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+--- Thread: A/C Condenser Replacement (/showthread.php?tid=3934)
A/C Condenser Replacement - Rissy - 06 May 2013
Hey people.
Quick guidance question. If one was planning to replace an old and busted A/C condenser with a replacement one, after removing the old one from the car and unplumbing it from the rest of the system, what would people then do from that point forward? Any special instructions, or processes that one should be aware of to go through? I'm sure there is a rule of thumb etc for all cars, irrespective of brand, but just don't know what it would be. I'm asking here, but it's not for LEX, it's for my Civic. Being a bit cheeky i guess, posting the question here, but thought well, if there IS a generalised rule of thumb, then it may still be useful here even for D' information.
(The Honda Civic forum I belong to are a bunch of useless, unresponsive types compared to here, so that's why i'm not wasting my time with asking over there...)
Re: A/C Condenser Replacement - Chris Williams - 06 May 2013
I changed one recently on our Sedonna when a large bolt
went through it and punctured it! On this and most modern cars they seem to have connectors fairly near to them or a short bit of flexi pipe to a rigid pipe joint. Usually fittings like these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Focus-2- ... 3a80bea6a6 They simply push inside each other and joined with a bolt. Fairly easy job to do when you have removed all the trim bits and bobs. Re-fitted a new one and down to get it re-gassed. Though I suppose I had better say that you need to have the system evacuated properly to remove any residual gas. In my case that did not apply though.chris
Re: A/C Condenser Replacement - Rissy - 06 May 2013
ok, cheers Chris. so will I need any special tools, or will the bogo standard stuff be ok? Also, the old one has been bust open at the bottom a long time, although not completely open to the elements, there may have been some ingress of environmental influences (rain, maybe some dust or grit, and of course, possible rust contamination) so with this in mind, do i need to somehow flush the system, and if so, how? Also, when putting the connections on to the replacement unit, do i need to use some form of thread lock or PTFE tape or something to make good seals, or are these things designed just to unscrew and rescrew?
I'm wanting to do the work myself to the point where i can literally take it to a station and have them flush, pressure check and re-gas...
Don't know how it will go. Never done this sort of work before. ? ? ?
Re: A/C Condenser Replacement - Chris Williams - 06 May 2013
I'm not an expert on this so I will let anyone else chime in if they are better informed. But the only other bit is the accumulator that may be damaged from the elements getting to it. Usually cars are just held together with Torx headed screws and metric nuts/bolts nowadays. Those A/C fittings just push together, I would use some PAG oil on the 'o' rings for good measure as that's what's in the system to keep them lubricated anyway. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/R134A-PAG-46- ... 5d35234550
Chris
Re: A/C Condenser Replacement - Nick H - 06 May 2013
The main tip I was given is as Chris say's, lube the 'O' rings with PAG oil. A least with the D all the screwed coupling connections use 'O' rings. If it's the same on the Civic you might want to replace them on any connections you disturbed.
Talking of A/C I got to use mine for the first time on cold today since I rebuilt the system last year! :lol:
Went to the Woburn Show. First chance I have had to drive the car this year. Super cold aircon all the way there and back and now the rear brakes work as well 8) . Somthings's bound to go wrong..... :wink:
Regards
Nick H
Re: A/C Condenser Replacement - Rissy - 06 May 2013
...I managed to get the condenser out tonight after work. Took a good 2 hours or so to do it, and I now understand the connections you mean. The O rings look ok, but still may replace them. The condenser is bowed instead of having the fins horizontally straight. Made of Aluminium, so lots of surface oxide corrosion, but can't see any signs of where a leak might be. It was an A/C gassing guy about 2 years ago that told me that's where he reckoned my problem was when he saw it. He regassed the car a week before that diagnosis, but of course, the gas never even lasted a week before something gave way and released it all to atmosphere. Waste of £70!
Anyway, I'll find out when I fit the replacement. It's coming this weekend, but i'm not sure when i'll get the chance to fit it yet. So, yeah. do you think a regassing company might lube the O rings for me if I explain i've just replaced the condenser (all part of the regassing service?) - would save me buying the stuff myself.
..If this condenser doesn't work, i'll not be happy, as i've no idea where else the problem might be, and i'd have to pay someone a small fortune to investigate and replace any other necessary parts....ho-hum.
Thanks for the feedback guys, appreciate it. Any other comments etc, i'm all ears, so don't feel as if we need to finish it here, but if it does, then thanks again, i appreciate it... :wink: