A/C & Cooling
Compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion valve, refrigerant recharge. Cooling system — water pump, radiator, thermostat, electric fans, coolant flush. Free system inspection and leak test on every visit. 48-month / 48,000-mile warranty on parts and labor.
If any of this sounds familiar
Stop-and-go traffic, 95°F days, salt air, and the highest A/C duty cycle in the country. European A/C systems work twice as hard here as they do anywhere else. Here’s what we see most often.
“The A/C blows warm after 10 minutes.”
Almost always either a slow refrigerant leak (low charge causes compressor cycling and intermittent cooling) or a compressor clutch / pressure-switch fault. Free leak test finds it.
“The temperature gauge climbs in traffic.”
Electric cooling fan not engaging, thermostat stuck closed, water pump failing, or a clogged radiator. Common in South Florida heat — we test all four before quoting.
“There’s a wet patch on the passenger floor.”
Either a clogged A/C condensate drain backing up into the cabin (cheap fix) or a heater core leak (more expensive). We’ll tell you which honestly.
“The dealer’s A/C compressor quote shocked me.”
Same OEM compressor, quoted itemized after inspection at our independent labor rate, with a longer warranty. We also confirm the compressor is actually the failure point before quoting — sometimes the issue is the condenser, expansion valve, or a refrigerant leak elsewhere.
Our approach
The cardinal sin in A/C work is recharging a leaky system. Refrigerant is expensive, and any leak that lost a full charge will lose another within weeks. Worse, modern European refrigerant (R-1234yf) is environmentally regulated — venting it into a known leak is illegal as well as wasteful.
So we start with a free leak test — UV dye + electronic leak detector + soap-and-bubble on common joint locations. We confirm where the system is losing charge, then we quote either the leak repair or the compressor / condenser / evaporator service that’s actually needed. Recharge happens after the leak is fixed.
Scope of work
Eight common A/C and cooling-system jobs — from a $30 cabin filter through full compressor + condenser + evaporator replacement.
UV dye + electronic leak detector. Refrigerant evacuated and weighed in to factory spec. Vacuum-pull verified before recharge.
Clutch engagement test, pressure-switch verification, compressor-clutch coil resistance. OEM compressor swap with new dryer + expansion valve as required.
Condenser replacement (common after stone strikes through the front grille), evaporator core service, drain-tube clearing.
TXV replacement, orifice-tube service, receiver-dryer replacement. Done as part of any major refrigerant-circuit repair.
OEM cabin filter on every visit if needed. Also clears the evaporator drain — restoring full A/C output for usually under $80.
Mechanical and electric water-pump replacement (BMW, Audi, VW, Land Rover). Coolant flush included on every water-pump job.
Radiator replacement (common after corrosion in coastal South Florida), electric cooling fan + fan-clutch service, thermostat housing service.
Manufacturer-spec coolant (Mercedes G48, BMW HT-12, VW G13, Porsche). Thermostat replacement, coolant-passage gasket service.
How an A/C job goes
From the moment you call to the moment you drive out, here’s what to expect — and what you walk away with at every step.
Call (561) 395-5566 or request a quote. A/C inspection + leak test is usually same-day with an appointment.
UV dye + electronic detector + factory-tool scan. Cooling-system condition assessed at the same visit (interconnected systems).
Leak repair OR compressor / condenser / evaporator work, plus refrigerant. Listed by part number and source. You approve before any work begins.
OEM parts, factory torque, refrigerant evacuated and weighed in to factory spec. Vacuum-pull verified before recharge.
Parts and labor covered, starting on invoice date. Honored at PAC Community shops nationwide. Service logged digitally.
How we’re different
Quick-lube franchises advertise A/C service but the cracks show in the leak test (or absence of one), the refrigerant spec, and whether they bother with the system-pressure verification. Here’s the row-by-row comparison.
| What you’re paying for | Typical chain | Boca Autohaus |
|---|---|---|
| Leak test before recharge | ×Skipped — "we’ll just top it off" | ✓Free UV + electronic leak test, every job |
| Refrigerant spec | ×Generic R-134a "should work" | ✓Platform-correct (R-134a or R-1234yf), weighed in |
| System evacuation | ×15-minute vacuum pull | ✓Full vacuum-pull held + verified before recharge |
| Receiver-dryer replacement | ×Reused (incorrect) | ✓New dryer on any major refrigerant-circuit work |
| Cooling-system awareness | ×A/C only, ignores cooling | ✓A/C + engine cooling looked at together (shared fans / condenser) |
| Coolant spec | ×Universal "green" coolant | ✓Manufacturer-spec (MB G48, BMW HT-12, VW G13, Porsche) |
| Warranty | ×30 days or none | ✓48 mo / 48k parts & labor, nationwide PAC network |
| Quote process | ×Verbal estimate at the counter | ✓Itemized written quote — you approve line-by-line |
What it costs
The biggest variable in A/C work isn’t the labor — it’s what we find. A clogged drain hose is $80. A failed compressor with a contaminated system is $1,800–$3,200. We can’t honestly quote a fixed price without inspecting first.
So the leak test and the system inspection are free. We tell you exactly what’s wrong (and whether anything else is about to fail), then quote the real repair, itemized, before any work begins. Most owners are surprised in the right direction — substantially less than the dealer for the same OEM-grade parts and a longer warranty.
Quote good for 30 days. No work happens without your line-by-line approval.
Leak test & inspection
Free then a real itemized quote
European labor billed at $269/hr — significantly less than dealer rates for the same factory-spec refrigerant + OEM parts. Domestic/Asian $229/hr; exotic $299/hr.
See published labor rates and starting prices for oil, alignment, PPI, and brake service.
Frequently asked
The seven questions we’re most often asked about A/C and cooling work — with the real answers.
About 70% of "blows warm" calls are low refrigerant from a slow leak. Another 20% are compressor cycling on/off due to a pressure-switch or clutch fault. The remaining 10% are blend-door actuator (the air is being mixed with hot heater-core air) or condensate-drain blockage causing system shutdown.
Easiest answer: bring it in for a free leak test + scan. We’ll tell you which it is. Most repairs are completed same-day or next-day depending on parts availability.
Recharge alone (R-134a) is $180–$240 with a leak test included. R-1234yf (used on most cars 2014+) is more expensive — $320–$420 for the same service due to the regulated refrigerant cost.
However, we won’t recharge a leaky system — that’s wasting your money and venting refrigerant illegally. If the leak test shows a charge loss, we quote the leak repair first; recharge happens after the leak is fixed.
European cars from approximately 2014 forward use R-1234yf instead of the older R-134a. The change was driven by EU climate regulation — R-1234yf has 1/1300th the global-warming potential of R-134a.
The two refrigerants are not interchangeable. R-134a in an R-1234yf system damages the compressor seals and contaminates the lubricating oil. Always use the spec on the under-hood A/C label — we cross-check this on every job.
No. South Florida heat is hard on cooling systems but not enough to push a healthy car into the warning zone. If your gauge is climbing in stop-and-go traffic, something is restricting cooling flow — usually one of: failed electric cooling fan (won’t engage at higher speeds), failing water pump, partially-clogged radiator (corrosion + age), or a thermostat stuck partially closed.
This isn’t something to ignore — Range Rover supercharged V8s, Mercedes M272/M273, and BMW N55 are all sensitive to overheating, and a single overheat event can cause a head gasket failure or warped head. Bring it in.
European platforms vary: Mercedes recommends G48 coolant every 5 years or 60,000 miles. BMW HT-12 and HT-14 are spec’d for "lifetime" by BMW but most independent shops (us included) recommend service every 5–6 years to flush corrosion + restore additive package. Audi/VW G13 is similar.
South Florida heat is hard on coolant additives — we recommend the shorter side of the manufacturer interval for cars driven primarily here. We test pH and freeze point on every coolant inspection.
R-134a was the standard refrigerant from the mid-1990s through approximately 2014. R-1234yf replaced it on most European cars 2014+ due to climate regulation. The two refrigerants have different operating pressures, different lubricating-oil compatibility, and different fittings — they are not interchangeable.
The under-hood A/C label specifies which your car uses. We cross-check this on every job and use the correct refrigerant + correct compressor oil. Mixing them damages compressor seals and voids manufacturer warranties.
Yes — electric A/C compressors (used on plug-in hybrids and EVs) require special handling because they run on high-voltage and use a special POE oil that is not compatible with standard PAG oils. Cross-contamination from a standard A/C tool destroys the compressor.
We have a dedicated recovery / recharge machine + dedicated tools for electric-compressor systems. If your car is a hybrid or EV, mention it when you book and we’ll confirm the platform.
Tell us the year, make, model, and what it’s doing — warm air, water on the floor, temp gauge climbing. We’ll inspect it free, find the leak (if there is one), and come back with a real itemized quote — usually within one business day.
