What is CRV Black Death?
In one of our previous blogs,1997-2015 Honda CRV AC Compressor Common Issues - Why is My Car Air Conditioning Blowing Warm Air,we talked about how can you tell if the ac compressor is bad in your Honda. But if you own a 2002 -2006 Honda CRV, you're at risk of a specific type of AC compressor failure that it even more serious. Owners and specialist mechanics call it “Black Death” because the factory air conditioning compressor will self-destruct, shattering its internals and forcing the bits and pieces through the rest of your AC system. The microscopic metal shavings mix with the lubricating oil and create a tough "black" sludge that clogs the narrow passages in the system and is impossible to clean out completely.
What Are The Symptoms of "Black Death" VS. Other AC Issues?
The AC compressor is a pretty well-established item, whether it is Jeep or Chevy models,they all kinda work the same, and when cars get older, they all seem to fail in the same way too. The clutch might wear out, which keeps you from being able to turn the compressor on. Leaks can develop over time, and if one of those causes the system to run dry, it might even make the compressor lock up entirely.
However, Honda CRV Black Death is very different than most other types of AC system failure. While the internals of the compressor can start to come apart, the crv compressor itself can stay running for a little while, pushing that debris through the rest of your AC system.When the system is shut down and begins to cool, the black sludge solidifies and hardens over every single surface. Even after replacing a new ac compressor, the repeated on and off cycles of the system serves to strengthen the hard sludge and makes it even harder to remove.
The effective way to identify black death vs. other AC problems is if your Honda CRV AC system continually breaks down and no one can seem to find the problem after it was first fixed, you may be experiencing Honda CRV Black Death. One of the telltale signs of Black Death is a seized AC Compressor the first time the system failed.
The extent of the damage on ac compressor is invisible or many owners will try to replace just the compressor to save time and ac compressor cost. But the Black Death contamination soon creeps into the new parts which causes yet another failure, leaving you without cool air. When you install a new A/C compressor on any car, you need to change the drier and flush the AC lines thoroughly. The drier acts as a filter for your AC system; in addition to catching contaminants, it also captures any moisture in your AC lines, hence the name. Moisture in your AC lines can freeze, creating a blockage that keeps refrigerant from cycling. On most cars, replacing the filter and flushing the rest of the lines is enough to get your AC working like new after a compressor replacement.
It's sometimes a common assumption that any time an AC system fails - just jump on "black death" being the issue. It also seems that some apparently see a CR-V and automatically assume black death is the cause of all AC failures. It's not true.If you experiencing A/C not Working in Honda CRV,you should need to get a diagnosis of what is wrong with the AC first. Lots of things can cause an AC compressor to not run. An ac compressor that has an internal failure (Black Death) is just one of a dozen+ things that can prevent the AC from working.A dead compressor would do nothing at all even if it were recharged. When a compressor has a catastrophic failure, it has likely seized up since the metal parts have been destroyed inside. If you need to replace the AC on your CR-V, we have a few different options available.
Year | Engine | Honda CRV AC Compressor |
1997-2001 | 2.0L | |
2002-2006 | 2.4L | |
2007-2015 | 2.4L |
For more help getting the correct AC parts for any vehicle, contact us for knowledgeable assistance. Air conditioning & ac clutch kit are two of our main product lines and we have them available for any car you can think of, with fast shipping from within the US and make sure you only get the right parts to get you back on the road, driving your vehicle in comfort.
