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A repair shop says that the AC compressor broke and that it'll be $700-800 to fix.

I could easily do without the AC since I don't use it much anyways due to weird health reasons.

The question is, is this going to somehow going to "break" other components of the car if I fail to get this repaired.

The vibe I get from repair places is that they could lie to common folk, like me, who never heard what an "AC compressor" is when in reality all they need to do is tighten a screw and fixes the car.

Hell, they could break things on their own just so that they can "fix" it for you at $100 an hour labor..

Not sure if this is the best place to ask either.

This is a 2012 Honda Civic and there's no dash icon that have lit up.

And the only info I have is that it just stopped working and throws air but it's not cool air.

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The only time something else might be hurt by a bad A/C something, is if the clutch has seized and then the compressor also seizes. This would cause a belt to get burnt up or possibly other things. If the engine is running just fine and you don't hear any strange noises, there's not much of an issue there. The A/C won't kick on and the compressor won't try to work. The clutch just freewheels and acts just like a idler pulley, which does nothing but redirect the direction of the serpentine belt. Won't cause any more wear than when the A/C is off ... which it is.

There may be one thing of concern for you without the A/C working. As part of the defroster it also provides dehumidification in the winter time so the windscreen won't freeze from your breath hitting it (condensation on the inside of the vehicle due to your breath). I don't know the climate you live in, but it may be a concern.

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  • Thank you for helping. So the "strange noises" you mention, would you hear those if you are inside the car with all the windows up? or would you need to start the engine while parked and then go outside to see if you hear something?
    – Smit Shah
    Sep 3, 2017 at 4:47
  • Also I think that the AC hasn't been working for a week and the car runs ok, is that relevant info
    – Smit Shah
    Sep 3, 2017 at 5:01
  • "Strange noises" would refer to ugly mechanical noises (ie: grinding, crunching, etc) which you wouldn't associate with anything good. If you've been running it for a week, you probably won't have any issues.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Sep 3, 2017 at 11:52
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If you want to run without the a/c then another option is have a smaller belt fitted which avoids, or bypasses the a/c compressor pulley.

This is a neat solution which has been done on other models when the compressor has failed and parts are on order for example. It may be worth thinking about in your case.

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