ac condenser

[chrisdebbie1]

Hi there

I have got a focus mk2 and how do I change the ac condenser because I am having problems on it does anyone how to change it

[Luke4efc]

Hardest part is recovering the refrigerant in the system and recharging it. Other than that it's as simple as swapping a radiator. I don't know of any DIY way of recovering refrigerant, however it is possible to buy r134a in a can from Halfords for recharging the system after.

It is a legal requirement to leak check the system before you fill it with refrigerant. You also need to remove any moisture before you charge it, so will need to source a vacuum pump.

How have you come to the conclusion the condenser is at fault?

[MasterTechTip]

I wouldn't recover it unless you have an A/C machine, refrigerant is dangerous stuff and you can be fined a horrific amount if anyone saw you doing it without one. "Technically" you need a qualification to handle refrigerant as well.

If your condenser is leaking and you have no gas left in the system then you are fine to change it. And as @Luke4efc said you must do a leak test before refilling with gas. 

[chrisdebbie1]

is the condenser easy to change can just lift it out by undoing the 2 bolts where it is joined by the pipes 

[StephenFord]

I have never done it personally, but have watched it being done several times with 3 different cars (!). Last time, my AC guy took about 45 minutes from start to finish which included a full recharge at the end.Unless you live in central London with labour at about £1000/hour (LOL), I would take it to an AC specialist, this is their bread & butter, and their years of experience should allow them to do the job quickly and efficiently. I admire your DIY pluckiness, but why bother?

My 'guy' with new AC condenser...

 

[TomsFocus]

Yes it's as simple as lifting it out once you've got access to it, plastic rad clips can be brittle and break though.  You also need to lube up the new seals with PAG oil to ensure no leaks, and make absolutely sure the pipe goes in squarely.  If not, it can still pull a vacuum on the vac test, but will blow under pressure...from experience. 🤦‍♂️  The DIY can's from Halfords are pretty useless to fill an empty system.  I have done it, but wouldn't recommend it.

If the system is definitely empty and you're confident to swap the rad then go ahead and just have it leak tested and gassed professionally afterwards.  If there is still gas in the system then you might as well let a pro do the whole thing to save the hassle of taking it in for gas recovery and then back for refilling.

To check if there's any gas in the system (assuming the compressor isn't kicking in), poke the LP port with a long screwdriver and if there's a hiss, there's still gas there...  Obviously keep your hands and face away lol.