Air con faults diagnosed, tool advise needed please.

[Ben g mon]

Morning...
Have a 2003 1900 TDI mk2 Galaxy, air con didn't work so got a mobile air con guy out had a nitrogen pressure test with uv dye and the main compresser to condenser pipe is cracked causing a fast leak. (Car has manual a/c and to the front only)

Can't find the slow leaks with out fixing the fast leak so that's fine I need a pipe. Compresser has power had did run, but he can't be certain of its efficiently.

So it's been left as he will get a quote for pipe from a dealer, so I got my own quote eBay / car parts for less style
Due to no history of any a/c work I guess I need the following;

Condenser with dryer (front or car)
Receiver dryer (drivers front wheel arch)
A/c pipe (compressor to top of condenser)
PAG 46 oil (for o ring lube)
O rings
I've got to Ã,£161.68 plus re gas of system
I'm doing all the work now the a/c system is empty (bar the re gas)
Then what ever minor faults can be found yeah?
He did say he has only ever changed 3 evaporator units behind a dash in 12 years so crossed fingers mine is ok. He did state the mk2 Galaxy is the worst performing system he deals with too!!

Do I need any additional tools for air con work (pipe connectors etc)

[Ben g mon]

Thought I'd update this for future use...
I changed the condenser (came with new drier also), thanks for advise on that from here and the low pressure pipe with a good aftermarket pipe from Poland via eBay.

Did buy a spring clip tool for pipe join but chopped pipe and twisted it out with water pump pliers

All o rings renewed and oiled with pag 46 air con oil

New drier cap greased and coated in pag 46 oil also (bought internal circlip pliers to make it so easy!)

Cut out access holes for all of above with this;https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/crt40-40pce-rotary-tool-kit/

Time spent 4 hours, money cost Ã,£170.... Air con guy wanted Ã,£150 just to fix pipe..... Just a re gas and it's good hopefully as old parts where stamped with 2002.... Never been changed!!!

Ta for info on here, thought a/c was a black art to start with.

[Ben g mon]

Thought I'd update.......
After fitting all the above parts, I called putthe mobile air con chap (air autos if your Devon based), another quick nitrogen pressure test =  no leaks, pleased with that

Vaccum and full re gas charge later, compresser checked out as efficient and well freezing cold from the vents now....

Well happy with that

Big thanks for all the posts on here about it, the advice, and the sunny afternoon spent fixing it myself on the drive....

[johnnyroper]

Always good when you save some money fixing yourself and all the hard work pays off.

Just need to remember to run system every few weeks over winter to keep them seals lubed so it still cools when needed again next year.

[insanitybeard]

Whereabouts in Devon are you? After the Ford garage (that I used to work in) succeeded in removing next to zero R134 gas from the air con system when I'd paid them to degas it (before I tackled some work on the air con system myself), I figured I wouldn't trust them to recharge the thing so I used an independent guy called Auto-AC in Halberton near Tiverton.

One other thing to bear in mind is that if the pollen filter hasn't been changed for a while and is blocked/ damp, renewing it makes a surprising difference to airflow into the cabin and how well it demists etc.

[Ben g mon]

I'm in newton abbot

I did change the pollen filter also to get the full effect. Old one wasn't too bad but did have wet dog smell inside so I whipped it out. I removed the wiper motor and greased the wiper linkage and made it 100 times easier to fit new pollen filter.


Air autos chap was surprised at prices I got to, he charged initial Ã,£20 for nitrogen fill and system check I replaced parts and he then charged Ã,£50 for vag and re gas. Working air con for Ã,£220....

Very very pleased

[insanitybeard]

I think I paid the guy I used Ã,£60 for a nitrogen pressure test and regas, plus Ã,£30 for a secondhand condenser, Ã,£35 for a drier cartridge and about Ã,£75 for a couple of pipes and some O-rings, plus about Ã,£40 for Ford to not degas my system so similar to what you've spent, mine was working initially though but I could see it was leaking oil and dye at a pipe joint so decided to sort it out.

[Ben g mon]

This was my shopping list;

Nitrogen pressure check; Ã,£20
Condenser with drier; Ã,£62 (new EIS unit from car parts for less)
Low pressure pipe; Ã,£68 from Poland via eBay
O rings; VW group TPS Ã,£1.60 for 2
Internal circlip pliers; Ã,£10 halfords
Air con spring clip tool; Ã,£9.00 eBay
Pag 46 oil; Ã,£6.00 eBay
Pollen filter; Ã,£3.00 car parts for less
Grease and cutting discs for die grinder I already had
Re pressure test with nitrogen and re gas Ã,£50.00

I think that's the lot.....