Hi, I am considering buying a beautiful 1981 240D, original owner with only 120k miles. The catch is that when they moved it from california the air conditioning went out. Air conditioning is a necessity in florida and I was wondering if I buy it, what kind of cost will i be looking at to fix it?

 

It depends entirely on what is causing the system not to function. I mean, if the belt is broken it will cost you $10 plus 1/2 hour to fix it. If the compressor is siezed it will cost quite a bit more.

Hopefully you just need to add some refrigerant. We've had some discussions recently on this subject, so if you use the Search Function in the Diesel section you'll find more information. My recommendation, as in the past, is to NOT convert your system over to R134a. When you figure out the problem I'd suggest using a CFC-12 Substitute like Enviro-Safe or AutoFrost if you need refrigerant.

A 240D with only 120K miles will probably warrant a purchase and repair of the A/C system regardless of what is broken. These cars are almost impossible to find anymore with under 200K.

Best of luck.

 

thanks for the response, also, I offered 2500 for the car without the airconditioning, is that a fair price?

 

Go ahead and buy the car, the AC can be repaired. I would go with an R12 substitute. I live in Phoenix Az, AC is a must here too. I have had good luck with HC (hydrocarbon) refrigerants. Envirosafe or DuraCool for example. I also think Auto Frost or Freeze12 are good choices too. Most of the time these systems have leaked out and just need to be charged, you may have to find the leak, if you have the tools and do the work yourself it's not hard or expensive. A reputable repair shop is a must. This has become a very lucrative business ever since R12 was banned. It's still available, but only to professionals and it's very expensive. The cans we used to buy on sale for 99cents are about $40.00 now, so an alternative is almost a must. I would stay away from R134a conversions. It's only about 85% as efficient as R12, and in Florida, like Arizona, you'll want every BTU you can squeeze out. Changing to synthetic oil is a hassle and residual chlorides in the system can cause contamination problems with R134a. And besides, R134a is going to be replaced in the future also. Again, this has become a very lucrative business and they want to keep it that way. All the alternatives I mentioned are compatable with the R12 mineral oil so it's the least expensive fix with good cooling capacity. Good luck.