressor when it was working intermittently. I fixed it myself for free when I determined the clutch plate had worn down and I simply needed to remove a washer to close the gap to spec.
This is the kinda thing that should be teached in schools today. Actual real life problem solving, which in the long run is both ecologic and economic. It shouldn't be about how much time it takes (at first). It's about learning to apply certain mechanical and electrical aspects in a broader view. Of course taking stuff apart and trying to fix them without a -good- "old school" service manual will be more time consuming, but in the same time it's learning. Many people have made a living out of fixing something that is super costly when "done right" or at the dealer, authorized repair etc., while they may have learned a way to do it much cheaper. It usually means that at first the income is not so great, and the fixes may not be "top notch", but that doesn't mean that the dealer or manufacturer or whoever does fix it any better. And once someone has perfected their methods, they have the potential to maybe get more people involved, teach them and/or make a name for themselves. Or whatever...
@@joshuamast5128 Pretty much any shop out there is not in the business of fixing parts for you. No shop is going to spend hours trying to figure out if a part can be fixed, as no one would be willing to pay for the labor on that time. Doing it yourself is a totally different story...
Good message. My neighbor has Maserati, and seems to have good reliability. Each car model, no matter what brand, stands on it's own for engineering, parts selection, software that make up a reliable machine. Not from top, not from bottom, at least a technician can remove the AC compressor from side in a crowded engine bay with twin turbo plumbing. Kudos if it was thoughtfully engineered this way.
I could fix most cars too... And for the most part, I dont care about brands when I go shopping. I dont need a Toyota to feel confident driving around. Not that theyre that reliable anyways... Lots of myths around. This said, there are cars, that even if I can fix them and keep them on the road for cheap, I just dont care that much about them to bother. I am still losing time on them after all.
You definitely got that right. Especially useful for figuring out whether a motor works or in closing the valve near the evap canister for evap smoking.
When I was in the field, I used to call it "I want to see it hard broke." That meant I want to see the error code on the screen or something solid jammed, so I can replicate the condition. Nothing annoyed me more than to show up at a customer's site and to see an operator using a machine, and they said "Well we decided to turn it off and turn it back on, and it started working." Intermittent issues are the hardest things to diagnose.
Some shop once quoted my mom 5K dollars to have her A/C fixed with some "Blah blah" explanation about how "the compressor exploded and now the whole system needs replacing", took it to another shop and it turned out to be a blown fuse and it was ow on refrigerant, they only charged me for refilling the refrigerant
I took your advise David and I got my transmission fluid changed along with my oil change yesterday on my 2009 Honda CRV. I also let them flush out the power steering and brake fluid. It is right at 100,000 miles
Every vehicle can have problems each time, especially Honda's and Toyota's, so make sure that your current vehicle is well maintained and it is treated properly, whether if it is reliable or not. Thank you very much.
Any basic auto maker offers a 5 year warranty which would cover yours and if you reached out to Stellantis they may have offered you a replacement at a reduced price for "good will" (much abused term). The compressor is German by the way.
I am kinda surprised it has a bespoke compressor, would have thought they could have sourced something from the Fiat-Chrysler parts bin even before Stellantis.
The compressors are usually made to mount on specific engines. Since Maserati engines are a version of Ferrari engine's, they usually end up sharing compressors with Ferrari's.
@@JohnSmith-yv6eq It should be a Delphi, than in 2015 Mahle acquired all thermal business division from Delphi Autoomotive PLC (and also is joint venture in China).
A replacement compressor clutch kit in the UK is £45. Would it be worth repairing the existing compressor to have a spare for either Mrs. Wizard's Levante or for another customer?
Probably wouldn't be. The car already has tens of thousands of miles on the original compressor, so it probably already has significant wear on it. They don't last forever. The labor to install those is typically around $1200 or so. So, it would make very little sense to spend all the time and effort to fix the old one, only for the compressor to fail in a few months or a year or two down the road. I just replaced the A/C compressor in my 2004 Maserati, but the car only has around 30,000 miles on it, so the clutch on that one failed. But, due to age, the seals, coils and everything else is also old inside. Better to replace it with a new one, especially since I don't get free labor to replace mine...
Watch JR go talked badly about this car and yet his Ford F series pickup was breaking down constantly. I wrote him about it but he got mad because the truth hurts and die hard Ford owners accept this level of quality. Now he traded it for a brand new model because he didn't learn from his first F series.
There is a Thermal fuse on these compressors right behind the clutch. It can be fixed but its a bit of an effort. Requires the pulley to come off and then replace the thermal fuse. They fail a lot on GM 4cyl Ecotec engine AC clutches.
Ohhhhh yeah, I can see how a lot of garages would run with that and just tell a story about how the compressor blew up and wrecked the whole system. And that goes for _any_ make of vehicle with that same situation. Finding a good, trustworthy mechanic is SO important. Heh - one question though, what the heck is that thing that was behind it when it went up on the lift?
I remember the first time I watched your content and I was like: "Finally, a Toyota fan who isn't overly biased towards the said brand or it's cousin, the Lexus". I wish more Toyota fans were like this.
$1200 to replace compressor in my Ram. It was making random banging noises. Pretty loud, even with the A/C off. And they replaced some sort of climate sensor, so the A/C doesn’t blow as cold, but adequate. And they threw in an oil change. No problems since
Can you talk about the receiver/dryer and if you did replace it? I had always heard that if you opened the AC system up you needed to replace the receiver/dryer. Is that accurate or is it ok to open the system up and not replace it? I want the Car Wizard's ruling on this as it shall be made law once his decree is made.
It's integrated into the side of the condenser in many new cars. Unless the system has been open to air for quite a while you don't need to replace it. If the compressor failed and left debris then you need to change it because it also often contains a filter. I haven't replaced one in the couple dozen cars I've done over the years. Even on my f150 that I converted to r134a instead of the new 1234yf.
It is typically only required if the compressor itself failed, as it blows debris into the system. If the clutch fails, the compressor doesn't turn on as it won't engage, but the compressor itself is fine. Hence, there are no debris concerns to replace only the compressor. You may however be required to replace those parts if you want future warranty for the compressor. In this case, the compressor won't have premature failure due to left over debris in the system, so the chance of a warranty claim is exceptionally low.
The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on TH-cam! I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just waddling around on his stubby little legs with Pantera's WALK as the background music.
I got the same problem with my Lavante ,bought a Mahle compressor and give it to a local garage to change it ,after refilling the coolant the clutch works OK but it’s not getting cold at all. Please advise is the mechanic missing something Thank you Eddy
I love watching the Wizard’s videos. This is a proper mechanic, a man who knows how to troubleshoot, not like them snot faces at car dealerships who only know how to plug a scanner.
