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Evaporator Replacments Pages: 12

iceman2555 on Thu August 16, 2007 12:25 PM User is offlineView users profile

Guys, I have had an inquiry concerning the number and types of evap jobs being accomplished in repair shops today. If possible, please post remarks concerning the vehicles that exhibit the most evap failures, second, third, etc.
Thanks,
iceman2555

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

GM Tech on Thu August 16, 2007 12:57 PM User is offline

I've seen 3 Caravan/Town & Country evaps leak '97 up to 2000-- and two Dodge Ram pickups- both '97- no one wants to spend the bucks to fix-- and I don't care to do the dash pulls.............Late model GM's have been good for me- the older r-12 days they were really bad......

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The number one A/C diagnostic tool there is- is to know how much refrigerant is in the system- this can only be done by recovering and weighing the refrigerant!!
Just a thought.... 65% of A/C failures in my 3200 car diagnostic database (GM vehicles) are due to loss of refrigerant due to a leak......

cc61 on Thu August 16, 2007 11:01 PM User is offline

going along with gmtech on alot of dodge chrysler products! caravans (done a 2000 tuesday of this week) dodge full size 96 thru 01 or 02, 1993 thru 1998 Gran Cherokees (basically the same evap and box as dodge full size pickups of the same era) we have done about 4 or 5 1999 and newer gran cherokees this summer too!

NickD on Fri August 17, 2007 5:45 AM User is offline

From all the posts, Chrysler is king in this respect, followed by early GM, wouldn't have been a problem if they only used the kind of aluminum alloy they use in throwaway soda pop cans.

wadeinthewater on Sun September 30, 2007 12:51 AM User is offline

What's the typical labor cost for a front A/C evaporator replacement in a Chrysler minivan?

I'm in the midst of doing it myself and I'm trying to convince myself that all this work is really worth it. It took me about 6 hours to get the dash disassembled and get the evaporator replaced. I'm guessing it's going to take me a total of 10-12 hours by the time it's all done. I'm in the process of buttoning everything back up, and hoping I end up with less than a dozen "spare" screws by the time this job is complete.

In addition to the evaporator, I'm also replacing the expansion valve, accumulator/drier, and all the rubber gaskets I can get to under the hood. I'm also planning to drain and replace the PAG oil in the compressor. I've been wavering on the condenser, but currently not planning to replace it or the rear condenser or evaporator. Anything else that I should replace while I've got the system opened up, or any other gotchas I need to look out for?

Wade

cc61 on Mon October 01, 2007 12:58 PM User is offline

If you are referring to a 96 and up chrysler, dodge etc mini van my mitchell gives a little over 10 hours labor including evac and recharge!

ice-n-tropics on Tue October 02, 2007 11:44 AM User is offline

Fran,
MY 96 Chrysler LX had 3 evaps exchanged under warranty. I clamped a braided ground wire to the outlet pipe and the evap lasted for another 5 years until it sold.
Talked to Chrysler Engineers and they finally made running change to the Al alloy across the board.
Cordially,
Old IV guy

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JJM on Tue October 02, 2007 3:42 PM User is offline

1991-1998 Mercedes S-Class (W140 Chassis) evaps... these have to win the prize as the WORST!!! Not only did these evaps fail often, and the evaporator was stupid expensive at over $600, it is a HORRIBLE job... one I'm never ever volunteering for again! Book rate is 28.0 hours, though most shops specializing in Mercedes can get it done in about 19-20 hours... two weekends for me and my buddy.

If one rolls into your shop, don't walk - run, very fast!

Joe

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avx on Fri October 05, 2007 1:08 AM User is offline

Quote
Originally posted by: ice-n-tropics
I clamped a braided ground wire to the outlet pipe and the evap lasted for another 5 years until it sold.


Speaking of minivans, the liquid line on them is all metal from the drier to the expansion valve, like on most vehicles,
so it looks like the evaporator core is already connected to the ground.

Edited: Fri October 05, 2007 at 1:09 AM by avx

ewstan on Fri October 05, 2007 7:50 AM User is offline

Quote
Originally posted by: JJM
1991-1998 Mercedes S-Class (W140 Chassis) evaps... these have to win the prize as the WORST!!! Not only did these evaps fail often, and the evaporator was stupid expensive at over $600, it is a HORRIBLE job... one I'm never ever volunteering for again! Book rate is 28.0 hours, though most shops specializing in Mercedes can get it done in about 19-20 hours... two weekends for me and my buddy.



If one rolls into your shop, don't walk - run, very fast!





I'd put the 124 Mercedes next on the miserable job list. The local dealer quoted $3k to do my '87 300D. Car is worth $5K tops. As I have more time than money or sense, I'm doing the job. Never again.

Wray

gbeeley on Sun October 14, 2007 5:26 PM User is offline

I agree with those who have mentioned the Chrysler minivan evaps. I don't do auto repair professionally, but I've heard story after story about evap replacements on '96 - '00 minivans. My vehicle had the repair done (in '04 I think) before I got it.

It is an extremely labor intensive job, requiring removal of the entire dashboard assembly including steering wheel. The evap is buried inside a HVAC unit under the dash; the entire HVAC unit has to come out too.

The TXV on my van has a ground strap, which should in theory ground the entire evap.

Karl Hofmann on Sun October 14, 2007 5:55 PM User is offlineView users profile

Seen a lot of Range Rovers here with leaking evaporators but Volvos (70 Series) are a popular car to leak too

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Never knock on deaths door... Ring the doorbell and run away, death really hates that!

