Mr Morgan's E320CDI evaporator repair

[BlackC55]

Before:

 

[renault12ts]

After?

 

[BlackC55]

We removed everything behind the dash console to gain acess to the leaking evaporator. The evaporator is inside the heater box. We removed the heater box and stripped it into a million bits and replaced the evapotator.

A little pic of during the work.

 

[BlackC55]

We found the heater matrix leaking too. So we had to repair that with some new seals. There was coolant sitting inside the heater box mixed with AC dye and AC oil.

Put it all back together and its now working better than ever.

It's quite a daunting job but the sense of satisfaction is great.

 

[Aerialmark]

Hell ! How long did it take to take apart and put back together did it all go back ok and what was the most difficult part of it apart from the thought of should I do it !!!!!! ?. Well done by the way

 

[wemorgan]

A nice day to bury bad news

 

[ringway]

We found the heater matrix leaking too. So we had to repair that with some new seals. There was coolant sitting inside the heater box mixed with AC dye and AC oil.

Put it all back together and its now working better than ever.

It's quite a daunting job but the sense of satisfaction is great.

Well done, Olly. I'll bet a lot of mechanics would trip up somewhere along the line doing that job.

I never had a firm identification of the cause of the aircon problem.
MB Macclesfield said evaporator and someone else said a corroded pipe was at fault. I knew the dash had to come out so I never considered having it investigated further or repaired.

That car will be perfect now and last a long time. I do miss it, but hardly ever got the chance to drive it.

Fantastic job, Olly.

Good luck, Charles.

 

[clk208]

Wow that is absolutely crazy. Some talk of certain volvo models being built around the heater fan and much dismantling needed to replace, but this takes it to a new level!

Is this a common fault? any other consequences of not attending to this other than presumably no air-conditioning?

 

[bolide]

The last W124 evaporator I did took about 20 hours. But them I am not a highly-trained Mercedes deconstruction technician

Nick Froome

 

[BTB 500]

Wow, good job!

 

[ringway]

I had heard of it being done before where two garage bays were used.
The dash was dismantled and placed in the empty bay in "out" order and then reassembled in reverse.
THIS is the job where the phone keeps ringing as a distraction.

 

[Igurisu]

Christ Olly, what a job! How you can ever get it all back together is beyond me but I have the greatest of respect for you guys that can.

 

[renault12ts]

Christ Olly, what a job! How you can ever get it all back together is beyond me but I have the greatest of respect for you guys that can.

Getting it back together isn't the problem...its the 2 dozen left over bits you need to worry about!

 

[Aerialmark]

A nice day to bury bad news

What behind the dash ?

 

[BlackC55]

Hell ! How long did it take to take apart and put back together did it all go back ok and what was the most difficult part of it apart from the thought of should I do it !!!!!! ?. Well done by the way

The tricky bit was the brace bar that goes across the car. That was a bugger to get back in. The wiring has to go back in exactly the same place too otherwise they are often too short for the consumer.

I quite enjoy it actually.

Well done, Olly. I'll bet a lot of mechanics would trip up somewhere along the line doing that job.

I never had a firm identification of the cause of the aircon problem.
MB Macclesfield said evaporator and someone else said a corroded pipe was at fault. I knew the dash had to come out so I never considered having it investigated further or repaired.

That car will be perfect now and last a long time. I do miss it, but hardly ever got the chance to drive it.

Fantastic job, Olly.

Good luck, Charles.

Thank you.

Wow that is absolutely crazy. Some talk of certain volvo models being built around the heater fan and much dismantling needed to replace, but this takes it to a new level!

Is this a common fault? any other consequences of not attending to this other than presumably no air-conditioning?

Not a common fault. Its the first 210 one I have had out. In fact its the first evaporator I have ever done.

Christ Olly, what a job! How you can ever get it all back together is beyond me but I have the greatest of respect for you guys that can.

It really is not that hard if you are methodical. You just need to hit it in one. No distractions. Thats why I started it at 6:45 this morning.

Getting it back together isn't the problem...its the 2 dozen left over bits you need to worry about!

Jack sat in one seat and me in the other. It took us 5.5 hours per person per side. 11 in total.

No bits or screws left over. There were a few missing actually that I replaced.

 

[Charles Morgan]

If I find Dash in there, at least I'll know there is some refrigeration going on.

He hasn't shown the after after picture yet!

 

[Charles Morgan]

You also could have photoshopped out the dirty carpet Olly, Ringway will assume I'm not cleaning her every day, just like I am deliberately ensuring my blinds don't line up neatly, just to wind him up on his daily drive by..

 

[Palfrem]

I don't think I will live long enough to put that back together (...even if I had a clue how!)

 

[LESTAYLOR]

Wow I would not know where to start, that would keep me awake for nights at a time. Good job there Olly

 

[SavMan]

I bet Jack complained about a few cups of stewed tea that day!