Air Con - How much $ to get it going again?

[helgathe109]

Hi all,

My W109 had the aircon compressor and connecting hoses removed by the previous owner. It has the Behr unit and the blower seems to work fine.

I've purchased a new Sanden compressor and adapter bracket, but since the system has been opened for many years (with the hoses being removed), I'm guessing it's going to need a fair bit of flushing to get it clean again. I'm thinking I'll need:

New hoses made up
A new Receiver/Dryer
A new Condenser (do I need to replace it?)
A few full system flushes
Charge the system with Hy-Chill

For anybody that has done this before, what sort of bill would be reasonable? Also with the receiver/dryer and the condenser, is it possible to adapt something from a different model, or are the correct parts easy enough to source (at a reasonable cost)?

Cheers,
Pete.

[Bartman4800]

I rebuilt the aircon system on my 2001 VW passat

I had to replace the compressor with a rebuilt unit. I bought this from Compressores Miami.

I also purchased a drier, an orifice and a O-ringl set from them. The drier is recommended whenever you open up the system.
Both together was about 50 aud + shipping.

Hoses can be made locally, go and see your hose specialist.

You can flush the system yourself, just use solvent and compressed out when drier and compressor are removed.

Regassing was done in Perth and cost me 100 aud a pop.


Regards, Bart

[helgathe109]

that doesn't sound too bad at all.. but then again, it is an old Mercedes, and if the aircon costs me less than a grand I'll be very surprised.

Problem is, I can't seem to find the correct dryer (it's the longer, old style one). I'm also unsure as to whether I need to replace the condenser, and If so, I run into the same issue and can't find the correct one.

here's a pic of the dryer... excuse the dust, this was after pulling the car out of a decade worth of storage


If I can't find the correct dryer & condenser, are there any others that would fit and do the job?

[Mercmad]

go to one of the fridge parts wholesalers and speak to the oldest bloke on the counter.Ask about automotive drier receivers. The old style long driers have been out of production for 40 years so you will never find one. Install a new style one with a high temp and low /high pressure switch . Wire them in the clutch circuit . (to protect the compressor) .you can buy an alloy version of the harrison compressor BTW. . Pull the condenser off and flush it out with gun wash or other cheap solvent . You should remove the evaporator too but if that is a factory aircon it means oulling the dash console,glove box etc out. You can beat it by flushing it in place. Theres nothing much to the air con on the W109 but they work really well if everything is in good order . Do you have the red hoses? if you do reuse them !. They are the perfect air con hose and will never leak,which is why aeroquip no longer sell them. You will also need to fit the new style R134a type charge ports .Thats a legal requirement to prevent you or me doing our own air con .

[ibast]

I'd be concerned about seals and gaskets. etc in the compressor. I'm betting it will need to be rebuilt.

[helgathe109]

Thanks for the replies guys.. I don't get on here often hence the delayed responses.

I'd be concerned about seals and gaskets. etc in the compressor. I'm betting it will need to be rebuilt.

I've got a new compressor. I've also bought a new condenser and a new drier. I've mounted it all, but will need someone to connect it all together and make up the lines, then flush the system a few times, and charge it with HyChill...