The Maserati Levante is not a Ferrari! They have the same AC Compressor as a Ghibli or the Quattroporte and there are plenty at junkyards which is why a low mileage car's compressor can easily be found for around $250. Even an OEM new one's sell for $700 on eBay so why the Car Wizard chosed to buy a new one from a dealer (if true) is a great way to burn money!
Our Jeep compressor managed to both blow out the side of the housing and still melt down the clutch shoe before it lost all its refrigerant and disabled the clutch.
Wizard, thanks for defending the Maserati like you do. From what you're saying it sounds like Maserati reliability is a well kept secret until you showed up! It makes me want to try owning one.
The AC system in the Saab 9-3 Aero wagon I bought in new in 2007 lasted 13 years. I had two choices for the part, the Saab branded condenser and the non-Saab branded condenser. They were the same part, made by the same company. The only differences were the Saab label and the price. The Saab branded part cost $400 more.
Honestly though! a/c comps are all off the shelf. He just needs to find wherever the OEM is sourcing them and he's good. The old compressor more than likely had the original manufacturer logo cast on the case.
@@Wpjgdmtu Tried that already. The Maserati compressor doesn't show up on any other parts list for any other car, even looking for the Denso/Wahler part numbers...
So a scam shop could easily say the whole thing has to be replaced. Which would cost $6K. And if a customer decides to ask around at a couple of other shops, they'll be told the same thing. So they pay that much. The shop replaces the one needed item for $1K, and just keeps the other $5K. And just like you said, Wizard; what needed fixing now works again. Customer doesn't know any better. Drives off like everything is fine. This is exactly why I don't bother with "Upscale" brands. Not worth it. (Maybe with Lexus as the one exception because there are certain Lexus models that don't have a cheaper Toyota counterpart.) Plus, as you mentioned, a part that normally costs $200 or $300 on most vehicles, is going to cost $1K on something like this. Let's be honest, that's an artificially inflated price. (Obviously not by the Mechanic's shop working on the vehicle.) Seriously doubt that part is several times more expensive because it's several times better than the typical part. Or that's its rareness is something naturally occurring.
There are a few flaws in that logic. Reputable shops exist for ANY car brand, and dodge shops exist for ANY car brand, no matter if its Toyota, Honda, Maserati or anything else. If you think Toyota owners are never getting ripped off, you would be pretty delusional. Parts will tend to cost less for cars that are made in the millions than cars made in the tens of thousands. Maserati sold around 25,000 vehicles WORLD WIDE, last year. So, they are obviously not getting the same volume discount as Toyota which sold over 10 million cars last year. Smaller manufacturer often battle to get parts made, as the volume is low and it isn't worth the time for many manufacturers to make 25,000 of something. They could have a minimum order of 100,000 or more. As with anything in manufacturing, the larger the volume, the bigger the discount. Maserati does not share A/C compressors with any other brand except Ferrari. Hence, the low volume of parts will mean their cost will be much higher. Some of the rest is markup.
I think repairing just the electrical part will be way cheaper than a complete new compressor, even with labour. So what wizard is saying is just not true. It’s just that those parts aren’t available in normal supply lines you cannot do it that way, because there are no OEM specs for that part, and OEM specification nowadays is literally what drives the spare part market today. Too bad, because some repairs become very costly and also bad for the environment. Maybe these repairs will return because of the price of casting steel has become sky high.
I have the same vehicle. On the lowest setting, the air conditioner cools. If I bump it up a degree or two, it starts to get warm. It looks like the compressor is turning on when I’m running the ac. Refrigerant level also looks good. Any ideas?
Do you measure the oil in the old compressor and then make sure the new one has the correct amount of oil back in it? Or does the new compressor come with no oil in it?
The oil does not stay in the compressor when the system is running, it circulates with the refridgerant. If a hose broke and oil leaked, which it probably did, then you need to add oil to the system.
You’re supposed to drain the oil from the old compressor and measure it. Then drain the oil from the new one (if it comes pre filled), and put back in the same quantity you got from the old compressor.
At least the compressor didn't fail internally -- spewing debris all over the inside of the system, requiring a complete replacement of every part of the system in order to guarantee it was repaired correctly. **whew** Just a bad clutch -- I'd take that any day of the week and twice on Sunday, even if I have to buy the whole compressor with the clutch/pulley assembly on it.
Yes for that Italian car 18 months is good not to brag but I drive a 1976 Corolla GT it’s really for a new engine at 60000" miles other than normal ware items The only things I have had to replace on the engine were water pump, alternator, thermostat and carburetor It’s now getting a 2JZ and a lot of $ to make it what I want
That does not appear to be the case. I have looked up the Delphi part numbers for Maserati compressors when mine failed, an no other cars show up with those compressors except some Ferrari's...
There's some major quality issue here. Compressors usually do not die electrically or mechanically at that low mileage or that young age. This just shows that the Italians still hasn't figured out how to make reliable electrical items.
I have a random question.. I have a 2005 Carolla. It’s doing pretty good. But my clutch went. Is it worth to put a new clutch in? I guess it’s hard to say without seeing the car. But if that’s the only major thing right now, will it drive normally again after replacement ?
If it's doing good fix it and keep on driving it. Cars like that are just to save you money and take you from point A to B. If you have thr money sell it and buy another or fix it and sell it.
@@davidm2938 thanks for the reply ! Yea I’m going go ahead and get the repair done. Go from there. Then get a newer one when I’m in a better position to
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Took my brother's scion XD to a shop because the ac stopped working and they quoted us $1800 and said the whole system needed to be done. The used car dealer we bought it from had us send it to a different mechanic who he knew and it turns out all it needed was a recharge. 2 years later it's still blowing cold.
That's a pretty common thing. Sadly some shops have NO idea how to diagnose an AC issue, or find a leak.
Mechanics are starting to be the most crooked people along with politicians and lawyers
Well the be a devils advocate, a sealed a/c system NEVER needs a "recharge". Loss of refrigerant means something happened at some point.
@@aussie2uGA AC is not truly sealed though, there are "rubber" seals and flexible piping that slowly leak refrigerant naturally. It is 100% normal for a car to lose roughly an ounce a year, which means after a few years your modern 14oz or less system is down, but it isn't extremely low until it gets near the 1/2 way point, depending upon climate.
The only truly sealed systems are those on home air conditioners and the like with all metal tubing and soldered fittings, except for a few access points and the power pass through for the compressor.
One of the ports on the A/C lines must have been leaking ever so slightly and working them with a recharge must have allowed them to seal. Sometimes there are simple fixes
Wizzard, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari don't build air compressors.
