AC Condenser help

So the body shop put a pin hole in my driver's side condenser right by the tab as they were trying to remove it. No oil leaking out, just gas. Should I try to have it removed and welded or replace the condenser altogether? Either way do I need to buy/do anything else when I have the system recharged? Appreciate any guidance here. Driving a 1999 996 C2.

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What very little attention my Porsche A/C systems have required I have left up to the Porsche techs. In one case this required the replacement of a condenser when it was damaged in a mule deer collision. I'm not sure if the condenser can be welded. The material is rather thin and tricky to weld. But I have not worked as a welder in decades and I do not know what the current state of the art is regarding welding. An A/C repair shop should know what's possible. In the event the system needs to be opened up to repair or replace the condenser the system is first evacuated with the refrigerant (and some compressor oil) captured. If the condenser has to be welded it probably needs to be thoroughly cleaned out -- to remove any compressor oil that is on the walls. In this case or if the condenser is replaced the 996 factory manual gives the amount of oil the "loss" of a condenser represents and this amount of oil should be added to what was removed from the system with possibly some more added to ensure the system has the right amount of oil but never too much oil. Before this is done the system is buttoned up and evacuated again and held at an extremely low pressure for an hour (maybe longer) to check for leaks and to remove any traces of moisture. If the system is deemed ok to refill then the correct amount of refrigerant is returned to the system along with the correct amount of compressor oil. The system is tested to ensure it blows cold air. How cold is based on ambient temperature. There is a chart in the factory manual that gives the expected center vent output temperature vs. ambient temperature. The system is run a while then inspected for leak sign. You will be billed for the time to evacuate the system repair/replace the condenser, check the system for leaks, refill the system and test the system. If refrigerant has to be replaced you will be charged for this along with any compressor oil that had to be added to the system. I can't recall the costs of this repair. It was buried in pages and pages of a $25K+ repair to my car. That was one expensive mule deer. If you want a better break down of the costs you'll have to speak to an A/C shop or the service department at the dealer. The tech will probably give you an overview of what will be done, what needs to be done, as this would not be his first condenser replacement. Oh, might mention and this should have been first, you should have taken the car back to the body shop and insisted it address the condenser leak. Maybe you need to consider doing this and letting the body shop sort this out. I'd hope the work would be done at a dealer service department to ensure the A/C system is back up to snuff. Body shops are ok (sometimes) at body/paint work but I would not really want a body/paint shop doing A/C work.

Possible to repair, depending on the location and condition of the metal around it. Use NEY380 fluxless Al solder/rod and a MAPP torch. It requires very careful cleaning, and prep as well as good coordination. The system has oil in it, which has to be removed, and flushed with a solution of gasoline, and then Iso alky. Clean carefully, and if you can keep the repair area in a N2 enviro with limited exposure to O2. MAPP torch is best, but can use Oxy acet but make sure it's not oxy-rich setting.

Very challenging to get the inside of a condenser like this oil free to aluminum braze. 50/50% of success. But, if you are up to challenges then go for it. Otherwise, considering the cost for a new condenser vs. possibility of having the repaired unit leak after going through the costs to R&R, evacuate, charge and test the system..... I'd simply buy a new one, and install a new receiver drier.

I agree. So I need a new receiver drier as well? Anything other bits? Cheers

When you replace the condenser and drier you'll need o-rings for those connections, most suppliers include them however best to ask. The o-rings are standard sizes so no big deal. Shop were you like but if you get stuck we have all those items in stock. Griffiths A/C

Griffiths, Does the 2001 Boxster S have the same condenser? Do I need a new receiver drier if the leak started yesterday?

Yes, below Boxster Condenser Drier replacement is standard op procedure.

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I will mildly disagree with the AC expert. I've successfully replaced a condenser, without replacing the drier/rec and had long life and good effect on the system. The key is to get it evacuated completely after closing the system. Many AC shops will only put it under vac for 15-20 min, so it then becomes 'mandatory' to replace the drier, as they never get the closed system well pumped down. If you can find an indy shop which will allow your AC to sit on their vac for ~2 hours, and you are not in a high humidity enviro with the system open for weeks, you MAY avoid the drier repl. It takes a long time for the molecules to be evacuated from the system as the drier is an accumulator, and to remove the fluid requires that it all be evaporated into a gas before coming out of the system.

