I had first brought the car to the casa and was presented with a P47,000 quote. Breakdown: P26,000 to replace the compressor and P21,000 to replace the parts that connected the compressor to the rest of the car engine. I entertained a change oil for P995 and paid the aircon check fee that was P500. Then I folded the quote and buried it inside my passenger side compartment so I'd never see it again.
Luckily I had remembered my brother reminding me that Istorya.net was a great place to find local places or service feedback. I searched for "car aircon repair" and had a few forums pop up. I clicked through five forums and found 3 car repair names: Jojo's Aircon Repair, Nas Aircon Repair and Maxi Cool.
Jojo's Car Aircon Cebu had the most mentions and feedback from satisfied customers. He also had zero negative reviews anywhere. Maxi Cool Cebu had really good reviews as well, albeit fewer mentions. And while Nas had some mentions, there were feedback that they've turned heavy-handed on the prices - the one thing I was trying to avoid.
Jojo's Car Aircon also promised they could repair any compressor (on their main tagline). The compressor was my problem, it was their expertise - ding ding ding! A guy also made a testimonial on how they could pick out the compressor part that needed repair and replaced only that. This is what allowed them to give good quality repair for better prices. The guy who wrote the testimonial said he paid less than P6,500 for a similar service and was really happy with the results. P47,600 versus P6,500, I was sold!
So I went for a consultation and arrived around 10:30am. The map was pretty easy to follow. And for those who have Waze or Google maps, they can be found there too. Osmena St. was very narrow but their place was good sized and well-kept. There is a sign outside the street, so watch for that. There were around 6 cars there at that time, one was going through a car aircon cleaning.
I tried to call for an appointment but was advised it would be better to just drop in. When we got there the mechanic said we were lucky we arrived in the morning since they were full in the afternoon. Bottom line, try to go before noon to make sure you're accommodated. If you come in the afternoon, then they'll be forced to schedule you.
We were attended to immediately. Jojo, the owner, wasn't there but his staff was quick and competent. The verdict: compressor was old but seemed fine. The pipe was cool to the touch, so it meant the compressor was working. Please don't ask me what pipe. We did need more freon and he recommended that we refill that. He made no promises but said that if the freon worked, we could go ahead with a car aircon cleaning. If it didn't work, we can come back to check on the compressor.
I paid P800 for the freon. And car aircon cleaning was quoted at P2,800 (casa's was P4,600).
Luckily the freon worked! It's been 4 days since we went, so it may be too early to tell. But before the freon, the aircon would turn warm after 30 minutes of driving. We had four straight days where we drove more than an hour each way without incident. Yesterday my nose was too cold from the aircon just being at "1". More than anything, I was just happy that they were prudent enough to offer solutions that started with the cheapest. I need more time to save for a new compressor, so any extra days, hopefully years, will be a big help.
I was really happy to find this place and will recommend them to anyone who asks. For aircon repair concerns, try Jojo's Car Aircon Repair Cebu.
Address: Osmena St., Tres de Abril, Cebu
Map: link
Facebook here: Jojo's Car Repair
