Seat Alhambra 2001
How big of a job/how difficult is it to replace the air con condenser on the above...?
Garage quoting £490 + VAT to replace and re-gas (after regassing for £50 but failing to detect the leak!)
Condenser is readily available from GSF or Euro Car Parts for ~ £110 inc. VAT.
from experience - buy from GSF, not ECP.
Mine too
Only issue is if you just unplug the old one you'll inevitably leak coolant out into the atmosphere which is punishable by crazily high fines and (probably) public flogging.
i prefer ECP's to be honest. GSF seem to be expensive at the moment. especially for BMW stuff.
ive never had issues taking stuff back so im happy.
dave
from memory if they are the same as galaxy,its headlight bumper off and front panel moved foward,although you can cheat and cut some plastic from the
inner front panel to get it out but bumper and lights still need to be removed.
Anybody working on an aircon system now has to be certificated and a 5k fine is possible if caught.
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Only issue is if you just unplug the old one you'll inevitably leak coolant out into the atmosphere which is punishable by crazily high fines and (probably) public flogging.
quote:
Originally posted by jonesier1
from memory if they are the same as galaxy,its headlight bumper off and front panel moved foward,although you can cheat and cut some plastic from the inner front panel to get it out but bumper and lights still need to be removed.
Anybody working on an aircon system now has to be certificated and a 5k fine is possible if caught.
I would replace the receiver/drier if the sstem has been exposed to atmosphere for any length of time too.
I can't comment on a Seat Alhambra, but there's nothing overly difficult in replacing an air-con condensor - it's just a radiator with
screw on connections. If it's leaking such that the aircon doesn't work anymore there's unlikely to be much pressure left in the
system.
The issue will be what you have to remove to get access to it. I replaced the one on my wife's Impreza last year, had to move the PAS cooler out
of way, drain the coolant and remove that radiator before I could even see the condensor. 5 mins later and the new one was fitted.
Shaun.
quote:
Originally posted by prawnabie
I would replace the receiver/drier if the sstem has been exposed to atmosphere for any length of time too.
quote:
Originally posted by ShaunB
I can't comment on a Seat Alhambra, but there's nothing overly difficult in replacing an air-con condensor - it's just a radiator with screw on connections. If it's leaking such that the aircon doesn't work anymore there's unlikely to be much pressure left in the system.
The issue will be what you have to remove to get access to it. I replaced the one on my wife's Impreza last year, had to move the PAS cooler out of way, drain the coolant and remove that radiator before I could even see the condensor. 5 mins later and the new one was fitted.
Shaun.
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
quote:
Originally posted by ShaunB
I can't comment on a Seat Alhambra, but there's nothing overly difficult in replacing an air-con condensor - it's just a radiator with screw on connections. If it's leaking such that the aircon doesn't work anymore there's unlikely to be much pressure left in the system.
The issue will be what you have to remove to get access to it. I replaced the one on my wife's Impreza last year, had to move the PAS cooler out of way, drain the coolant and remove that radiator before I could even see the condensor. 5 mins later and the new one was fitted.
Shaun.
That's my problem, we're off to France in it for 2 weeks on Sunday and I don't have the time to spend pulling the car apart to get to it
Don't be surprised by high prices for re-gassing the system. The new reg's mean everyone working on them has to go on new courses at around
£300 each and the gas has tripled in price over just a few weeks.
adrian
Take it to a bodyshop, they will have far more experience in front ends and the labour rate will be MUCH cheaper
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Take it to a bodyshop, they will have far more experience in front ends and the labour rate will be MUCH cheaper