The air conditioning in my 2010 Honda CR-V seems to be getting very weak. Any suggestions on where I should take it for service in the Sosua-Cabarate-Puerto Plata area? I don't care about cost - I simply want it fixed correctly without damaging something.
- Thread starter rhanson1
- Start date
Automotive air conditioning service
There's a guy called Mello on the east side of Cabarete about 3km. It's just a little past Cabarete East Condos on the other side of the road(right side as you're heading east.) It's across from the proposed old Amber Dunes project. There's no signs. Go slow and look carefully or you'll miss it. It;s back off the road. You'll see a trailer and some cars parked in there. That's it.
This guy is awesome. I've used him for years. He completely rebuit the compressor on the a/c on my Toyota for $65. You can't go wrong with this guy. He stands behind his work. Great overall mechanic.
This guy is awesome. I've used him for years. He completely rebuit the compressor on the a/c on my Toyota for $65. You can't go wrong with this guy. He stands behind his work. Great overall mechanic.
If you can make it to La Vega, there is a guy there with the cleanest, most organized a/c shop I've seen since the states. He dispatches what looks like a NASCAR pit crew on your car, great work with speed and precision, all in clean, matching uniforms.
We had a compressor return hose go bad with a tiny leak. He diagnosed the problen, built a brand new hose, and had it installed, system recharged, blowing cold air again in less than 45 minutes and for RD$3000.
Could be worth the drive.
We had a compressor return hose go bad with a tiny leak. He diagnosed the problen, built a brand new hose, and had it installed, system recharged, blowing cold air again in less than 45 minutes and for RD$3000.
Could be worth the drive.
La Vega is certainly possible for me, but it seems a bit extreme just to repair an AC problem. Santiago is closer to me than La Vega, but I was hoping that there would be something in the Puerto Plata area. Perhaps I'll follow Cavok's suggestion with Mello in Cabarete. I have also heard good things about the Nissan dealer in Puerto Plata. Apparently they have a well trained service department and they service brands other than Nissan. If anyone here has any experience with them, please comment.
Check posts #9 and #10. He's no longer at the location mentioned there. I've been using him for everything since about 2010. Wouldn't take my car anywhere else.
https://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php/152445-Need-Car-A-C-mechanic-near-Cabarete-Center
I am very skeptical about locally available or custom-made parts. Even with the best intentions of the mechanic, I would much prefer that he simply tell me exactly what he needs for a part(s), let me order the OEM parts online, then return in a few days for him to install.
I think that depends on what part you're talking about. Most of the time it's not worth the time, expense, and hassle of getting it shipped down here.
Keep in mind the $65 I paid for a rebuilt a/c compressor included included all parts and labor including recharging the system with freon.
Price may vary depending on what type of compressor you have and how hard it is to remove and replace it.
You shouldn't be. That's how mechanics used to fix cars in the states, before the US became a disposable culture.
I've seen hydraulic hoses built here that are as food as OEM. The a/c hose Sandy's built was top-notch; I watched them build it.
On a tour our van alternator went out, and no spare was available anywhere on Samana, and it would be a couple of days and hassle to get the right one shipped from the capital or Santiago. So we took it to a big used parts place in Nagua, a tech took it apart, saw some diodes were fried, found some good diodes on another alternator and fixed it right there in front of me where I could inspect the work and soldering. It's worked perfectly for two years now.
Never underestimate the ability of a Dominican mechanic. They fix things, not just replace a part.
No Automotive shop or individual mechanic in the USA would even attempt to rebuild an alternator or starter, they just replace it. Very few shops concentrate in just rebuilding parts, ie; alternators, starter, transmission, engines, etc.
China has won - parts are just easily accessible and rather cheap thus replacing is cheaper and faster than rebuilding.
To the DR and any other third world country - locally manufacturing, fixing, rebuilding and making "de tripas corazon" is the norm because of the highest prices of imports and taxation involved with replacement parts.
These guys in Latin America are magicians when it comes to fixing and making things work.
We have a whole thread on this
Dominican Ingenuity
You guys should add to it
They are geneii.... miracle workers
Howymy Latin?
Dominican Ingenuity
You guys should add to it
They are geneii.... miracle workers
Howymy Latin?
I decided to take Cavok’s recommendation and go to Mello in Cabarete for my air-conditioning problem. Here’s what happened. Following Cavok’s directions, I came to a derelict junkyard-looking place set back from the road. I figured that must be the place. I was right. Upon pulling in, I was immediately greeted by a young Dominican kid who I would guess was about 10 years old. He greeted me with “hello”. His English surprised me, so I asked if he spoke English. He responded “pocito” which of course is Dominican for “no”. Nevertheless I was impressed by the kid's attempt to make me feel comfortable.
I expressed to the kid in my broken Spanish that my air-conditioning was getting weak. He told me to release my hood latch and then disappeared into the ramshackle trailer. I assumed that he was going to fetch his dad. Wrong again. Instead the kid returns with hoses and gauges, opens my hood, and connects the gauges. He immediately diagnoses my problem and tells me that I am a little low on gas, and he asks if I would like him to add some gas. I respond “si”. So the kid carefully hooks up the gas canister and begins to release some gas into the system while at the same time dousing my radiator with cold water from a hose. I’m thinking to myself “this kid seems to know what he’s doing”. While he’s working, I ask him if he thinks that I might have a leak someplace, and he responds with his professional opinion of “no”. The car is 9 years old and I believe this is the first refrigerant recharge that it has ever had, so hopefully the kid was right. After finishing his work, the kid advises me that he is done, and he wants me to feel the air coming out of the vents in my dash. I agree that it is much better now, and I ask him how much I owe him. 350 pesos.
As I was driving home, the air coming from my dash was so cold that I had to add a little heat to temper it. I never met Mello but instead was serviced by a young child who seemed very knowledgeable and gave me excellent service. Gotta luv the Dominican Republic.
I expressed to the kid in my broken Spanish that my air-conditioning was getting weak. He told me to release my hood latch and then disappeared into the ramshackle trailer. I assumed that he was going to fetch his dad. Wrong again. Instead the kid returns with hoses and gauges, opens my hood, and connects the gauges. He immediately diagnoses my problem and tells me that I am a little low on gas, and he asks if I would like him to add some gas. I respond “si”. So the kid carefully hooks up the gas canister and begins to release some gas into the system while at the same time dousing my radiator with cold water from a hose. I’m thinking to myself “this kid seems to know what he’s doing”. While he’s working, I ask him if he thinks that I might have a leak someplace, and he responds with his professional opinion of “no”. The car is 9 years old and I believe this is the first refrigerant recharge that it has ever had, so hopefully the kid was right. After finishing his work, the kid advises me that he is done, and he wants me to feel the air coming out of the vents in my dash. I agree that it is much better now, and I ask him how much I owe him. 350 pesos.
As I was driving home, the air coming from my dash was so cold that I had to add a little heat to temper it. I never met Mello but instead was serviced by a young child who seemed very knowledgeable and gave me excellent service. Gotta luv the Dominican Republic.
I second Mello. He's the only one I know who can strip down and rebuild an A/C compressor. Unlike in NA or Europe where they will throw away the old one and fit a brand new one for the sake of a five cent rubber seal.
The kid who serviced your car was probably one of his apprentices.
The kid who serviced your car was probably one of his apprentices.