Q: ac freon, still not cool, serviced, stil now cool, then looked at and given price high quote to replace leaking seal. Acceptable?

If an air conditioning system is empty, or not performing well, if it passes a visual inspection, the first step to diagnosing it is to do a vacuum and recharge. This process will involve a labor charge of 1 to 1.5 hours in most shops and many shops charge form 75 to 120 dollars/hour depending on what part of the country you are in. Some shops will also tack on an equipment charge. With this operation will come a charge for refrigerant, which will usually be about 2 lbs or more, depending on what you drive. Even if you’ve partially filled the system with refrigerant, the only way to be certain the system has the right amount of refrigerant and oil in is to vacuum it out and refill it with the exact amount that the manufacturer recommends. Once the system is properly filled, it can be diagnosed using the high and low pressure gauges and tested for leaks using a refrigerant detector. Only then can you tell where the leaks are and make plans for repairs. So the answer is yes, it’s fair, the charge for doing the leak repair is not the same as the charge for refrigerant, recharging, and leak testing the system. But if you want a second opinion on the cost of the actual repair. Contact Your Mechanic to have a technician come to your home or office to check out your air conditioner and advise you on what to do.