997 Aircon Condensers... Cheap! - Page 3 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

Recently my 997 lost its aircon, and after some investigations (and 2 goes at regassing by Kwikfit), at service time, my indy suggested that it was probably the nearside condenser which was to blame, and quoted me £350 + VAT + fitting to replace one side! Well, knowing nothing about the real price of such things, I thought it was a bit on the pricy side, so took the car home, and indulged in a little internet bashing to find out whether or not a deal could be had, and if it was a DIY job. Well, I'm pleased to report that I managed to score a PAIR of condensers, direct from Germany which have arrived today, intriguingly with Metzger tape on the boxes, and they cost the princely sum of £114 inc. VAT for the pair, delivered to my door. Now, the next job is to see about fitting them. Anyone been down this route before? Any hints and tips?

Very easy DIY job once the bumper is off. Make sure you clean out all the crap round the rads while you are in there.

Any extra bits I might need. I saw on the Porscheshop website that they sell O rings for the fittings... Because my car is still together, I don't know if the old ones will be fubared, and I don't want to take the car to bits and find that its going to stay like that for a week while some new bits have to be ordered. Getting the bumper off looks to be a fairly straightforward job, if the pictures on the internet are to be believed. I think that in addition to cleaning out the rads, Im going to coat the lot with ACF50, and maybe some grilles are a good idea too.

Chewykneeslider said: Well, I'm pleased to report that I managed to score a PAIR of condensers, direct from Germany which have arrived today, intriguingly with Metzger tape on the boxes, and they cost the princely sum of £114 inc. VAT for the pair, delivered to my door. That's a really good price. I need to do my off-side condenser soon, but will do both to make a proper job of it. Do you have a link to them?

Taking the bumper off is a bit of a pain, no need to remove the headlights, but note how the underside shields inter act. Fit intake grills while your at it and don't forget to re connect the temp probe sensor.

The source of condensers is Buycarparts.co.uk I will warn you that the website is rubbish, and they are not based in the UK at all, but in Germany. I'd be cautious of putting your card details into their form, because its not an https prefix, so I used the phone number to call them up. I'm not affiliated with them in any way, just a very satisfied customer. I was so surprised that they were so cheap, less than half the price of the normal discount parts vendors, and the quality looks excellent. So, any ideas for a source for some O rings? I was kind of hoping that they would be in the boxes with the condensers.

Design 911 want £13 delivered for 4 o rings.

Well done. I just bought mine "cheaply" but at 150 the pair, however they seem to be different for the Turbo. Nevertheless new o-rings are a MUST. The way they seal, the o-ring is crushed, and you will find green pancakes when the pipework is removed. I bought all my bits from Porschapart good pricing and great service. Oh and one other thing, if you have not fully depressurised / leaked you will get a bang when you remove the pipework! Just make sure your head has clearance ;-) And yet another - recommended to replace the "dryer / receiver" a very simple device so bought off Ebay for 20-something odd. O rings here again, though the old ones are usually serviceable. Some info - for the Turbo but probably applies. Aircon condenser o rings 10.6x2 off Porsche catalog, my measurements on a distorted one, 11x2 so go for former. PN 999 707 250 40 x4 Dryer-receiver o-ring for gas 6.7x1.8 confirmed size PN 999 707 262 40 x1

I'm sure OPC will post the "O" rings out to you and they're only pennies each. I helped 6C4GTS with his, perhaps he can tell you what he paid for his "O" rings?

996TT02 said: Well done. I just bought mine "cheaply" but at 150 the pair, however they seem to be different for the Turbo. Nevertheless new o-rings are a MUST. The way they seal, the o-ring is crushed, and you will find green pancakes when the pipework is removed. I bought all my bits from Porschapart good pricing and great service. Oh and one other thing, if you have not fully depressurised / leaked you will get a bang when you remove the pipework! Just make sure your head has clearance ;-) And yet another - recommended to replace the "dryer / receiver" a very simple device so bought off Ebay for 20-something odd. O rings here again, though the old ones are usually serviceable. Some info - for the Turbo but probably applies. Aircon condenser o rings 10.6x2 off Porsche catalog, my measurements on a distorted one, 11x2 so go for former. PN 999 707 250 40 x4 Dryer-receiver o-ring for gas 6.7x1.8 confirmed size PN 999 707 262 40 x1 Thanks for this. I've just ordered a dryer receiver from Ebay, and I'm going to be near to an OPC next week, so will call in to see about O rings. I wonder how long its going to be before someone is buying these condensers from Germany, and then punting them on at £10 more each through Ebay? I will be breaking out the spanners when I've got all the parts together. Might have to post some pics and let you know how it all goes.

Condenser o-rings cost me 6 quid for 4 from porschapart. Not pennies but cheaper than 13 quid anyway. Need to update that the receiver dryer takes two o-rings not as mistakenly posted above. I would not worry too much about these however. Removal of the 996 bumper is not difficult but if the 997 is anything like it I would strongly recommend that you start off with, as a must, jacking up the entire front of the car and removing the front wheels. It makes a huge difference to removing the wheelarch liners. Perhaps you know this, but since you need axle stands at the front - at the very same front jacking points (!) - if you jack up the vehicle from the rear, eventually the front will lift as well. And, I would use a few tagged ziplock bags with provenance details to store the screws as you remove them... Especially as you may, once you remove the condensers, find a pile of compost between them and the radiators, and may have a think about them, too... usually the condensers will fail for this reason, which affects the radiators just as badly. In fact they can leak even if they look to be in reasonable condition. With any luck you will be lucky and not discover any dampness of the coolant-smelling kind. I would also inspect the area around the hoses, where they enter the radiators. Point being, car may be OOS for longer than you imagine so don't rely on memory as to what goes where.

Guys, a quick thread ressurection here. I probably need new condensers for my 997, currently debating whether to buy the less expensive ones as highlighted above (~£60) or go for the branded ones such as Delphi / Hella etc. Any feedback to help me decide? On any other part I would normally only go Porsche branded, but its not like the factory items are that great and I have the sneaking suspicion that they all come out of the same factory! Thanks

I don't see why you should not go for the cheaper ones. It's not like any damage will be caused to anything else were a condenser to fail, and judging by the looks of mine, they don't look like they are in any way inferior to the oem ones I had fitted. One very minor thing to note, the holes for the hose securing bolts (well, one on each) appear to be drilled for bolts that are slightly shorter. No biggie, you need 2 very slightly shorter M8 bolts. Or take a hacksaw to the originals (and round off the sharp edges of the cut with file...) Naturally, only applies if you buy the same type as I did, just mentioning it so you don't go trying to force in the factory bolts till they seat. Other than that, the fit, etc, was perfect.

Just spotted that my old thread was resurrected! Just to recap, as the previous poster pointed out, the 8mm bolts for the pipework to the condensers need to be shortened a little, and the plastic frames that the condensers sit in need a little fettling before the new condensers go in OK. Apart from that, it was a straightforward job. The only fly in this otherwise peachy ointment was that when I installed my expensively bought new O rings, I coated them in grease so they went in without snagging. Big mistake! The grease ate the O ring material, and I had to replace them all, and regas (cheers Kwikfit, again!) I would go for the pattern condensers again, any time.

Sorry, forgot to thank you for the feedback. I'll go for the pattern ones then.

Hi Doing this job at the moment on a 996 4S. As regards the bolts being too long. Instead of cutting them, maybe use a thick washer instead to compensate for their length. Will update my thread with pics hopefully in a day or so.

R129 300SL said: Hi Doing this job at the moment on a 996 4S. As regards the bolts being too long. Instead of cutting them, maybe use a thick washer instead to compensate for their length. Will update my thread with pics hopefully in a day or so. Did you manage to get this done? Am about to buy the condensers so any extra feedback would be great. Thanks

Hi Managed to complete a couple of weeks ago. Not filled with gas yet. The pattern coolant radiators (EIS) from Eurocarparts were not as good as oem. However after filling the coolant and running the engine they seem ok and do not leak. They worked out at half price compared to oem from Eurocarparts. £145 vs £300. The condensers were an easy fit. Bolts were no problem and were the correct length. New o rings were used. Quality appears ok although the aluminium fins bend easily. They are also silver as compared the oem which were sprayed black. Bumper is back on and will get the AC refilled in a couple of weeks when I will start using the car. Here are a couple of pics of the new rads (4 of them).

Here is other side.

R129 300SL said: Hi Managed to complete a couple of weeks ago. Not filled with gas yet. The pattern coolant radiators (EIS) from Eurocarparts were not as good as oem. However after filling the coolant and running the engine they seem ok and do not leak. They worked out at half price compared to oem from Eurocarparts. £145 vs £300. The condensers were an easy fit. Bolts were no problem and were the correct length. New o rings were used. Quality appears ok although the aluminium fins bend easily. They are also silver as compared the oem which were sprayed black. Bumper is back on and will get the AC refilled in a couple of weeks when I will start using the car. Here are a couple of pics of the new rads (4 of them). Thanks for the quick reply! I assume you went with EIS for the condensers too then? I've found "Frigair" ones http://www.buycarparts.co.uk/porsche/911-997/18061... also another non named brand sold by advanced radiators: http://www.adrad.co.uk/prices/aircon_prices.php?ty... I wonder whether these are the EIS ones or someone else. Make sure you change the dryer as well before recharging with the gas!

Hi I got the condensers from ebay. Just search for 996 / 997 condensers. Supplier was coolpartsuk. Identical to the second supplier you quoted. I think he gets them from auto air Gloucester. Credit card was charged by advanced radiators I think. Cheaper on ebay at £62. I got the two delivered but only payed one lot of £6 postage. I think they are all made in the Far East and are similar quality. Finish is not to oem std but you can't see them very well under the bumper and if they work fine. They only seem to last a few years even if oem but if you keep them clear of debris they should last longer unless you get a stone puncturing them.

It would be good if you got some "O" ring lubricant. It's sold at any motor factors at about £5 a bottle. I have just done the front left rad and am waiting for the drier to come at about £22. It's a standard Hella part.

was quoted 1250 to replace 997 1 x leaking AC Condenser today. curious to now what other PHers have coughed up to OPC

nigestar said: was quoted 1250 to replace 997 1 x leaking AC Condenser today. curious to now what other PHers have coughed up to OPC Holy mother. You can replace both and have enough change left over from £1250 for you and other half to go on a short holiday somewhere.

yes even by previous posts on OPC services i've read about before, this is quite extreme.

Maybe we can do a deal something along the lines of you buy me some condensers (as need some for my 987) and I fit and gas them for you ! Assuming you are not to far from a GU35 post code .....

Coolpartsuk on ebay. For a 986 they have recently been sub 90 a pair. They can also supply the o rings and a drier if you need it.

Buzzlt said: Maybe we can do a deal something along the lines of you buy me some condensers (as need some for my 987) and I fit and gas them for you ! Assuming you are not to far from a GU35 post code ..... I'm Surrey so not far

Pm sent (please don’t respond via my old email address). Anyone else in Surrey/ Hampshire want in .....?

In Harrow and in dire need Willing to travel.. Mine's a 997.1 and blows out hot air whatever temp I have it set at

In reference to the last post; if the system is providing 'hot' air all the time, try selecting LO; if the air temp changes to ambient air temp it's likely you have a temp sensor fault - the sensor defaults to a temp of -44C so the system supplys the temp it requires to get it up to your selected temp (example you select 18C; it provides hot to get the temp up from -44C......) - LO and HI settings are unregulated; so should see a plausible temp change. Please ignore if you meant 'ambient' not 'hot'

Just a follow up from my previous post. 4 years later no problems from either the EIS radiators or coolparts condensers. All working well.

R129 300SL said: Just a follow up from my previous post. 4 years later no problems from either the EIS radiators or coolparts condensers. All working well. Shocked to realise that it's already been 4 yrs+ for me too! But yes same experience. Touch melamine-coated wood, no problems to date!

That’s good to know, had a bit more of a look into it tonight and the O rings are a weird size, most pipe work tends to be imperial so those definitely need to be sourced as well. Doesn’t look like the front bumper is as easy to remove as the rear one, however still not a complicated job so no reason why it should be so expensive. Will have a bit more of a look into it over the next few days with maybe a view to do mine and help out some of you others if you want in the new year so just let me know or drop a post on here if you are interested. I could some condensers on eBay cheap enough with a two year guarantee so they can’t be too bad !

