Where is the AC condenser on a 97 GT3?

[GordonMasson]

When I bought my car the A/C wasn

[Tentenths]

Pretty sure it's located in the same 'cassette' that holds the coolant and chargecooler radiators. Accessed from underneath the front luggage compartment.

[GordonMasson]

Sounds good .....easier to get to than taking the dash out... any do's/donts....

The cars not here at the moment so i cant see what its like in the luggage compartment but i will give it a go tonight

....just read that again ... i.e UNDERNEATH....isnt the actual condenser matrix located inside the car or perhaps if its like the S1 there may be a hatch that comes off inside the luggage compartment?

Edited June 4, 2008 by GordonMasson

[Tentenths]

No idea Gordon tbh. Hopefully someone else will though...

But you'll need to get the front of the car up on ramps or, better still, a lift. Not sure how accessible the condensor actually is but if it's anything like the radiator you're talking about quite a major operation i.e. moving oil coolers etc.

....just read that again ... i.e UNDERNEATH....isnt the actual condenser matrix located inside the car?

Suspect that you may be thinking of the a/c evaporator? Not sure about the Esprit specifically but normally located in the heater box in the dashboard.

[GordonMasson]

Suspect that you may be thinking of the a/c evaporator? Not sure about the Esprit specifically but normally located in the heater box in the dashboard.

Not Good

Sounds like a dashboard out job then?????

[Tentenths]

No, in all likelihood it's the condensor - not the evaporator - that's the problem... and that's the one located in the radiator 'cassette' referred to above. That being the case you won't need to to touch the dashboard

[GordonMasson]

The garage have some dye that they put in the system and its supposed to show where the leak is.

They have been all round the front of the car and the compressor but they say that the only bits the cant see into are the bit in the heater system (whatever its called) that cools the air for the cabin.

Im assuming thats inside the car?

[percyporsche]

you need to find a proper air-con engineer a garage with a new machine and an hours training is fine for a ford but useless on an esprit.you need to know what the gauges are reading when the system running to diagnose the problum.Good luck

[Glyn Harper]

The condenser is in the heater box under the dash. I actually just took mine out last night, and it is indeed a dashboard out job.

I'm stripping my interior out anyway to fit the later stuff, so I had to do it as part of what I'm doing.. but as a repair, this would be a horrid job.

You have to take the heater box out to get the condenser out. It's held in with some screws that are not accessible with it in the car. There is also the fact the heater box is in two halves, glued together with silicone, and more screws holding it together.

If your car has electronic controls, you should find it easier than with the cable driven ones.. but not much!

Hardest bit I found was taking the rubber hoses off the heater matrix.. They'd managed to glue themselves on quite nicely!

The manual says to remove the front cowell inside the bonnet compartment at the front, and then unbolt and remove the fan. You then undo all the pipes from the inside, AFTER removing the dash.. you can then remove the bottom cover where the face level vents connect (there is a screw on either side) and then you will see two m6 bolts. Take these out, and the whole heater box is loose. You are then supposed to manouver it into the passenger footwell before bringing out.

I have all the dash out though and centre console, so it was easier to just slide it out forwards.

You'll need to drain the A/C and cooling system first before you do this.

As I say, with a working car that you don't intend stripping the whole interior out of, I can imagine it being a sod of a job, so I'd try and make sure you've checked every other possibility first.

There is a drain pipe for condensed water that goes out of the passenger side of the car, under the A/C condenser that may be worth checking.. If you can see where it runs out, you can check it for your special dye before stripping anything else out.

Last though.. it's not actually as hard as it sounds taking the dash out. Take the instrument cluster off, the radio panel out.. and it's just a few bolts really and it all comes out.

I would suggest it would be easier in the long run removing as much dash as you can, rather than struggle for hours trying to cut corners.

I hope for your sake it's leaking at the compressor or something!

[fjmuurling]

Gordon,

The AC Condensor is loacted in the front of the car where the radiators are. This part cools the compressed refrigirant gas into liquid. The Evaporator is in the car (dashboard). In the evaporator the refrigirant expands which consumes heat and thus cooling the air. The part where you are looking for is in the dashboard and what I read about it is that access to it is difficult.

Freek

[Glyn Harper]

Did I say condensor? Sorry, I did mean evaporator! Freek is correct of course

[GordonMasson]

Thanks for the responses guys

[Glyn Harper]

I think if you remove the heater control area from your centre dash, you will see either two plastic hoses (earlier dash) or a plastic box thing going up to the centre face vents. Remove this, and then the bottom panel on the air box (a screw on either side) and you may be able to see inside the heater box, under the evaporator.

If your AC guys have used stuff that shows up in UV light, it may be possible shine a UV lamp and see any leaks.

I have the heater box on my bench at the moment, if that's any use to you. I can take pictures from any angle.

I also have the evaportaor (thanks Freek!) out as well, as I'm slinging this.

Sadly, it would be no good to you though as the pipes were cut off rather than properly disconnected.

Edited June 5, 2008 by Glyn Harper

[GordonMasson]

Glyn

Pics would be good so that i know what im looking for....

Good call on the idea about a partial strip down and then looking inside with the UV lamps ... may have a look at that tonight.

Its a GT3 with the typical GT3 dash ... not the later V8 type interior by the way.

Cheers

Gordon

[PAUL GURNEY]

Sorry to highjack your thread Gordon. I have to replace an AC hose on my fire damaged GT3 its the hose that goes through the near side wing. My question is can any one point out to me where this hose terminates, on the service parts list function code 18.03 its No 13 (hose assembly discharge.

I hope this is not a one off special and will be able to get a hose made up locally

Cheers Paul B)

Oh and ive also got replace the front wiring loom inside the dash which Glyn leads us to belive is not to hard of a job!

[Tentenths]

The AC Condensor is loacted in the front of the car where the radiators are. This part cools the compressed refrigirant gas into liquid. The Evaporator is in the car (dashboard). In the evaporator the refrigirant expands which consumes heat and thus cooling the air. The part where you are looking for is in the dashboard and what I read about it is that access to it is difficult.

[Glyn Harper]

I'm swapping the wiring loom with the entire interior stripped out! It's the only way.

Did I say it wasn't a hard job?! Well, swapping the loom is easy! Making all the correct connections so everything works.. now that's the hard part!!

I'll try and take some pictures as soon as possible.

[PAUL GURNEY]

Thanks Glyn pics of the mounting points for the dash would be great. im only replacing the front loom for the lights which looks quite staight forward as there are only two plugs on the end that fits under the dash above the passenger footwell

Cheers Paul B)