2005Equinox on Sun October 14, 2007 8:13 PM User is offline

Heard and seen too many things with the Chrysler minivans. The guy that does my A/C hates doing these. Saw one that the dash was totally taken out just to replace the evaporator. Got to love my old B-bodies where the evaporator is under the hood. 30 minutes and its out without ever touching the dash. People wonder why I dont keep the new cars for more than 4-5 years. The old B-bodies are different. The parts are easy to replace on those.

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1981 Pontiac Bonneville


2007 Sears Craftsman Lawn Tractor


1985 Chevrolet Caprice


1986 John Deere 165 lawn tractor

cc61 on Thu October 18, 2007 7:58 AM User is offline

I hear alot of complaining about the evaps leaking in alot of these vehicles I personnally dont mind the dash on the chrysler minivans or jeeps the mercedes is another story but the volume is not there ! I have pulled the dash on 2 ford f series this week 97 f150 and a 98 expedition heater leaking in it, blend door on pickup I would just as soon do that as work under the hood any day maybe when I get 50 years old and my eye site goes I may not enjoy it, but now i still do !! send them to me!

webbch on Thu October 18, 2007 9:22 AM User is offlineView users profile

I have a Chrysler minivan ('97).

Just a naive question.....I haven't had to deal with the evaporator replacement yet (knock on wood), but just curious what it is you hate about the job so much? Is it just monotonous (sp?), because I'd think if your billing for your time then who cares if it takes 10-12 hours, you're getting paid for that time, right?

I *can* see where you'd hate dealing with the customer side of things when you tell them that their van that's only worth about 3-4k is going to require $1500 (not sure if this the going rate or not) to replace the evap, and they go ballistic.

HECAT on Thu October 18, 2007 11:19 AM User is offline

I think the biggest issue that makes this 9 hr. Chrysler mini van job a pain is when you have to dig that deep for a service item (that would be an A/C techs opinion, obviously not the manufacturers), then you will own every squeak, rattle, and dash light issue from that day on. Its not the hours, it's the pain.

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iceman2555 on Thu October 18, 2007 11:39 AM User is offlineView users profile

What is so distasteful is not the repair.....but the customers who seem to think that they are being 'ripped off' when these astronomical charges are levied. Never mind that this ties a tech and a bay up for a day.....and of course, as HECAT states...once the first tool touches a fastener....we automatically become the owners of what ever befalls that vehicle after the repair......
Would much rather do the three compressor jobs.....the 6 or 7 brake jobs.....or other more profitable jobs than take on one of these. If mfg'ers would require...say...a year or two of apprentice service in a shop atmosphere.......prior to a design engineer ever touching a drawing board......ahhhh...think vehicle would be much more friendly to repair.....But during these day dreaming episodes....heck....seems that dream always turns to some other more...more....exotic dream....south sea island...warm trade wind breezes.....currents....clear water.....boat.....fishing......and of course.....the island does have its own large test tract.....so that all these high performance vehicles in the other part of the dream can be driven at very high rates of speed.......yeahhhhhh!!!

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

HECAT on Fri October 19, 2007 10:56 AM User is offline

Quote
Originally posted by: iceman2555
If mfg'ers would require...say...a year or two of apprentice service in a shop atmosphere.......prior to a design engineer ever touching a drawing board......ahhhh...think vehicle would be much more friendly to repair.....

To quote my father, every time he busted a knuckle; "In Engineers hell, they will have to perform these services on the systems they have designed, and they will have to do it for eternity". So I became an Engineer; and I hear my father saying that every time I evaluate service needs and procedures in the products we design.



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FLUSHING TECHNICAL PAPER vs2.pdf 

oznznut on Fri October 19, 2007 8:32 PM User is offline

WAY BACK IN TIME, the first 2 Navy ships I served in were of the USS Knox (DE-1052) class. It was lore then, don't know if really true, that this class was designed by a lady as her Doctorate thesis in Marine Engineering. Good ships to steam, although a might wet forward, but a real B***H in the engineering plant to work on!! So it's not just cars that have this problem.
Dave

pettaw on Sat October 20, 2007 12:01 PM User is offline

Hmm, speaking of evaporator replacements, mine's looking a bit corroded and coated round the fins. I've done my best to clean it but it tends to smell even on a rainy day.

Do you know anybody that make or repair evaporators? Only for interest at the moment, but I might need it repaired or replaced in the future, and with my car at over 20 years old, Volvo stopped making these kind of parts a long time ago. And because the Volvo 360 was never made for the USA market, aftermarket parts are hard to come by too

Edited: Sat October 20, 2007 at 12:02 PM by pettaw

chris142 on Sat October 20, 2007 4:54 PM User is offline

Quote
Originally posted by: webbch




Just a naive question.....I haven't had to deal with the evaporator replacement yet (knock on wood), but just curious what it is you hate about the job so much? Is it just monotonous (sp?), because I'd think if your billing for your time then who cares if it takes 10-12 hours, you're getting paid for that time, right?


. My back can't take it. I can't take being twisted for any length of time. Plus if I break any stupid plastic piece it's my fault.
It will take 2 weeks of pain for my back to heal after doing and under dash work.

I'll pass! Gimme a few dozen late 90's S10 Compressor jobs instead.

Gary Harrison on Fri October 26, 2007 2:06 PM User is offline

I once replaced the evaporator in a 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Same as the minivans, it requires the entire dash to be removed. It took me about 30 hours in and out. However, afterwards I somehow managed to misplace the harness side connector to the blower module. I looked high and low w/o success and even hired a local AC shop to try. They called me later to come get the truck. I finally traced the wires through the wiring harness diagrams and found the wire had somehow been pushed behind the carpet in the foot well. This was after about a week or so of frustration. I convinced my daughter to get rid of this maintenance hog, and she agreed.


regards

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