I have a 93 SE with R-134a and I got a nice pin head sized hole in my condenser, making it non-functional and useless. I found one on a 91 GXE at a junkyard, but it uses R12. Plus some say you need a new condenser, some say you can reuse them. Does anyone know for sure? 90's all week, Black w/Black leather. C'mon guys I really want AC! Also, after the condenser is replaced, can I just add R134, or do I need to have it vaccumed out. There is currently nothing in there, as it is not air right.

 

I highly recommend you call up a place that does AC and ask them.

It might be possible to use the condenser from the older car, since I know you can retrofit older cars to 134 without swapping in a new condenser. Still, I would just call a place up and ask them.

 

Any system that has been open needs to be evacuated to remove moisture, contaminants, etc. When in doubt, pump it out!

 

1. the condenser changes from r12 - r134a on the max, I'll assume there was a design change, so no guarantee of interchangability
2. as bhunter said, any time the system is opened you need to have it vaccumed back down. it's also recommended to replace the drier

 

Ok, so with replacing the drier, I take it I need a brand new one, correct? Also can I replace the drier at a later date if I empty the freon back out?

 

you can do whatever you want, but it's recommended to do them both at oncwe because the drier is there to pull the moisture out of the system that gets in from condensation.
but once you have a leak, then moisture can get in all it wants and start to rust things

 

A/C is one thing I hope to never have to dela with again ($500 later)

Replace the condenser and drier with new units. Remove the old condenser and drier yourself, put in the new condenser. Leave the new drier in the bag and take the car in with it to an A/C guy and have them re-install it less labor.

 

I was going to say exactly what lophix said.

trust me.. I've let customers cheap out and try to reuse old parts like that, and they wound up doing the job three times.. and each time they want to use more junkyard parts to fix it... (so every time they do, my schedule gets busier and busier so they have to keep driving their car around in the Houston heat with no A/C until they figure out junkyard A/C parts aren't smart.)

 

Ok, I'll probably get new parts in that case. God I wish I could use that 14.99 condenser. Any place cheaper than internetautomar (no offense) to get the parts? I'm pretty broke right now.

 

not really. you're in michigan? surely it can't be THAT hot there. Now try going down to houston at this time. Even with my newly installed A/C that was blowing cold as heck, I wound up having to go see the Dr. when I returned. Severe dehydration from the heat and muscle breakdown. Houston's humidity + heat + traffic is horrible in the summer.

 

Yes, I will also give my $0.02 and say don't cheap out with AC parts. They are very sensitive. You can find aftermarkets parts online for decent prices. I replaced my water tank and condenser back in June. Condenser was a brand called Spectra, and I bought the reciever/drier from Nissan (you should). Also, two more things: 1. You will need 4 o-rings, or if you take it to a shop, the mechanic should have them, and 2. If you use an aftermarket condenser, you may need new mounting bolts with longer thread pitch.

I repeat, don't half-*** it on AC repair. If you are really that poor, save your money and fix it next year. Good luck though.

 

Did you not drink enough fluids and missed meals?

 

Well I am poor right now until I sell this Audi, so I might just wait until next summer. It is pretty hot in Michigan right now, Low 90's all week. Let me tell ya tho, that $15 condenser and some $7 cans of R134 are looking really tempting for a temporary fix....

 

cheap it now...
buy new compressor later.

 

Further to our grumpy moderator's point above, used condensers are bad because you don't know what the hell is inside. When you buy a condensor new, the ports are actually air-sealed to prevent any dirt or moisture from getting in. I strongly suggest not buying used parts for the AC. Sorry.

 

it's really depending on how much moneys & time you're willing to spare. this same situation happened to me and I must say I regret donated $250 to the mechs to do the works. it took him exactly 1 hr 15mins to do it. from my experiences, if you wanted yours fixed, then go look for brand new parts off ebay. there were only about 8 screws to take off. since you got a hole in your condensor, chances are you probably got no refrigerant left inside. plus if you got r134a, you should be able to release it into the air. once you took the screws off, just push the condenser back against the radiator, don't unhook the coolant hoses, just press it back 1.5" and your condenser should pops right out. I recommend you change your drier too to prevent left over moistures. once you're done, bring it to pepboys or whatever. have them vaccum and recharge for $69.

 

Ok good info. Is there any other fittings or hoses I should change to prevent future leaks at this time? I am selling my powerbook, so I can afford to put a little more $$$$ into the max.

 

not to be a tree hugger...but you should NEVER release any refrigrant into the atmosphere...R12 or R134a.

he should replace the condensor, reciever/dryer, orfice tube, and if you want it to last or if you're converting to R12 to R134a...then replace all the rubber hoses. use the correct o-rings.

make sure to buy a flush gun w/ solvent. flush it out very very clean...not one speck of dirt in the system. bolt everything back...bring it to the grease monkey and have them pull a vacume. vac should hold...if that's the case then have them recharge and use the correct amount/type of oil in the compressor.

 

save time, do the parts replacement yourself and have a shop do the evac/recharge leak test etc

 

Well I cheaped out right now. For $14.99 I got a condenser, and for $22 I got 2 cans of R-134a and 1 can of Oil. It works great! 57 Degrees while running! If it dies, I will have the money next spring!

 

Hi,

I know this should be a new post, but I have only recently registered and I cannot create a new thread yet. So I hope I don't upset anyone..

I live in Australia and I have a 1993 Maxima (VG30E) and I have a gas leak in the airconditioner evaporator, the price for a genuine evaporator is AU$1200, which is just plain nuts, and since this car isn't particularly common over here, there isn't any aftermarket manufacturers for this item. I was hoping someone here could help me out, does anyone know if the aircon evaporator is different between RHD and LHD 3rd Gen Maximas? And if it isn't, can someone suggest an aftermarket evaporator which I can purchase online and have sent to me, preferrable for much less than AU$1200.

If you are unsure if the RHD/LHD evaporators are different, but can supply a picture of a LHD evaporator, can you please email it to me at gregstewart@internode.on.net I can then compare this with the image that Nissan Australia have on their system.

Thanks.
Greg.

 

I'm 95% sure the evap would be different because it's on the passenger side and your passenger is our driver. so the compressor is now on the totally oposite side of the car.

 

Let's just say I was drinking the wrong kinda fluids and staying outdoors

 

Geoff,

How long did the swap take? I've got a hole in my condensor as well and it's just not worth the $$ to sink a whole ton of money into a 12 year old car. I will have the radiator out at the same time since it had a rock strike in the same area.

Ryan

 

shuck, It took about 20 min, and that wasnt even removing the radiator. I didnt even unhook it and pushed it back about an 1" and then it gave me room to get the condenser out. I also replaced the rings while I had it out. Make sure you add an oild charge, and MAKE SURE it is evacuated. You want as much moisture out as possible.