I have a 2007 Civic with 168k miles on it. 2 summers ago, my AC compressor went out and my very trustworthy mechanic gave me a repair quote for $900. The trade in value of the civic is about $1500, and the repair to value just has not justified it for what I consider a "luxury item."
I have gone two summers without AC and it is rather brutal considering I have to commute in rush hour traffic for about 2 hours/day. I've also looked into repairing this myself and it appears to be a very difficult task on account of the location of the compressor. My friend who has far more mechanic skills than I do (I do oil changes, coolant flush, and tire rotation, but not much more than that), told me that he believes it is a major pain in the a$% and to get a new car. This friend however has not performed the task himself.
I was wondering if anyone here has actually replaced an AC compressor themselves, and if so, could fill me in on just how difficult it is and to point me in the direction of any helpful "how tos" Thanks.