Do you take appointments?

Walk-ins welcome, and you can book online ahead of time so we know you’re coming and have a bay ready. Either way works.

Do you do smog checks and smog repairs?

Yes, smog checks and smog repairs are one of our specialties. If your car fails the smog check, we can diagnose and fix the issue on the spot.

What kinds of cars do you work on?

All makes and models, domestic and import. If it runs, we can fix it.

Where are you located and is there parking?

We’re at 2800 Oakdale Ave in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco. There’s easy street parking right out front.

Yes. Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, debit, tap to pay, and cash. No surcharge on debit cards. Credit cards have a 3% processing fee.

Do you offer financing?

Yes, through Sunbit and Affirm. Most repairs from $60 to $10,000 qualify, and checking your rate takes under a minute without affecting your credit.

What’s your warranty?

12 months / 12,000 miles on parts and labor for most repairs. We’ll spell it out in writing on your estimate before any work starts.

How long will my car take?

Most repairs are done same day. Bigger jobs we’ll give you a realistic window when you drop off, and call before any added work.

Do you give written estimates before doing work?

Always. You’ll see the breakdown, parts, labor, and total, before we touch your car. No surprise add-ons.

Can you tow my car in?

Yes, we work with local towing partners and can coordinate pickup. Call us at (415) 648-2226 and we’ll line it up.

Excelsior · AC & Heating

AC & Heating near Excelsior, San Francisco

We do ac & heating repair for Excelsior drivers about 15 minutes from The Excelsior, San Francisco. Our shop is at 2800 Oakdale Ave in The Bayview, family-owned, with owner Frank a 30+ year SF mechanic. Walk-ins welcome, written estimate before any work starts. Below is what a ac & heating visit looks like when you come from Excelsior.

Call (415) 648-2226 Book online

What Excelsior cars need

The Excelsior has a high concentration of older, well-loved family cars, Civics, Accords, Camrys, Tacomas, Tundras, plus a fair number of older Nissans, Subarus, and minivans. Cars in this neighborhood tend to be kept a long time, which means we see a lot of higher-mileage maintenance. Things we work on most:

Smog repairs on 12 to 25 year-old daily drivers
Brake jobs and tire wear from the daily commute mix
Timing belts, water pumps, and other 90k / 120k maintenance
Battery / starter / alternator on cars that mostly do short trips
Suspension and alignment after years of city driving

A & C Auto Clinic is a family-owned mechanic and auto repair shop in The Bayview, San Francisco, on Oakdale Ave. Owner Frank has 30+ years as an SF mechanic and has run A & C for more than two decades. San Francisco summers are weird, half the city is fog and half is 90 degrees inside the car after sitting in the sun. Either way, when your AC stops blowing cold or your heater stops blowing warm, you want it fixed right the first time, not a top-off that leaks back out in a month. We do AC and heating repair the right way: leak test the system, find the actual fault, fix it, then recharge to manufacturer spec.

What we work on

Full automotive AC and heating systems on every make and model. R-134a and the newer R-1234yf refrigerants both. We can test the system under pressure, find leaks with UV dye or an electronic sniffer, replace failed components, and recharge to the exact spec for your car. Compressors and components are OEM where available and Four Seasons, Denso, or Sanden quality aftermarket where it makes sense.

AC performance testing (vent temp, pressures, system check)
Refrigerant leak diagnosis with UV dye or electronic detector
AC recharge (R-134a and R-1234yf)
Compressor, condenser, evaporator, and expansion valve replacement
Heater core diagnosis and replacement
Blower motor and resistor replacement
AC blend door actuator replacement (the click-click-click sound)
Cabin air filter replacement

Diagnose before recharge

A common scam in the AC business is to just recharge a leaking system and send the customer away. The refrigerant escapes again in weeks, the customer comes back, gets another recharge, and pays twice. We do not do that. If your system is low on refrigerant, it is leaking. We will find the leak first, give you an estimate to repair it, and then recharge. If you just want a top-off knowing it will leak again, we will tell you straight what we think and let you decide.

Heater problems

When the heater stops working, the usual suspects are a stuck thermostat, low coolant, an airlock in the cooling system, a clogged heater core, or a failed blower motor. We diagnose which one in under an hour most of the time. Heater core replacements are the bigger jobs, the whole dash usually has to come out, and we will give you a real estimate before you commit.

When to come in

AC blowing warm air, weak airflow even on max, a sweet smell from the vents (coolant leak from the heater core), water dripping inside the cabin, a clicking sound from behind the dash, or no heat after the engine warms up. All of those are AC or heating problems we can fix.

Coming from Excelsior

If you're near Mission and Geneva, Persia Ave, or Crocker-Amazon Playground, the directions below will get you to the shop in about 15 minutes.

From Mission and Geneva: Geneva east, right on Bayshore, north on Bayshore, left on Oakdale. From the Persia / Russia / France block area: Mission south to Geneva, then same. From Crocker-Amazon / Naples / Cayuga: Geneva east to Bayshore, then north. About 15 minutes most of the day, can be 20 at rush hour.

AC & Heating questions from Excelsior

Real questions, straight answers.

How long is the drive from the Excelsior?+

Most of the neighborhood is 12 to 18 minutes from our door. Geneva and Bayshore are the slowest stretches at rush hour.

Do you work on older Hondas, Toyotas, Subarus?+

Yes. These are some of the most common cars in the Excelsior and we have decades of experience on every common Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and Nissan from the last 30 years.

How much does an AC recharge cost?+

It depends on the refrigerant your car uses. R-134a is cheaper; R-1234yf (most cars 2017 and newer) is significantly more expensive per pound. Call us at (415) 648-2226 with your year, make, and model and we will give you a number over the phone.

Will an AC recharge fix my AC?+

Only if you have no leaks. If your AC is blowing warm because the system is low, that means refrigerant escaped somewhere, and it will escape again. We always leak-test before we recharge so you do not pay twice.

My heater is blowing cold air. What is wrong?+

Most common causes are a stuck thermostat, low coolant, or an airlock in the cooling system. Less commonly it is a clogged heater core or a failed blend door. We can usually diagnose in 30 to 60 minutes.

Stop By

A & C Auto Clinic

2800 Oakdale Ave

San Francisco, CA 94124

(415) 648-2226

Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm. Walk-ins welcome. Closed Sat and Sun.

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AC & Heating near Excelsior, San Francisco

What Excelsior cars need

What we work on

Diagnose before recharge

Heater problems

When to come in

Coming from Excelsior

AC & Heating questions from Excelsior

Other services we do for Excelsior drivers

Fleet & Commercial

Smog Check

Brake Repair

AC & Heating in other San Francisco neighborhoods