They are all supplied by Bosch, including the starter motors and generators from Bosch factories,
Bosch has an excellent service network here in Europe where you can have these devices overhauled. I don't know how it is in the US.
Yes, here an air conditioning pump is also expensive at Maseratidaler.
But if only the electric clutch is defective, you can simply have it repaired here at a Bosch service point
Yep, it's a great car! 2018 Failed AC Compressor Clutch...
Why don't you go buy a German car instead I'm sure that will be much more reliable
@@elnyoutube123 No thanks, but to re-enforce my point. th-cam.com/video/QOg5yzPB_O8/w-d-xo.html Same motor, timing chain issues.
FCA see Maserati as a luxury version of Ferrari these days. Not a bad place to be. Merry Christmas from the UK..
The guy that actually invented the AC magnetic compressor clutch worked for GM but developed it in his basement. GM sued him when he tried to patent it, and the case went on for years but he persevered and won! He died a few years ago and his heirs sold the house he owned in Fort Lauderdale.
If you have Google earth, look up 1818 SE 10th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He wound up doing pretty good because of his invention; The house sold for $24,000,000 last year-
The new owner subdivided the land and it's now listed at 60 million..
That is definitely a nice home!!!
Wow, I love in Fort Lauderdale, thanks for the info
@@KPDetails I take my cars to that location and take pictures of them. Great background, both the house and the water.
As a fellow Floridan thanks for the info!
Replacing the compressor as a whole is also a good idea for the sake of reliability because if you tear into it to replace the clutch or the actuator or whatever, there is that much more that can go wrong, PLUS, if something goes wrong, YOUR butt is on the hook instead of the compressor's manufacturer. They can warranty the unit as a whole, but not when you are the one tearing into it.
The secret to a happy life is low expectations . My 1987 W124 with 735000 km and my 1996 Trooper both have original compressors. The Trooper has never even had a 134a top up. It's at 293000 km. But I do know pain; our 2022 Kia Telluride has already been topped up as it was blowing warm!!
what engine you have on the W124? is it a diesel?
603 turbo diesel
Mom's 2016 Kia Sportage had it's AC compressor fail too. Thankfully it was a relatively easy fix, but the car isn't even 10 years old and had just crossed the 100k mile mark.
Also keep in mind the air conditioning system works (depending on ambient outside temperature and humidity) with defrost mode to evaporate the moisture from incoming air in the winter time. This helps reduce condensation buildup on the windshield etc.
You might be surprised how many people have never used A/C to help defrost windshield. They are thinking Air is for summer heat only.
Most HVAC systems will turn on the AC compressor when set to defrost if the conditions are right.
A necessity in Florida's humidity 😅
@@donmitchell532 On my 2002 Honda Accord defrost turns on the AC automatically but you can override it manually.
@@1575murray correct, some systems will allow that however some climate control systems will not. On certain models if you push the AC button the lamp will go out as expected however if in defrost mode you can actually look at the compressor and still see it running. This is called priority override from the climate control module.
Broken compressor on such fairly new car with only 60k miles is actually pretty disappointing.
"She had a busy schedule" translates as "works in education, and is waiting for Christmas break," right? I'm a school principal, and any non-essential service waits until a longer break or summer. My car needs touch-up paint on the bumper, but it will still need it in June. If my A/C went, I'd probably just roll down the windows until the next break rolled around.
Wizard just so you know that Levante uses many of the parts out of the FCA (Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep) parts bin. You should be able to cross reference that compressor probably to a RAM as it borrows lots of parts from it. Clutch kit for that compressor should be easy and cheap to get and replace also.
Words of wisdom indeed.
Think from the Mahle / Delphi part number it seems to be unique to Maserati.
@@katywalker8322 Mahle would suggest a part for a German make. Maybe compatible to a compressor from the Daimler Chrysler days?
@@pfsantos007 Fiat group use a lot of German parts (as someone put it to me when we were looking at an Alfa 75 many years ago, under the bonnet the only bits that went wrong were labelled Bosch). I found a better picture of the compressor, got the Delphi / Mahle (same company for air conditioning) part number from the picture and googled that. Comes back as belonging to 3 different Maseratis but no other cars.
@@katywalker8322 Exactly. I had the AC compressor fail in my Maserati Spyder. I first ordered the wrong compressor (the car uses 2 different one's), and then had to order the correct one. The correct one had a dealer quote of over $3000 for the compressor.
Ironically, I found a European shop that cross referenced it to a Ferrari Enzo (ironically enough), and the Ferrari Compressor was around $900. I ordered the Ferrari compressor, had my mechanic put it in, an it works great. Even has the correct Maserati part number stamped on it...😁
I think the junkie thing mostly applies to the Ghibli and Quattroporte because they are older designs and I’ve seen a lot of complaints about the gear shifter not wanting to go into the right gear and the massive panel gaps in the interior and of course everyone complains about the Chrysler infotainment and switch gear but everyone forgets that switchgear originally came from Mercedes.
Yes credit where credit is OVERDUE.
Germans gave us other problems too.
Unrelated is THEIR HIGHLY TOUTED cure for opium addiction...1800s .....heroin....sent from Germany to USA as a cure.....THANKS. BEFORE WW1 ...WW2.
Good tiger/leopard tanks
Good steel....
Good beer
Yeah, he pretends that it was 40 years ago when they're producing garbage RIGHT NOW!
The Levante, Quattroporte and the Ghibli share the same drive train and platform.
I think that most hate actually stems from Doug DeMuro himself and his initial review of the Ghibli and then the Levante review that followed suit. Ironically enough, the reviews were on bare bones base models, which are only ever normally on lots as loaner cars. Even as a Ghibli owner, I couldn’t muster up many nice things to say about a base Ghibli. These are simply produced for nice lease figures and appeasing “entry price” of ownership of a Maserati.
The funny thing is the auto journalists from the big magazines always had decent praise for the cars which actually has seemed to garner higher praise with every slight update that Maserati has continually released for the models.
Doug made his comedic negative comments and, because people loves to hate on Maserati, everyone ran with them.
18k to 60k miles in 18 months! Now that's what I call enjoying your new ride! 🔱🇮🇹🔱🇮🇹🔱
AC goes out on every southern car no matter the manufacturer. Further south you go, the higher frequency of failures. At least southern states don't generally experience rust issues like northern states.
Exactly. By the time you get to Florida, your A/C runs year around. Hence, it will get far more wear that using it for 3 months in Montana or something...
