How To Replace your A/C Condenser

[Dr.Drew]

Here is a little guide to help you in the replacement of your A/C condenser.

Step 1: Pop your hood :p

Step 2: Remove the plastic skid plate, the plastic fan shroud, and the 5 bolts holding in the cross member two on each side and one in the middle. Then remove the 2 bolts holding the hood latch and disconnect the hood latch cable.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/part1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/P1010122.jpg

Step 3: Remove the plastic guard around the filler for the A/C. Then disconnect the fan electrical connections. Remove all 6 nuts holding the fan assembly in place, and then remove the fans. Finally remove the two bolts that hold the condenser to the radiator, and on the left side remove the air inlet for the air box.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/part2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/part3.jpg

Step 4: Using a topsider or bucket and rubber hose drain your radiator. Then disconnect the two upper hoses, at this time you should also disconnect and plug the lower transmission cooler line that comes into the radiator, this can be done with minimal spillage if you have two hands it takes practice but I don't spill hardly any fluid if you don't have your own dipstick get it checked at your dealer

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/part4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/part8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/P1010125.jpg

Step 5: that that everything is disconnected that needs to be with another person carefully lift the radiator up on a 45 degree angel then get the other person to lift the condenser out by turning it 90 degrees and carefully removing it though the space by the oil cooler lines its quite easy to do but hard to explain, sandwich a rad or something to protect the radiator from being dammaged by the fan.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/part5.jpg

Step 6: Repeat the process to install the new condesner, make shure to spring for a new A/C dryer and two o-rigns, move the rubber bushings and metal oval pieces from your old conedenser to the new one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/part6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/AndrewC280/P1010128.jpg


Step 7: Reverse the hole procedure to put everything back together

Cost for my mechanic to do the job was 1100-1200 + tax. My cost 720 with tax for the condenser and 2 hours of my time.

Word of advice only buy a mercedes condenser i was foolish trying to save money and bought one online that claimed to be oem it did not fit and was not oem. if your looking for an extra headache then buy aftermarket if your looking for a simple easy replacement then get mercedes oem from you dealer

[audiophile]

you forgot to close the hood!:eek: :p :p
j/k good write up.:)

[Dr.Drew]

got my freeon in today its like a fridge now

[hangup]

Originally posted by Dr.Drew
got my freeon in today its like a fridge now

Hi Dr,
thanks for a good walkthrough :)
My car may be a tiny bit different (it's a C43).
I'm at step 3.
I unscrewed 5 bolts but can't find the 6th :)
Any ideas what i could be missing?
the 5 i unscrewed where located like so:
two on each side and one in the middle, sort of close to the top.
it seems like there is another one in the middle closer to the bottom but i can't locate it's head.

[Dr.Drew]

its a typo there are only 5, you need to pull the fan assembly out towards the front of the car to get it to clear the screws and pull up its held in with pressure clips

[hangup]

Originally posted by Dr.Drew
its a typo there are only 5, you need to pull the fan assembly out towards the front of the car to get it to clear the screws and pull up its held in with pressure clips

thanks! i was able to pull it apart OK this morning. i should have checked the message board, but somehow i figured out that there were 5 screwes. I even started to undo the plastic cover at one point but i had a bad feeling about it and stopped just in time :)

my main goal was not to touch the radiator. i was able to do it without draining it and touching any radiator hoses.
but . . . mine is a C43, so there are two airducts on each side and i had to remove both of them to get enough space there.
also, it was a beaoch to do :)
i was only able to do it because i also wanted to fix one of the fog lights and for that i needed to take the bumper off.
after i took it off i got better access to the nuts that screw the condenser high pressure pipes. those nuts were not easy to unscrew and i had to be careful with them . . .
so now that i pulled everything apart i'm going to try to find a part for cheap, i know you warned that online is no good, but i'll try to be really careful. i have the label from my old part so i might get lucky there . . .
where did you get the wrong part from, btw, just so that i don't try the same seller :)))

thanks again for a good writeup! without it i would probably get discouraged in the early stages and give up on it.

[Dr.Drew]

rockauto.com it claimed to be oem but oem is made in france not usa there is a reason why it cost 113 and the real one cost 600

[hangup]

Originally posted by Dr.Drew
rockauto.com it claimed to be oem but oem is made in france not usa there is a reason why it cost 113 and the real one cost 600

thanks for the info!
i'll avoid that one.
i found a couple of places. some sell valeo some behr. these two i *think* are OEMs.
they are in the range of 230-300 bucks for C43 depending on where . . . shipping, etc.
there is one on e-bay for 188, but i'm suspect of that as it's made by someone else . . . ACI or something.
i just checked rockauto claims to have one for C43 too :) again, for 113.
i guess 113 is too good to be true.
188 probably is as well. i hear you about 600, but i think there may be middle ground there, between "BS for below 200" and "at the dealer for 600".
i'm considering 250 for behr from a "reliable source" :)
did you get a behr from a dealer or was it a valeo or something different?
my radiator is definitely behr so i think behr should probably fit OK.

[Dr.Drew]

see if they have actual pictures if they look the same as yours i would get it i was thinking of getting the valeo one but it looks nothing like the on that came out of my car behr is the manufacture of the radiator in my car

[hangup]

i was thinking of getting the valeo one but it looks nothing like the on that came out of my car behr is the manufacture of the radiator in my car

When you say radiator do you mean a/c radiator/condenser or the main radiator?
Basically my question is, when you bought a condenser at the dealer for 650, what was it? was it behr? do they even say what it is?
i suppose i should be able to call them and ask, but i'd rather get my info from a reliable source like a fellow DIYer :)

[Dr.Drew]

dealer wouldnt tell me who the manufacturer of the condenser was all i know is they are made in france.

the coolant radiator is made by behr

[Dr.Drew]

I had the condenser I removed repaired I will sell it to you for 300 CAD then your getting oem parts and not some aftermarket crap

[hangup]

Originally posted by Dr.Drew
I had the condenser I removed repaired I will sell it to you for 300 CAD then your getting oem parts and not some aftermarket crap

where was the leak? was it in the area right behind the aux fan center?

[Dr.Drew]

yes pretty much so

[hangup]

Originally posted by Dr.Drew
yes pretty much so

do you mind me asking . . . how did you repair it?
it is really possible to do to completely seal the leak?
who did the repairs, do they have some warranty or something for that kind of work?

[Dr.Drew]

i took it to a friend of mine that specailzed in radiator and condenser repair, they solder the hole and then pressure test it, there is no warrenty.

[hangup]

Originally posted by Dr.Drew
i took it to a friend of mine that specailzed in radiator and condenser repair, they solder the hole and then pressure test it, there is no warrenty.

sorry, for that amount i actually bought a new condenser and i was able to fit it in OK today.
yours might not have fit in a C43 anyways.
so now i have a leaking and used C43 a/c OEM condenser.
very nice, high quality product (obviously).
my friend told me it could be fixed for 60 bucks at the most, it could even be free if you know the right people.
so if you sell yours i'd be more than happy to get rid of mine too. i don't want to start a price war or anything, but i'd be willing to let it go for a very, very reasonable price :)

[Dr.Drew]

sounds good i tryed listing mine on ebay but found someone local to by it

[JOESID]

I just came accross this post....wow nice job ;)

I paid the shop $1300 for the same job and lost the car 2 days. :rolleyes: