Cars - Always Get a 2nd Opinion!

The AC in our 2000 minivan went out last month, and the mechanic said it would be a $950 compressor fix. YIKES! We opted to gamble, and asked them to fill up the freon (sp?). They said the fill-up could last until next year, or it might not even last 'til tomorrow. It was a $75 gamble that we didn't win. The cold air lasted about a week, with cool air lasting another few days. We opted for early church this morning, because it was super-hot again. :(

We decided to call another mechanic friend, to get his advice. He recommended going to Autozone to pick up a few parts to patch the leak and refill the freon ourselves. We emailed pictures to him, so we could be confident in our actions, and he coached us through the process on the phone. Total cost: $25 and about 15 minutes of easy work. The cold air is blowing now, and we're praying that it will keep working.