Disagreement is healthy. As you said: "It takes a long time for the molecules to be evacuated....to remove the (gases) requires that it all be (evacuated) out of the system." A receiver drier has 3 functions: A) Stores liquid refrigerant B) Absorbs moisture C) Helps to filter debris. Years back Porsche had a machine that liquid flushed the system with refrigerant which cleaned of a bit of contamination, moisture and unwanted gases. Doubt you will find one today in any dealership though. And doubt you will find a technician that remembers it or ever used it. Not many repair shops even have liquid flushing system to remove debris. What is preferred is a 'purging' process. Opposite of not pulling down a deep enough vacuum for a long enough period of time (avoiding the $89.95 special.... 'we recharged your system') is pulling down a vacuum so quickly the moisture turns to ice before it has a chance in degas in a vapor state. So a method we employ is repetitive steps of pulling a vacuum and purging the system with either nitrogen or refrigerant gas prior to a final charge. Works quite well to avoid moisture freezing up the TEV. So, if you have an original factory installed receiver drier, say 2001, and this is 2017.... maybe 15 to 16 years old. Do you want to gamble with $40-60, telling the repair shop not to replace the drier? When I do an engine overhaul, breaking in the rings and bearings for a few hundred miles, I replace the oil filter with the oil change. If your compressor is original, 15 to 16 years old, xx,xxx miles running (who knows), I'm sure there is some wear tossed off in your system.

Does the Receiver drier have another name? I have been looking in my manual and cannot find it at all. Is it part of something else?

Found it !

Probably.... desiccator. So the "desiccator" is located between the condenser outlet and the expansion valve inlet. But if you speak to most parts supplier they will think you are talking about an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie if you use that term.

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Try "fluid tank"

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Yeah!!! I was rooting for you! http://www.autoatlanta.com/porsche-p...section=813-25

So just to clarify a "Receiver/Drier" is the same as the "Fluid tank", which also known as a "Dessicator"?

"Receiver/Drier" = "Dessicator" = "Dehydrator" The receiver drier is a metal can containing an desiccant. The drier is located between the condenser outlet and the TEV inlet. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance used as a drying agent. The drier does 3 things: holds liquid refrigerant, absorbs moisture, helps to remove minor debris (not in design but it does help to trap debris depending upon the location of the desiccant package and flow design inside). A receiver drier is used with systems utilizing an expansion valve (aka TEV, TXV, TX valve). An accumulator is is alike a receiver drier however it is utilized in systems having a orifice tube. Your system has an expansion valve. The drier's location in the system is below. Get yourself a new condenser, drier and the 4 orings. Have them installed by a mechanic whom is familiar with the Boxster, and whom has professional AC equipment. Then, drive the car an enjoy it. Item 4 below

Thanks, that is my plan. It is located and accessed in the frunk by the battery correct?

Grab yourself a copy of the shop manual online, lots of sources, probably section 87 for the AC. They will be calling it a 'fluid tank'. Here, we call it a drier.

Years ago, with R-12 systems we used to take the drier out, put it on a baking pan, in the oven at 200 for about 3 hours. Then, take out, and quickly take it over to the car, install, and pump down for 30 min. Seemed to work great on the older stuff, guessing it would still work on an R-134 system. We were a lot cheaper back then, but we still wanted AC!

Attempting to dry out the desiccant in a receiver drier that has had refrigerant oil in it is difficult because the oil entraps the desiccant. To know if the process works 'scientifically' you'd have to perform the science.... dissect the canister, attempt to weigh the desiccant and determine if the mass is less than dry fresh desiccant, again very difficult to do with oil soak desiccant. More often the baking to dry process is used on desiccant that is not soaked in oil. Considering the cost of a new drier why play with the issue.