XJtlk789

Ok so michigan has had a hot summer so far. Recently my ac has went out. Had it recharged and not even an hour later it was blowin hot air all over again. Mechanic said its a common thing for the evaporator core to go bad in xjs?? Apparently its a tough fix too.... Any opinions???

wiggles

Yup your probably looking at having to take out your dash

XJtlk789

Tough job?

wiggles

From what I have heard it is

Cherryokee

It's a tough job. I got an $1800 estimate to have it done by a shop. That's when I decided that natures own air conditioning would have to do for now. So, I roll down all the windows and drive faster...

wildbill1

There are lots of places for refrigerant to leak and the evaporator is just one of them. Take it to a shop that specializes in A/C repair. They have sniffers that can locate the source of the leak.

XJtlk789

Ya they did the uv testing and all that thruout my entire engine n found nothing so

2001XJWeekender

It's a doable job for any backyard mechanic, just time consuming. Expect to spend 4-6 hours DIY.

My 2001 evaporator was leaking, had it vacuumed at a shop, then me and a buddy spent a Saturday working on it.

1st, take it to a shop and vacuum out all of the old coolant.

Get an a/c line disconnect tool from an auto parts store for around $8.

Buy an evaporator and an accumulator from a parts store. Also buy a small bottle of oil for the system, or just reclaim the oil in your old one (what I did).

Disconnect the battery.

Take off all the dash panels, then take off the various bolts and nuts that hold the dash on. Drop the steering column, but you won't have to take the steering wheel off. Carefully lift the dash up off it's supports, and tie it out of the way and resting on the passenger seat.

Disconnect the ac lines, the heater line, and the electrical connectors. Be careful not to damage the vacuum lines too. Unbolt the HVAC box from the engine side of the firewall, then remove the HVAC box by pulling it up, rotating it towards the roof, and sliding it out.

Remove the HVAC box screws, remove the blower, use a razor blade to cut through the insulation, then open the box and replace the evaporator. Also flush out your heater core while you are in there with a garden hose. Replace the accumulator too.

Reverse this process to reinstall. Make sure to put oil in the system. Check with a FSM for amounts, or like me just reuse the existing oil.

Once done get the system vacuum tested. Passing that, fill it at a shop with the necessary amount of r134a, and enjoy cool air!


K

Flash1034

Thanks for the great response man. Forum members really appreciate it.

You rock.

Flash

XJtlk789

Thanks buddy. Great info

spazzyfry123

Lots of places for A/C to leak but if you've had it checked and the evap is the only thing not visible... It is relatively straight forward, but all very, very involved. Here is where I am at today:



Weekender has the gist of it down pat. There are a couple things I would differ. Although you do need to tilt the HVAC box upward to get it out, do be cautious of the drain outlet near the bottom; it's the only plastic piece that pops through the firewall. That whole area was all cracked and seeping onto my passenger floor, but this is me still being somewhat, relatively, 11:30pm, on 3 hours sleep, ready to get the **** to sleep, this thing is already broken cautious:



And razorblading the seals/insulation/whatever... A set of those (read 2 pieces of foam) is ~$55. I used a hairdryer on low and a slow pull from me, and they're in perfect, reusable condition.

spazzyfry123

Also, here's a good read:

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/m...thread-592844/

Just a basic set of tools can get the job done, but a set with a little bit of icing on top will make it that much easier. The only special tool you will need is going to be an A/C line remover. I picked mine up from Advance for $12 or something. But of course, when you "go to your mechanic and get your A/C discharged", I'm sure they could just disconnect it for you

Turbo X_J

It's silly to go through all that work, and not replace the heater core.

spazzyfry123

Certainly. Mine was a little cruddy on the inside, but in fantastic condition. Just cleaning mine out.

xn8rs

For reinstalling the evaporator what do you mean by oil?