Hi,
I have a 97' C280 andI noticed recently that the climate control wasn't working, so I took it to a service station to have it re-gassed. They told me that there was a hole in the condenser unit and that to replace it and have it gassed up again would cost about £700. This seemed a bit steep, so I have sourced a replacement condenser.
However, now I have come to do the job myself, it seems an impossible task to get the old one out and the new one in. Can anyone tell me the correct way of doing it or do I really have to take half the car apart to get it all working again?
Many thanks.
Richard

 

Rich,
All I can tell you is that the condenser in my BMW went and I had the same plan. Do it myself.
Let me put it this way......I had a trained BMW mechanic AT MY HOUSE, and after taking half the
car apart, the entire dash out, the steering wheel and column out to get the dash out, the seats and
the console out, the radio, heater, a/c out, and everything but the spare tire out, I had a garage full of
parts that looked like a BMW dealership parts dept. warehouse. It was freaking unbelievable. AND>>>>
to make it worse, BMW used some really wacky bolts to hold certain things in. This, I'm guessing, was to
prevent "theft". I really had to improvise at times. After we put the new condenser in and got the whole thing
working again and charged up, the guy with me said, and I quote, "That was the worst one I have ever done".

Enough said.
Go for it but prepare for snags.
And have LOTS of tools!

[:@]