AC Evaporator and Cost

[Johnd]

Last year I had the dealer purge and fill my AC at which time they found a small leak from the evaporator. One of the techs recommended I get some stop leak to seal the issue but from what I've read this stuff is horrible. So the question is how many of you have had the evaporator go and how much did it cost to replace. The dealer quoted me $2500. I am struggling as I don't drive my 2006 ZHP convertible more than 500 - 700 miles a year, it spends most of it's time covered in the garage. I bought it 3 years ago with 49, 995 miles on it and now it has 51,872.

As for the dealer - I trust them - when I had a bunch of maintenance stuff done last year the bill came up to $3200 and they knocked it down to $2300 - so I am fairly certain I would get out the door for 2K on the evaporator.

[ZHPizza]

The old glue type stop leak is indeed horrible, but most of the new stuff is just an oil that causes the shrunken o rings to swell. I've had surprisingly good results with it.

Interdynamics LDS-1 3 Ounce IA/C Stop Leak & Detector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CO9IBG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lwW3BbZ4AP64K

[Johnd]

The stuff I looked at was from A/C pro and it is supposed to stop small leaks in the evaporator. However, I have read horror stories about people using similar products and having to replace all the AC components. I would rather not put this in if I could get the evaporator replaced at a decent cost. I am actually thinking of selling the car soon as it deserves to be driven and I just don't have the time - I work remote and don't like leaving it in parking lots. It is 12 years old without a single door ding and I would like to keep it that way

[ZHPizza]

Right - the horror stories are from the glue stuff, not the oil. If it's pinhole leak in a weld or something then yes, you'll want to replace the evaporator. If it's a leaking seal, then the oil may be enough to stop the leak.

[Johnd]

This is the stuff I was looking at - http://acprocold.com/product/mrl-3-ac-pro-super-seal/

However, I have trouble putting something like this in a low mileage ZHP

[GeorgeH]

Evaporators leaking in an E46 are as common as oil leaks. I can easily say I have replaced 50, but wouldn't be surprised if the number is north of 100. If you pull the blower cover off from the engine bay side you can see the majority of the front side of the evaporator. From there you can look for signs of leakage. The shop should have added dye when they charged it, if they did you should be able to see the dye with the help of a mirror or if you see lint like buildup on the evaporator that is a clear sign.

[Johnd]

It is definitely has a small leak.. I will most likely have the dealer replace that and the heater core in the spring. The car only has 51K miles on it and prefer not to screw it up with a sealer

[Reasoned1]

Last year, I was told the evaporator on my 330xi DD is leaking and that they'd have to go through the dash to replace it. I was quoted $1,500. Living in Vermont, AC is not critical, so I haven't elected to pay for it.

[san]

A friend of mine agreed to pay $2100ish at a dealership but when he went to take his car back they asked him to pay only $1200ish... not everyone will be so lucky obviously...


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