Aircon condenser o rings 10.6x2 off Porsche "katalog", my measurements on a distorted one, 11x2 so go for former. PN 999 707 250 40 x4 Dryer-receiver o-ring for gas 6.7x1.8 confirmed size PN 999 707 262 40 x1

Looks like prices for the radiators have increased? £199 each was the cheapest I could find via design911. Any suggestions on where else to look? (996 Turbo)

Call coolpartsuk on eBay. Their eBay shop is cheaper than their proper bricks and mortar business.

996TT02 said: R129 300SL said: Just a follow up from my previous post. 4 years later no problems from either the EIS radiators or coolparts condensers. All working well. Shocked to realise that it's already been 4 yrs+ for me too! But yes same experience. Touch melamine-coated wood, no problems to date! Same here!

Just thought i'd update the thread. coolpartsuk have aircon condensers which fit the 996T, £42 each so much cheaper than Design911 or anywhere else Design911 have come out the cheapest for the three radiators - £199 each + 10% off

Can't see any how to videos on 997 condensers on youtube. Any tips? I am non technical but the disc and pad video I found on youtube has given me the confidence to tackle those when the time arises. I am desperately not to sell my 997 which is turning into a full blown money pit so any work I can do myself, I'd like to do myself but with eyes wide open..

MrJuice said: Can't see any how to videos on 997 condensers on youtube. Any tips? I am non technical but the disc and pad video I found on youtube has given me the confidence to tackle those when the time arises. I am desperately not to sell my 997 which is turning into a full blown money pit so any work I can do myself, I'd like to do myself but with eyes wide open.. Yep, agree there is no one vid on YT for the full job of replacing the A/C condensers from start to finish, so the one way is to follow some of the comments in this thread as a guide and the YT vids showing the different stages, eg. 1. 997 Front Bumper Removal(AutoAmateur) 2. Rebuilding a salvage porsche(Samcrac)....Admittedly this is for a 996 but you get the idea! As for the regassing when the condensers have been replaced.....take it from an ex a/c engineer, don't even try, leave it to the garage a/c mechanics. If you want to do a proper job that will last, you need the correct and expensive tools/equipment to vacuum out all the air and other non condensables, pressure test and recharge with exactly the right quantity of refrigerant oil/gas by weight,. Not a job for the amateur.

Hmm just had a look at both videos and it seems AC condensers are not for the non technical novice like me. Might thy be interested in doing a driveway job on my 997? Based in NW London. I tried to PM but your profile settings don't allow emails

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depends on how you look at it(!), Im retired now and no access to all the a/c equipment needed. Am also in Cardiff so just a tad too far away anyway. If you wanted to avoid high garage costs and were up for a partial diy job by just removing the bumper yourself, you could always buy the condensers/drier/gaskets(guided by the postings on this thread) and then hunt down a mobile a/c mechanic with the best price and have him visit you to complete the job. That would be my choice if and when needed anyway. Only 1 caveat when working on a/c systems , just in case you decided to remove the condensers yourself.........it's illegal to just blow off any refrigerant gases into the atmosphere without reclaiming it in special bottles(never did see a Refrigerant Gas Officer though!)...but in the majority of cases the gas will have leaked out and the system should be empty anyway, which is the reason for changing the condensers in the first place https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/2.gif Good luck.

cool, thanks for your advice and welcome to PH

Many thanks. Been a keen follower of PH for too many years to mention but only just got around to registering. Great site for Porsche owners. Enjoy yours.

Reviving an old thread i want to replace the condensers on my 997.1 im not sure if its got gas in it or not, if it has what do i do? Do i get a mobile air con engineer out to drain it?

kenofkens said: Reviving an old thread i want to replace the condensers on my 997.1 im not sure if its got gas in it or not, if it has what do i do? Do i get a mobile air con engineer out to drain it? That's the only way as far as I know. I guess you could drive to an Quickfit/indie garage etc and ask them to capture it.

kenofkens said: Reviving an old thread i want to replace the condensers on my 997.1 im not sure if its got gas in it or not, if it has what do i do? Do i get a mobile air con engineer out to drain it? You can check if there's any pressure left via the Schrader filling valves, as you would deflate a tyre. If you have a leak and it has been a while then expect there to be none.

996TT02 said: You can check if there's any pressure left via the Schrader filling valves, as you would deflate a tyre. If you have a leak and it has been a while then expect there to be none. OK cheers so basically let out any excess gas here before i remove the Condensers. (Obviously into a jam jar or something and not into the atmosphere