Sorry to bother the majority of you reading this as it is not chip related in any way.

I drive an older car (102,000 miles) and apparently need a new air conditioning compressor as I am leaking free-on. It's going to cost over $1,500 for a rebuilt one.

My question is this. As far as I know, other than for the leaking compressor, the car is in perfect shape. Now I don't mind spending the $1,500 or $2,000 or whatever to get it fixed, but am wondering if that is going to be the last of my problems for awhile. If I take the car to a dianostic center, can they tell me the condition of the car and what else is wrong with it, if anything--I mean the whole kit and kabootle. Do they have the equipment to evaluate the vehicle or must I go to the dealer or am I just wasting my money and either gamble that the problem will be solved or just trade it in for another car?

Any help by the master mechanics on this board would be of great help--and again, I apologize for this not being chip related but I value your opinions.