Anybody retrofitted air con?

[Grazza]

Hi,

Hoping someone can help!

As per the title, has anybody managed to retrofit zircon in a Z3, ideally an M? I have a car to provide the donor parts but am not clear if these cars would have had a standard loom and therefore the car I want to put it into would have all the connectors ready and available? Also I think I have worked out what is required from the engine bay perspective but wondered if anyone knew what was involved behind the dash (I'm aware the dash needs to come out to do this).

Thanks

 

[Pond]

I don't know the specifics of the Z3, but from decades in the a/c industry (working on car a/c many years ago) I would advise to not even think about it.
You would have to rip the car apart just to get all the hardware in, let alone all the electronics and electrics.

 

[Pingu]

Agree with Pond. I think the heater units are different. It's a complete strip down of the dash and possibly an engine out for very little gain.

 

[Rudyrov]

Depends on where you are, in my neck of the woods AC is a must have item in the summer!

 

[Grazza]

Thanks for the responses. I don’t think you need to take the engine out but you do need to remove the dash.
Lot of traffic jams around here, can get pretty warm when you are sat still with the roof down.

I will keep investigating! Thanks

 

[Guinn]

Depends on where you are, in my neck of the woods AC is a must have item in the summer!

If I'm not mistaken, I think all Z3s made in the US came with a/c standard. At least that's what I was told by someone who's owned them since they were introduced here...

 

[Grazza]

I'm in the UK, I thought the same though. Turns out aircon was an option in 1998, became standard in 1999

 

[Ianmc]

It was an option in early 1997.

 

[Duncodin]

Many years ago I bought a preowned mercedes E class. Previous owner was B&Q. 1998 model it was.

Air con didn't work right so took it back to the stealer and they forwarded me to some aircon company and they'd pay the bill. Just needed a new valve and a re-fill.

Anyway. To cut a long story short. The gist of the story is that that aircon was an aftermarket thing from Diavia and not an OEM thing which is why the dealer didn't want to work on it.

Asking the aircon guy and he said the car been ordered without aircon but the owner had decided that he wanted aircon after all and the MB stealer had had the diavia kit installed because it's designed as an after market kit so is easier and cheaper to install than an OEM kit.

I owned that car for around 8 years or so without any further problems.

I think what I'm trying to say is that it might be easier to retro fit an aircon kit that was designed as an aftermarket 'addon'. Having said that there are some really cheap and nasty addon kits that sling/hang under the dash looking naff. The diavia kit in the merc just looked like the OEM using the proper controls and vents so didn't look like an aftermarket addon.

 

[Pond]

Many years ago I bought a preowned mercedes E class. Previous owner was B&Q. 1998 model it was.

Air con didn't work right so took it back to the stealer and they forwarded me to some aircon company and they'd pay the bill. Just needed a new valve and a re-fill.

Anyway. To cut a long story short. The gist of the story is that that aircon was an aftermarket thing from Diavia and not an OEM thing which is why the dealer didn't want to work on it.

Asking the aircon guy and he said the car been ordered without aircon but the owner had decided that he wanted aircon after all and the MB stealer had had the diavia kit installed because it's designed as an after market kit so is easier and cheaper to install than an OEM kit.

I owned that car for around 8 years or so without any further problems.

I think what I'm trying to say is that it might be easier to retro fit an aircon kit that was designed as an aftermarket 'addon'. Having said that there are some really cheap and nasty addon kits that sling/hang under the dash looking naff. The diavia kit in the merc just looked like the OEM using the proper controls and vents so didn't look like an aftermarket addon.

But many years ago cars didn't have all of their 'modules' interlinked electronically.
I retrofitted a few a/c systems to cars back in the 90s. It was relatively easy, although still a PITA. It's not easy anymore, as the HVAC stysem is interlinked with everything else.

And there is also the small matter of F-gas regulations now in the UK, which means it is against the law for any non-qualified persons to touch refrigerant-carrying equipment (hoses, compressors, condensers, etc).