Not really! I have a 2000 lexus gs400 I replace the ac compressor 3 yesrs ago and it was the original now my car is around 286k miles
@@newbassplayer4005factz ! @ Joshtheweatherman I’ve never seen a Maserati Quattro Porte with 190 K. Not to mention an ac compressor failing at 42k miles is crazy work. My Toyota 3rd car with 215k still. Has the original ac compressor with ice cold ac. A 2019 or whatever year Maserati shouldn’t be haven’t ac compressor failure at 40k miles or 50k .
I feel like Maserati gets thrown under the rug, therefore their resale values plummet. But the truth is, they make pretty reliable cars. I drove a 2010 Maserati Quattroporte Sport with over 190k city and highway miles, and it had no lights on other than the tire pressure (which is typical after 7 years). They are much more reliable than any modern BMW, Mercedes, or Volkswagen product that's out there.
@ Joshtheweatherman I’ve never seen a Maserati Quattro Porte with 190 K. Not to mention an ac compressor failing at 42k miles is crazy work. My Toyota 3rd car with 215k still. Has the original ac compressor with ice cold ac. A 2019 or whatever year Maserati shouldn’t be haven’t ac compressor failure at 40k miles or 50k .
@@rickybobbydastar6534 I guess they were made better in the early 2010s, idk. Chrysler quality went to crap around 2019, so it makes sense that Maserati followed behind. Because they have a lot of shared parts with Chrysler.
@@Joshtheweatherman for sure , I thought Chrysler/dodge cars were the best looking and reliable when they partnered with Mercedes Benz
@@rickybobbydastar6534 Yeah, Mercedes made modern Chryslers reliable. Then Mercedes got mad at them, and left lol.
@ ha ha
Had a shonky shop try and take advantage of my MIL recently. She has to get it approved every 12 months for her work and they tried to tell her that all 4 of her shocks went at the same time and needed to be replaced for at least $2500. I said NOPE took it to my shop and my mechanic was FURIOUS at the other shop for doing that. He did the front shocks (and even those he said he was on the verge of passing) and it cost her about $1000
I have 2017 Levante I bought new. One of the most reliable vehicles I every had. Brakes, tires and oil changes is all it ever needed. Much better than the X5 it replaced. I’m with you Wizard BMW sucks.
I love my E46 330i ZHP, very reliable; almost 300,000KMS on the odometer, other than a mass airflow sensor, belts, tensioners, and spark plugs every part on that car is original. I bought it new in 2005 and have been the only owner. I only allow the dealership to repair my car, oil changes are DIY every 3,000 miles.
By around 2012 is when BMW went to hell, those turbo 4-cyl engines are garbage.
@@VanquishMediaDE If I’m being honest, I have to say the X5 wasn’t a bad truck. I had it with the diesel and it got very good mileage. My biggest complaint was with BMW service and corporate. They were very unprofessional and would constantly try to upcharge.
Interesting how often on Italian cars German parts usually die :D On late 90s Alfas common failure was Bosch crank position sensor.
It's the Axis of Unreliability!
Not really. My chevy has polish czech german mexican made OEM parts. You dont know till you need to know.
Or nissan w mercedes engine Ford suspension.....God help us.
Had some similar problems with my Alfa GTV6. Engine/Transmission was bullet proof with proper maintenance. Driveshaft had three guibo's with no boltable crossmember to take entire driveshaft out
I've noticed the same thing many times. Every Fiat / Alfa i worked on, the parts that failed was always German or british. But hey, let's blame the italians anyway, cause that's what the internet experts wants.
@@rogerringold616 My 2016 Smart forFour (4 seater model the U.S. didn't get). Uses a Renault 1.0l 3-cylinder engine from the head on it's redesigned by Mercedes and Smart. And oh boy did they screw it. All Renault and Nissan models that use this engine have no problem with it because the have an engine up front. Mine is the back just like in the Smart forTwo and the 2014-today Renault Twingo (technological twin of the Smart but a little cheaper). I had a faulty crankshaft sensor at 11.000miles and stranded because of it. 2.5h labor to change that thing, overheating problems, faulty starter motors, problems with the dry dual clutch transmission overheating if used to much in stop and go traffic (ironic for a car designed for the city), mines currently at 18.000miles when it hits 35.000 I'll yeet it :)
Something similar happened to my '16 KIA Forte under warranty. I noticed a small drop of oil under the car. After a quick visual I noticed the bottom of my A/C Compressor was very damp with that (PAG) oil. I took it to my KIA dealer & they said: _"How do you know the compressor is leaking? Are you a mechanic? Your A/C works fine!"_ I insisted an inspection & got a new compressor for FREE.
I would have recorded him being the lower body part he is. He should be severely reprimanded by dealership/ manager owner and exposed. No need to be nasty. People already apprehensive coming to a dealership
Good deal
Demonstrates the Hyundai/Kia service (or lack thereof). The local Hyundai/Kia dealer is one of the worst rated dealers in the area. Hyundai/Kia is notorious for trying to weasel out of every warranty repair, especially their so called 100k mile "powertrain warranty).
@@redbaron6805 my father has a Kia I hate the dealer every car on their lot is marked up by 10 grand
@@joshuamast5128 Yeah, the Hyundai Kia dealers have a notorious reputation to be atrocious.
One of the reasons I completely deleted them off any buy list, as practically everyone that has had one says they are basically incompetent, corrupt and useless.
Even my brother which had a Genesis took his car in and it was a massive cluster of incompetence. He sold it already...
While the compressor isn’t cheap, it’s honestly not far off the price of a compressor from your average modern car. Hell, the compressors for newer Hondas are about $800 or more. Doesn’t look that bad to change either.
"Fixed cheaply at a grand"... I was thinking it was going to be a cheap part like 22 bux or something.
I have owned a 2014 Panamera and a 2017 Quattroporte. The Maserati has had far fewer problems and, when they do occur, are far less expensive and easier to fix.
On the modern German cars, almost every electronic component is coded to the car. Thus, even if you replace something yourself, you must often take a trip to the stealer.
I will acknowledge that they are not nearly as reliable as a Corolla, However, a good DIY mechanic can handle most of the issues you will encounter on a Maserati.
But please, let those who have never owned one keep bashing them. It keeps the prices down on the used ones. I never buy new.
I loved my 911, it was very reliable but even Porsche has fallen victim to outsourcing, not much of the parts are made in Germany, almost everything is made in some lesser country.
Almost everything on my 2017 E-Klass was made in China and Mexico (except the infotainment system that was made in Germany).
I love my 2016 Gran Turismo.
You also need A/C to dehumidify air, especially with how tight modern cars are. You'll have a hard time keeping the windows unfogged or defrosted.
Correct, the Ac cools, cleans, heats dehumidifies the air.
