As for your a/c prob, since the mechanic didn't repair it, and if he didn't list anything else in his original estimate, ask for your money back. Never pay for repairs anywhere if they don't fix the prob! If necessary, have them return the replaced part and go elsewhere. Guesswork should never be rewarded. At the very least, a qualified tech will advise you when he has to do some diagnostic work and roughly how much it may cost. Then it's up to you to determine how much you want to spend. Some probs can be difficult to assess and determining the solution can take a lot of time. Never leave the shop with an open ended budget for diagnostics, they can wind up costing more than the repair is worth, especially with either an inexperienced or inept tech!
Thanks for your input on this. As far as not paying for the repair, he specifically listed the replacement of A/C compressor along with various parts. The old compressor was obviously shot, and the loud noise is no longer there. However, the issue with the a/c control shutting off completely, due to what we thought was a blown fuse, once the fuse was replaced, it remains inoperative. I was wondering perhaps there was something else we missed.