amd20

hey guys- i hope i'm sure i'm not the only one in this situation- i was driving on a highway and all the sudden white steam started coming out from the front of my car. Had no idea what it was- the next day- the A/C stopped working and started blowing out hot air. Took it to the dealer to find out that a tiny rock had hit the condenser which is perfectly placed right in front of the car the dealer wanted $950 to fix it- :thumbsdown: so i took the matter into my own hands... ended up buying an aftermarket condenser for $230 from local parts shop and did all the work myself... its not too difficult to do... and here it is:

First of 2 parts: remove the bumper cover:


remove all torx screws using a T25 torx screw... they're a bit tight but not too bad...


remove the plastic clip holding the metal piece to the bumper



Now the bumper cover will come off and reveal the radiator cover... this will require removing more screws (i think 5 in total) don't forget the one on top of the radiator cover... this also requires torx screws (i believe T15 should do)






remove the radiator cover:


Now you will need a hex tool (i'm not sure exactly what size it is)


remove 2 screws holding the condenser


move the two small rods connected to the condenser and pull the condenser straight up... and waola!


the old condenser


the rock dent


the new condenser


now replace with new condenser and reverse assemble...


Now- the A/C condenser needs to be filled with A/C refigerant (R-134a) which you can pick up at any local auto repair place... You will need about 4 12oz cans. I bought them at Strauss for $8 each. And I bought the hose seperate ($20) that connects to the car... both of these items are standard and can be bought from local auto shop... When charging the system with R-134a- the AC needs to be on and fill from low pressure valve located here:


It is also a good idea to have the condenser vacumed and then fill with R-134a. I plan to goto the bmw dealer and have them check the AC system and as default the first thing they do is vacum and refill the system. So that should do it. It's not 100% necessary to vacum tho as AC would work just as fine- but i would recommend it.

hope this helps all that have a rock with the name of ur condenser on it... lol

E60M5E60

excellent write up. Most of the people are afraid to tackle a/c projects. My 2 cents; have the a/c pressure checked as the dials that come with the DIY are not accurate and there is a chance to have either over/under fill the system. If overfilled then you will notice the compressor start/stop too often. If underfilled then it will not cool enough. Finally, I am assuming you put the necessary oil when refilling the system as the compressor is lubricated from this.
Again great job.

info@trinityautosport

nice job and thanks for sharing

lightfytr

amd20,

that is great stuff. clearly a simple DIY for anyone i think. if everyone posts stuff like this we might not need the service dept anymore , right??? hahaha

mooney058

Can anyone share the comlete list of products and tools needed to refill the A/C?

Thanks!

zen

You can purge the condenser with freon instead of pulling a vacuum before you connect the plumbing, if you don't have the vacuum pump. Also depends if you live in an area with high or low humidity. If High humidity you should pull a vacuum before you initially fill the system.

DINAN530i

Just had this replaced under my extended warranty. Not a cheap repair but cheaper than the dealer. Nice work!!

Vos5en_5

how's the new aftermarket condenser working out for ya? I'm in same boat you were in and I just it back from diagnostic from dealership! They want 1,200 to get this done. I came across yur thread and was happy to save some money. thanks for the diy