Yup also keep in mind some cars have heat pumps. To heat the cabin. So you need the compressor year round. Even in cold. This is especially true on most electric vehicles
@@trelipscomb8137 Your correct and I will need to update my knowledge to include electric cars and their heating sources. Thank you.
AC IS blessing for me. At Summer it cools Down. At Winter it gets rid of moisture. I work outdoors so i like it 😀
@@StratoArticA I lived on Black Mountain in Henderson Nevada for several years. (Las Vegas) and I love AC also. Question and I don't know the answer: Almost all homes in Henderson and Vegas have the whole AC unit mounted on the roof. When you needed AC work a large crane was required. Why are they mounted on the roofs instead of the back porch in the shade? Like 90% of all private homes. I had to take the ladder and hose to clean the dust and sand out of the coils a lot.
Excellent video. A nearby Maserati dealer told me they will not deal with any Maseratis built before 2018. Apparently they improved for the 2018+ MY. That said it is a Mahle compressor which used to be made in Germany but I believe they are now made in China.
I had an old Jag...Sovereign the big one..rectangle head lights...horrible electrical .....Federal suit...court ordered repairs/recall. On specific doors...etc....until it broke it was wonderful...smooth/powerful/fast/pretty car/ leather wood....air bag suspension. 92 had 4 models instead of 3 trim levels. 105 wheel base....longest modern jag ....heartbreaking .
That’s because the Levante uses a lot of Dodge parts
It's up to Mahle to insure quality control, the buck stops with them as they choose to make things off-shore.
@@anthonyxuereb792 agree.
@@anthonyxuereb792 Yes, but they also build to a price for Maserati. So if they sign up to build a $200 compressor then Maserati knows to expect it to last 20k miles. If the contract is at $300 then it will last 40k miles, etc. It's always a balance of cost & quality. Like Wizard says, life of the car = warranty in far too many situations.
Scrub those brake calipers with Dawn dish detergent and water! That is something I do whenever I have a wheel off and have the time to do it. I use a plastic dish brush, makes them look brand new.
The benefit for many of us only having to replace the clutch is that we do not have to pull out the refrigerant.
That is possible on some cars
If you can get to the clutch in the engine bay. Which on most modern cars you can't.
@@eptdy True, but sometimes unbolting the compressor allows it to move enough with the flexible lines to do some work.
@@pfsantos007 also true
Was able to on my older Forester
Still $1k if you do the work yourself. Paying a Maserati mechanic to diagnose and fix the problem is a whole other story. If that car came into the Wizards shop with the same issue I’m sure it’s at least a $2k fix with replacement of the freon, labor and diagnostic.
I doubt a masserati owner cares about a 1k-2k repair...
Also costed the same to fix my Toyota Tacoma AC that had a line that burst, sucked in dirt, and self destructed the system.
I had my exotic car mechanic replace my A/C compressor on my Maserati a few months ago. The price was around $2100, and I sourced the compressor for him at around $900. At the time, the dealer wanted over $3000 for the compressor alone.
@@redbaron6805 Sounds like you have a decent mechanic. Problem with doing A/C repairs is even if you have the ability to replace parts yourself only shops have the machine to extract and refill the refrigerant properly. You can fill it with a can and a gauge but only if you vent the old refrigerant to the atmosphere which is illegal. Also properly testing the system requires a pressure gauge. $2k isnt that bad its just saying you can do it for $1k parts is leaving out all the diagnosis and labor which nearly everyone will need to pay for. Some jobs you can do at home and others you just cant without specialized tools and equipment.
@@CouchMan88 Very true. A/C compressor replacement requires specialized equipment, hence most people simply can't do it themselves, even less so legally.
So, I think $1200 for the labor is pretty reasonable. The fact that the shop let me source my own parts for it, and even waited patiently for the compressor to arrive from Europe while the car sat on their lift, was even more generous of them.
Even though they specialize in exotic cars, they were still honest and reliable, and the prices were pretty fair. They are definitely my go to shop for the Maserati.
To my amazement a local garage here in England tried the " Aircon parts are difficult to get and expensive for foreign cars " trick on me when I took my Kia Sorento there with a holed condenser. I got a new condenser, drier and the hoses he said he couldn't get, for about half his price quote. He still inflated the bill, so I've never been back. On the other hand my Skoda specialist who looks after my current Octavia 4x4 is totally upfront and genuine. Guess who gets our business.
I love those test lights, I use mine every time I’m doing anything electrical
Hey Wizard & Mrs Wizard, I'm glad that the Maserati is in ship shape once again!!! Happy Holidays to everyone at Omega Auto Clinic!! 🎄⛄🤶
thanks for helping dispel the myths about these cars...As an Italian American it has hurt my heart to see how comfortable people are making often downright racist comments online about how supposedly crap Italian cars are...and the people making these comments have never even owned an Italian car...they never make such racist statements about British cars, despite having similar reputations, and they often overstate the reliability of German cars. Anyway thanks for being fair and honest Car Wiz.
" it has hurt my heart to see how comfortable people are making often downright rcist comments online about how supposedly crap Italian cars are...and the people making these comments have never even owned an Italian car...they never make such racist statements about British cars, despite having similar reputations"
Actually, they do make the same statements about british cars, they're consistently rcist or just don't know the cars across the board.
"and they often overstate the reliability of German cars."
Not so much any more that german cars are using so much plastic on the engines and things don't last like they used to.
I have a fiat 500 in the US and I've learned why people have bad experiences with them, it's because most mechanics here are not familiar with them, don't have the tools and experience, so the work takes longer and thus repair costs are ridiculous.
For example a timing belt replacement in the EU for a fiat 500 is cheap, mechanics have done it a hundred times and they're fast at it and they have the tools already, here is the opposite.
Sometimes it's blatant rcism, other times it's just the economics of repairs on cars our mechanics aren't familiar with.
Fiat came back to the US market after a long absense when they brough the fiat 500 here, then just a few years later they had to pull out of the US again because they couldn't even sell cars here after people had these bad repair experiences.
It makes all the difference in the world to have mechanics familiar with the cars you want them to service.
Great video. Glad it has been reliable so have both of my maseratis. All 5 that I have owned to date are great. I also enjoy reading the comments from the uninformed arm chair experts telling you to source the compressor from a dodge or jeep because that is what levante is. They have no idea the platform is unique to maserati as is the engine. Just because it has the same window switches does not make it the same car people...
Exactly. I just replaced the compressor on my 2004 for the first time. It was been pretty reliable, despite being a weekend only car.
Glad to see the car has treated you well.
I love Italian cars. I'm currently on the lookout for a cheap old Alfa 159 as a side project and all my friends think I'm crazy. They all have BMW's, Audis and VW's and they're ALL POS money pits. I see new Audis broke down on the motorway all the time. I can't believe how bad new Audis are, and that people still buy them convinced that they're "quality" cars but it's just out of tribal loyalty.
The italianos have always been the better designed and engineered cars. Maybe not always the best quality control. However, it is much better to deal with a bad part than with a bad design or with a nonsensical (another word for German) engineering.
I owned a Maserati BiTurbo back in the 1990s.
Fast, cheap but unreliable!
You are probably correct that Maserati is more dependable now. Today's Maserati's look to me like an Italian Buick.
I took my Honda CRV into Westshore Honda here in Tampa. After paying 300 for an ac diagnostics, I was quoted 3 grand. The clutch on the compressor was bad as it was. The mechanic couldn't find the 2 leaks. The advisor originally said that the AC went bad because I had one bad fan. After getting into a heated argument, first with the advisor and the mechanic. I took the car home found both leaks, replaced the compressor and refilled the refrigerant. I took the SUV back for an oil change with the ac thermometer in the vent. It was blowing 41 degrees. Total cost - 700 dollars. Then I spilled the beans. I told the advisor that I actually worked in a shop, and I actually was a mechanic at a truck rental place one time. He apologized and never treated me like a kid after that. The reason that I spent that much is I replaced the condenser which also housed the ac filter. Now air conditioning repair not being my strong suit, it did take me about 7 hours.
Having ran two Maserati's of the previous generations it pays to research the known weak spots and buy a sample
that has been fully serviced and repaired by the right shops, or it will cost you a fortune.
The Quattroporte that i ran had the upgraded throttle body and all associated sensors replaced before i bought it.
you can brick the instrument pack if you use the wrong equipment to reset the service light.
They are superb cars to drive, until they break, then your wallet will melt!
The distinction between cross plane / flat plane does not apply to V6 engines. All known V6 engines neither have 1 plane crankshaft (flat), nor 2 planes crankshaft (cross), but 3 planes separated by 120 degrees. (and I even think that 90 degrees V6 split-pin cranckshafts have 6 planes)
Is it common for an AC compressor to fail in a 2018? Seems pretty young to me for a failure.
No is not common, germany brand Mahle low quality compressor.
That compressor is going on five years old. Lots of parts that can wear or fail, especially if the mfr went for low cost, low quality Mexican or Chinese junk.
2018 Jeep Renegade. Compressor failed. Mid-Atlantic with 46,xxx miles. Covered under Warranty with $100 deductible.
A compressor failed in my 4 year old Honda Accord. I had a compressor cut out on a virtually brand new Hyundai Santa Fe with around 10k miles on it. A/C compressor failures are not exactly common in newer cars, but they are far from being rare or unheard of.
@@redbaron6805 I haven’t had any A/C problems with my 18 accord… Denso is the manufacturer.
I love my 2016 Gran Turismo, it is not my daily driver (that would be my 2015 Volvo S60 T5) but it has been very reliable for a spring and summer weekend toy.
Hey, Car Wizard, hope you didn't charge Mrs Wizard the normal shop rates, your conjugal privileges could be compromised. Great vid!
I had a few shops tell me I needed to replace my a/c compressor when it was working intermittently. I fixed it myself for free when I determined the clutch plate had worn down and I simply needed to remove a washer to close the gap to spec.
This is the kinda thing that should be teached in schools today. Actual real life problem solving, which in the long run is both ecologic and economic. It shouldn't be about how much time it takes (at first). It's about learning to apply certain mechanical and electrical aspects in a broader view. Of course taking stuff apart and trying to fix them without a -good- "old school" service manual will be more time consuming, but in the same time it's learning.
Many people have made a living out of fixing something that is super costly when "done right" or at the dealer, authorized repair etc., while they may have learned a way to do it much cheaper. It usually means that at first the income is not so great, and the fixes may not be "top notch", but that doesn't mean that the dealer or manufacturer or whoever does fix it any better. And once someone has perfected their methods, they have the potential to maybe get more people involved, teach them and/or make a name for themselves. Or whatever...
I’d definitely go out if my way to tell people not to go to those shops
@@joshuamast5128 Pretty much any shop out there is not in the business of fixing parts for you. No shop is going to spend hours trying to figure out if a part can be fixed, as no one would be willing to pay for the labor on that time. Doing it yourself is a totally different story...
Good message. My neighbor has Maserati, and seems to have good reliability. Each car model, no matter what brand, stands on it's own for engineering, parts selection, software that make up a reliable machine. Not from top, not from bottom, at least a technician can remove the AC compressor from side in a crowded engine bay with twin turbo plumbing. Kudos if it was thoughtfully engineered this way.
You can own any car as long as you are knowledgeable and can turn a wrench. Mr. Wizard could own any car he wants.
Exactly!!
Yes, mr car wizard should own a lamborghini, Rolls-Royce...
Except a bmw
@@moparpower0788 or a range rover 🤣
I could fix most cars too... And for the most part, I dont care about brands when I go shopping. I dont need a Toyota to feel confident driving around. Not that theyre that reliable anyways... Lots of myths around.
This said, there are cars, that even if I can fix them and keep them on the road for cheap, I just dont care that much about them to bother. I am still losing time on them after all.
The Power Probe is my favorite tool to use! It’s so cool!
You definitely got that right. Especially useful for figuring out whether a motor works or in closing the valve near the evap canister for evap smoking.
When I was in the field, I used to call it "I want to see it hard broke." That meant I want to see the error code on the screen or something solid jammed, so I can replicate the condition. Nothing annoyed me more than to show up at a customer's site and to see an operator using a machine, and they said "Well we decided to turn it off and turn it back on, and it started working."
Intermittent issues are the hardest things to diagnose.
Some shop once quoted my mom 5K dollars to have her A/C fixed with some "Blah blah" explanation about how "the compressor exploded and now the whole system needs replacing", took it to another shop and it turned out to be a blown fuse and it was ow on refrigerant, they only charged me for refilling the refrigerant
I took your advise David and I got my transmission fluid changed along with my oil change yesterday on my 2009 Honda CRV. I also let them flush out the power steering and brake fluid. It is right at 100,000 miles
I hate it when I tell my compressor to turn on and it say "No I refuse to".
Lol you are the best Wizard!
Every vehicle can have problems each time, especially Honda's and Toyota's, so make sure that your current vehicle is well maintained and it is treated properly, whether if it is reliable or not. Thank you very much.
He saw the light, it was perfection & was very compressed.
Kinda glad the whole A/C system on my 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis still working fine, even the digital controls still working.
Any basic auto maker offers a 5 year warranty which would cover yours and if you reached out to Stellantis they may have offered you a replacement at a reduced price
for "good will" (much abused term). The compressor is German by the way.
What about just replacing the compressor control valve? It's 40-60 USD on Fleabay. There's also a rebuilt Compressor for 450 USD.
I am kinda surprised it has a bespoke compressor, would have thought they could have sourced something from the Fiat-Chrysler parts bin even before Stellantis.
Bosch appparently...clutch serviceable in Europe....
The compressors are usually made to mount on specific engines. Since Maserati engines are a version of Ferrari engine's, they usually end up sharing compressors with Ferrari's.
@@JohnSmith-yv6eq It should be a Delphi, than in 2015 Mahle acquired all thermal business division from Delphi Autoomotive PLC (and also is joint venture in China).
A replacement compressor clutch kit in the UK is £45. Would it be worth repairing the existing compressor to have a spare for either Mrs. Wizard's Levante or for another customer?
Probably wouldn't be. The car already has tens of thousands of miles on the original compressor, so it probably already has significant wear on it. They don't last forever. The labor to install those is typically around $1200 or so. So, it would make very little sense to spend all the time and effort to fix the old one, only for the compressor to fail in a few months or a year or two down the road.
I just replaced the A/C compressor in my 2004 Maserati, but the car only has around 30,000 miles on it, so the clutch on that one failed. But, due to age, the seals, coils and everything else is also old inside. Better to replace it with a new one, especially since I don't get free labor to replace mine...
Watch JR go talked badly about this car and yet his Ford F series pickup was breaking down constantly. I wrote him about it but he got mad because the truth hurts and die hard Ford owners accept this level of quality. Now he traded it for a brand new model because he didn't learn from his first F series.
There is a Thermal fuse on these compressors right behind the clutch. It can be fixed but its a bit of an effort. Requires the pulley to come off and then replace the thermal fuse. They fail a lot on GM 4cyl Ecotec engine AC clutches.
I have an 18 Gibli with 50k on it. Had it since 9k. Zero issues whatsoever.
Ohhhhh yeah, I can see how a lot of garages would run with that and just tell a story about how the compressor blew up and wrecked the whole system. And that goes for _any_ make of vehicle with that same situation. Finding a good, trustworthy mechanic is SO important. Heh - one question though, what the heck is that thing that was behind it when it went up on the lift?
I remember the first time I watched your content and I was like: "Finally, a Toyota fan who isn't overly biased towards the said brand or it's cousin, the Lexus". I wish more Toyota fans were like this.
You and Vice Grip Garage need to do a Collab
$1200 to replace compressor in my Ram. It was making random banging noises. Pretty loud, even with the A/C off. And they replaced some sort of climate sensor, so the A/C doesn’t blow as cold, but adequate. And they threw in an oil change. No problems since
Can you talk about the receiver/dryer and if you did replace it? I had always heard that if you opened the AC system up you needed to replace the receiver/dryer. Is that accurate or is it ok to open the system up and not replace it? I want the Car Wizard's ruling on this as it shall be made law once his decree is made.
It's integrated into the side of the condenser in many new cars. Unless the system has been open to air for quite a while you don't need to replace it.
If the compressor failed and left debris then you need to change it because it also often contains a filter.
I haven't replaced one in the couple dozen cars I've done over the years. Even on my f150 that I converted to r134a instead of the new 1234yf.
This is false as long as you plug the connections as soon as you remove the compressor.
It is typically only required if the compressor itself failed, as it blows debris into the system. If the clutch fails, the compressor doesn't turn on as it won't engage, but the compressor itself is fine. Hence, there are no debris concerns to replace only the compressor.
You may however be required to replace those parts if you want future warranty for the compressor. In this case, the compressor won't have premature failure due to left over debris in the system, so the chance of a warranty claim is exceptionally low.
The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on TH-cam! I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just waddling around on his stubby little legs with Pantera's WALK as the background music.
We can only hope for a Christmas miracle.
Most underrated comment… he is adorable isn’t he? 🤣
I got the same problem with my Lavante ,bought a Mahle compressor and give it to a local garage to change it ,after refilling the coolant the clutch works OK but it’s not getting cold at all. Please advise is the mechanic missing something
Thank you
Eddy
the compressor is not at fould its the clutch.. Its the same as Mercedes.
Reading the comments I see people really hate on Maserati's. I love mine
Let the peasants hate, I do not value the opinion of poor people to begin with.
I love watching the Wizard’s videos. This is a proper mechanic, a man who knows how to troubleshoot, not like them snot faces at car dealerships who only know how to plug a scanner.
The Maserati Levante is not a Ferrari! They have the same AC Compressor as a Ghibli or the Quattroporte and there are plenty at junkyards which is why a low mileage car's compressor can easily be found for around $250. Even an OEM new one's sell for $700 on eBay so why the Car Wizard chosed to buy a new one from a dealer (if true) is a great way to burn money!
Further south you go, the higher frequency of failures. At least southern states don't generally experience rust issues like northern states.
Our Jeep compressor managed to both blow out the side of the housing and still melt down the clutch shoe before it lost all its refrigerant and disabled the clutch.
Did you check the Fuse/resistor for the clutch on compressor? They are known to fail , cheap easy fix???
Wizard, thanks for defending the Maserati like you do. From what you're saying it sounds like Maserati reliability is a well kept secret until you showed up! It makes me want to try owning one.
Do it! Buy a vehicle with twice the annual cost of repairs to prove the masses wrong!
@@tim3172 The German cars are even more expensive to repair. They are all over engineered.
@@tim3172 why would it be twice the cost in annual repairs? I don't even think repairs would come up annually. Maybe if it was a Range Rover...
@@tim3172 Yawn... and how many have you owned so far...???
I own a ghibli and an oil change runs me 320 at my local European shop, 500 at the dealership. Everyone assumes you're rich especially the mechanics
The AC system in the Saab 9-3 Aero wagon I bought in new in 2007 lasted 13 years. I had two choices for the part, the Saab branded condenser and the non-Saab branded condenser. They were the same part, made by the same company. The only differences were the Saab label and the price. The Saab branded part cost $400 more.
Was it a Denso compressor? Denso makes compressor for everyone now, including German brands. Extremely reliable.
And the haters will say it's a lemon now. Tell them to go and suck on a lemon while they walk to QuickTrip for smokes. Nice ride.
Well, color me shocked! Meanwhile, my 1994 Miata’s A/C still shoots ice cubes out the vents…
Miata / MX5 of that era all rusted out long ago round here.
