The a/c in my Saturn wasn't blowing cold. I'd had the system replaced 2 years prior to bringing the car to Wayside. Their notes: "Energized compressor and test operation with the scanner. The compressor does not engage. Test electrical connections. Ok. Test for power and ground to compressor. Good. Need to replace compressor. Accumulator will need to be replaced with compressor." Given recent complete replacement of my a/c system, and my own electrical test prior to going to Wayside, this didn't make any sense to me, despite the desk jockey assuring me that they always performed the full diagnostics on the electrical system. So, without being rude, at least initially, I asked to speak to their mechanic who'd worked on the car, so I could understand how they came to the conclusion that I'd need to replace everything. They refused! So, ok... I asked them to guarantee that the compressor was getting power or my money back. They refused! So, I went home, grabbed my multimeter, tested the power to the compressor myself, and lo and behold, they were WRONG about a $1k-ish prognosis. The compressor was, in fact, getting 0 volts. The woman, apparently part owner of the business, came out into the parking lot and berated me for doing work on their property. Apparently, they demand customers just roll over and pay them for bad service. She left this snarky note: "Customer decided to test the AC circuit with his volt meter in the parking lot and proceeded to tell us that we don't know how to test the system. I told him that there was no charge and that he could take his vehicle elsewhere for service." I did not take it elsewhere for service. I had just been too busy with a master's degree to want to do it myself, but they energized me and I got it done in about a week, afterwards. What do you suppose was the fix? A diode in the fuse box had blown; something kind of unusual but only a couple dollars to replace. I also had to replace the clutch coil which likely shorted because of it. Total cost was less than their worthless diagnosis would have been. I'll end on a positive note: at least, at the free cost of being berated, they had charged my freon for me. I may or may not have needed that, but thank you for the free system charge, Wayside. Those who don't want to go through the trouble of double-checking their work should steer clear. Service: Air conditioning
Hello, Chris. If you recall, there was more to the conversation than you’re letting on and we’re very disappointed you’re omitting important information in your review. Not only that, you’ve chosen to leave this review over a year after the experience. Had you contacted us sooner we might’ve been able to turn a negative situation into a positive one. We wish we would’ve been given that chance. We’re very confident your air conditioning system would’ve been working wonderfully had we performed the recommended repairs based on our test procedure. However, we respect your decision to decline service at our shop. We wish you the best of luck finding an alternate auto shop you enjoy working with and hope you enjoy many more years driving your Saturn.
- Wayside Garage