A/C evaporator, replace "o" rings, w203

[mike01707]

Hello, anybody out there had eperience of replacing "o" rings in the A/C evaporator or replacing the whole evaporator. I understand it is located beneath the dashboard.What I am interested in knowing, is the procedure to remove the evaporator, what has to be removed etc? Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated. The car is a 51 plate c220 cdi auto diesel saloon, this problem aside, a very nice car to drive.
regards
mike

 

[jibcl500]

Mike

What makes you think the evaporator is at fault? MB can supply all the seals you need, best ask the parts guy for all of them.

jib

 

[rbarrett]

As far as I know, the "O" rings are where the expansion valve fits up to the pipes leading to the evarorator. These should be reachable under the hood... not sure about your model but most are under the hood.... If the freon is coming out the drain (sniff it with a freon detector) then your evaporator has a hole in it and needs to be replaced... probably not "O" rings...:-( See my thread of 31-03-2009 ..... This was a 124 body.. but still a big job to tackle, even with the manual and this forum for references..... Good luck.

 

[mike01707]

Hello again and thanks for the two replies, I appreciate your interest. I now realise that I should have adressed my problem in this forum in a different way. I posed a genuine question, but not in the true context of my problem.

I am now going to correct that mistake. I was loosing A/C fluid, an had up an "EC rest" indicator. I had the car recharged with gas, and the lamp put out. About two weeks latter the A/C was again not working and the " EC Rest" lamp was on again.

This time I contacted a supposed A/C specialist in Hertford, explained the problem and asked if it could be looked at sometime while I waited, got a yes, and booked it in.

Arriving at the garage I was told I would have to leave the car with them for 2 hours, to be charged with nitrogen and dye to find the leak.

Arriving back at the garage I was told the car had a leak in the "HYDRATOR"
which would probably be resolved by changing the "O" rings in it, for this investigation and estimate I was charged £40. I was informed that the estimate was £150 including a regas, if however the "O" did not resolve the problem, I would need a new "Hydrator" which would be obtained from Euro Spares as they were cheaper than MB.

When I phoned to book the car in, I asked what a "HYDRATOR" was, as none of the A/C spares suppliers I had contacted knew what a "Hydrator" was. I explained I needed to know, so that I had an idea of what I was letting myself in for. I was informed that different garages called things by different names, ok. I persued the point and was getting nowhere, I then asked if their " HYDRATOR" was in fact a "Receiver Drier" and I got a very reluctant "yes".

After leaving the car with them for the repair, a day latter I received the dreaded repairer phone call, I had additional leaks on the high and low pressure switches that would require "O" rings, additionally they would need to remove the cars radiator to gain access to the "HYDRATOR". I was informed this would increase labour costs, but not material costs.

Next day I received a phone call to collect the car. On arriving at the garage the owner wanted to show me the A/C working. It seemed to work OK, but the "EC rest" light was still glowing. He drained the A/C system twice in about fifteen minutes, until at last he managed to extinguish the "EC Rest" light. We then went into his office where the bill was waiting for me.

The bill was for £962.11, I nearly passed out, shock aside I asked what questions I could think of at the time, but all I got from him was "thats the bill". He staed that he doesn't use actual man hours for billing but "Autodata" man hour times for the work undertaken. I had to pay up on my credit card to get my car back. The following day I started looking into his bill.

P2.2200 Evaporator- Front R & I 8.5hrs 498.00
P2.0200 System evacuation/recharging C & A 1.0 hr 60.00
P2.2900 Switch - high/triple pressure R & I 1.3 hr 78.00
P2.3000 Switch low/cycling pressure R & I 1.3hr 78.00

750 grms R314A Qty 1 40.00
"O" rings 00394 Qty 6 4.00
Tracer dye Dye 1 Qty 1 8.50
Pac Oil Pac 9 Qty 1 23.98
AC Quick Fresh 089376451-GB Qty 1 26.14

Parts 122.62
Labour 714.00
VAT 125.49
total £962.11

I and a mechanic went back to see him. I asked him to clearly identify to which parts he had fitted "O" rings to, as he had witten a disclaimer at the foot of the bill stating that "future pressure loss from any other seal is not covered under the warranty for the work we have carried out".

He stated " as in the bill", and would not identify the components by name.

I then asked "if he had worked on any A/C component located under the dashboard" , he replied "No".

I asked "if he had removed any of the dashboard or centre console" he replied "No".

I suggested that his phone call regarding the radiator removal was more akin to gain access to the "receiver/drier" located on the l/h/s of the radiator when viewed from the front of the car. He just shrugged his shoulders.

I then suggested he may have used a wrong " Autodata" code on the the bill, an evaporator instead of receiver/drier, for which "Autodata" allocate 1.5 man hours R & I.

He said he would look into it and get back to me. He hasn't.

I was just curious, as to how much work would have been involved in getting the evaporator out, and if the dash assembly would have had to have been partially dimantled.

Lets face it I would never have sanctioned the dash removal under any circumstances, I could never have lived with the resulting rattles.

This guy is a liar and a cheat, and I am going to go for him. I was and still am gathering facts and any info to help me prepare my case against him.

I appologise to readers for presenting my thread the way I did, I was trying to avoid boring you all with the above saga.
regards
mike

 

[rbarrett]

I was just curious, as to how much work would have been involved in getting the evaporator out, and if the dash assembly would have had to have been partially dimantled.
The dash, the center console, the instrument panel and the steering wheel would have to be removed. I would say that you have been ripped off. Wow!!

 

[mike01707]

I agree!!

It sure feels like i've been ripped off. Given the circumstances I have described, I would have thought that by confronting the garage with the discrepancies, and giving them a way out, by suggesting they mat have used an incorrect "Autodata" code number for the the work carried out, they might have compromised.

But no, they just say as in the bill. I am now looking at a "charge back" on my credit card, and a "Letter before action" to the garage concerned. Given the glaring dicrepancies involved with the "BILL", I cannot for the life of me understand why they are not negotiating an acceptable compromise.

I can only assume that they are hoping I will "Take it on the chin" so to speak, and go away.

They are wrong if that is what they assume.
Mike