@@timhancock6626 same here - all that’s left are the garage queens.
Easily my favorite video on my car's brand, wizard you the best.
Holy cow! That’s a lot of miles Mrs Wizard! Where are you driving?
Wouldn’t you replace the dryer or desiccant - just because the system was opened? I live in an area where relative humidity is high all of the time.
As long as the system was evacuated completely and then sealed...no moisture would have gotten in...(it was fully charged and had no leaks)
There is a XLR graveyard not far from me in myrtle Beach S.C.
I can't share pictures on here
I'd like to see Wizard find that old $100 GM or Mopar part where the bolt holes line up and we're good to go lol 😆
Honestly though! a/c comps are all off the shelf. He just needs to find wherever the OEM is sourcing them and he's good. The old compressor more than likely had the original manufacturer logo cast on the case.
@@Wpjgdmtu Tried that already. The Maserati compressor doesn't show up on any other parts list for any other car, even looking for the Denso/Wahler part numbers...
So a scam shop could easily say the whole thing has to be replaced. Which would cost $6K. And if a customer decides to ask around at a couple of other shops, they'll be told the same thing. So they pay that much. The shop replaces the one needed item for $1K, and just keeps the other $5K.
And just like you said, Wizard; what needed fixing now works again. Customer doesn't know any better. Drives off like everything is fine. This is exactly why I don't bother with "Upscale" brands. Not worth it. (Maybe with Lexus as the one exception because there are certain Lexus models that don't have a cheaper Toyota counterpart.) Plus, as you mentioned, a part that normally costs $200 or $300 on most vehicles, is going to cost $1K on something like this. Let's be honest, that's an artificially inflated price. (Obviously not by the Mechanic's shop working on the vehicle.) Seriously doubt that part is several times more expensive because it's several times better than the typical part. Or that's its rareness is something naturally occurring.
There are a few flaws in that logic. Reputable shops exist for ANY car brand, and dodge shops exist for ANY car brand, no matter if its Toyota, Honda, Maserati or anything else. If you think Toyota owners are never getting ripped off, you would be pretty delusional.
Parts will tend to cost less for cars that are made in the millions than cars made in the tens of thousands. Maserati sold around 25,000 vehicles WORLD WIDE, last year. So, they are obviously not getting the same volume discount as Toyota which sold over 10 million cars last year. Smaller manufacturer often battle to get parts made, as the volume is low and it isn't worth the time for many manufacturers to make 25,000 of something. They could have a minimum order of 100,000 or more.
As with anything in manufacturing, the larger the volume, the bigger the discount. Maserati does not share A/C compressors with any other brand except Ferrari. Hence, the low volume of parts will mean their cost will be much higher. Some of the rest is markup.
My mate Richard had an early 2000s Maserati. It was *extremely* Italian, especially the electrics. Interesting to know this is fixed now.
I have a 2004, haven't had any electrical problems. The A/C compressor just failed a few months ago, after 18 years.
I think repairing just the electrical part will be way cheaper than a complete new compressor, even with labour. So what wizard is saying is just not true. It’s just that those parts aren’t available in normal supply lines you cannot do it that way, because there are no OEM specs for that part, and OEM specification nowadays is literally what drives the spare part market today. Too bad, because some repairs become very costly and also bad for the environment. Maybe these repairs will return because of the price of casting steel has become sky high.
Thank you for sharing trouble shooting technique
Mrs Wizards voice cracks me up when she chimes in 😂😂
Always the labor cost. Not to mention if you replaced the electrical part, the mechanical part could fail the next day.
I have the same vehicle. On the lowest setting, the air conditioner cools. If I bump it up a degree or two, it starts to get warm. It looks like the compressor is turning on when I’m running the ac. Refrigerant level also looks good. Any ideas?
Exotic cars your left with oem parts which are expensive. Low production cars will not have much aftermarket support. Specialty mechanics charge more.
Do you measure the oil in the old compressor and then make sure the new one has the correct amount of oil back in it? Or does the new compressor come with no oil in it?
The oil does not stay in the compressor when the system is running, it circulates with the refridgerant. If a hose broke and oil leaked, which it probably did, then you need to add oil to the system.
You’re supposed to drain the oil from the old compressor and measure it. Then drain the oil from the new one (if it comes pre filled), and put back in the same quantity you got from the old compressor.
Should have oil....SHOULD AND. BE READY TO GO.
At least the compressor didn't fail internally -- spewing debris all over the inside of the system, requiring a complete replacement of every part of the system in order to guarantee it was repaired correctly. **whew** Just a bad clutch -- I'd take that any day of the week and twice on Sunday, even if I have to buy the whole compressor with the clutch/pulley assembly on it.
Yes for that Italian car 18 months is good not to brag but I drive a 1976 Corolla GT it’s really for a new engine at 60000" miles other than normal ware items
The only things I have had to replace on the engine were water pump, alternator, thermostat and carburetor
It’s now getting a 2JZ and a lot of $ to make it what I want
Every Honda I've ever owned didn't have ac issues until they were at least 10 years old.
My Accord had a complete A/C failure after 4 years and 40k miles....
I wouldn't be surprised to find that the compressor is also used on Fiat or Alfa cars as well, which may be cheaper.
That does not appear to be the case. I have looked up the Delphi part numbers for Maserati compressors when mine failed, an no other cars show up with those compressors except some Ferrari's...
There's some major quality issue here. Compressors usually do not die electrically or mechanically at that low mileage or that young age.
This just shows that the Italians still hasn't figured out how to make reliable electrical items.
40,000 miles, $1000 on a compressor plus general maintenance, what's been the depreciation? It's a lovely car.
I have a random question..
I have a 2005 Carolla. It’s doing pretty good. But my clutch went. Is it worth to put a new clutch in? I guess it’s hard to say without seeing the car. But if that’s the only major thing right now, will it drive normally again after replacement ?
If it's doing good fix it and keep on driving it. Cars like that are just to save you money and take you from point A to B. If you have thr money sell it and buy another or fix it and sell it.
@@davidm2938 thanks for the reply ! Yea I’m going go ahead and get the repair done. Go from there. Then get a newer one when I’m in a better position to
As a mechanic I got my wife a Honda. Not sure I would want to fix a Maserati in my free time.
We need a video on Alfa Romeo’s !!!
On Alfa Romeo's what?
@@tim3172 we wanna know from the car wizard if they’re worth it !!! I need to hear from the man himself
@@tim3172 I would like to see a Guilia or Stelvio Quadrifoglio in the fleet. Awesome car and would use it for personal reference.
She should be driving a 2007 Ford focus. Based on those interior reviews. Just kidding, Merry Christmas, love you guys.