air conditioning pipes

[mulligan2k]

1999 audi s4 2.7
a/c pipe leak

as the title says ive a leak in my air conditioning pipes. specifically the pipework between the condenser in the engine bay and the evaporator in the cabin (if thats where it is)

started off with warm air blowing through my vents, so went to a local garage to get it re-gassed and leak tested
they told me that it started leaking after 5 mins or so somewhere behind the right hand front wheel (they couldn't tell me which pipe was leaking without taking the wheel off and charging me more

going to have a look on sat morn with my dad behind the wheel to see which pipe needs replacing, got quoted either £110 or £130 depending on which pipe plus at least two hours labour (at £50 an hour)

so i was hoping that i could find a guide or walk through online for replacing the pipe ( or fixing maybe) myself. unfortunately i haven't been able to find anything, hence this post


so has anybody out there replaced any a/c pipework on their car? how big a job is it, im a bit worried if theres too much to do inside the car to get the other side of the pipework

[mikeybutch]

I suggast it may be best to have it done by a specialist who will guarantee the job regas etc .Was the pipe damaged or is a seal which could be replaced?

[mulligan2k]

I suggast it may be best to have it done by a specialist who will guarantee the job regas etc .Was the pipe damaged or is a seal which could be replaced?

yep thats my backup plan if the job looks too involving, i think its a pipe not a seal, but i wont know for sure until tomorrow when i get the wheel off, i was also thinking if its the metal pipe it might be possible to weld something over the leak

[kite]

Air-conditioning systems should only be worked on by qualified people.
The high and low pressure sides can be dangerous if you don't know what your doing...

follow me on twitter...kiteaudi...

[mulligan2k]

Air-conditioning systems should only be worked on by qualified people.
The high and low pressure sides can be dangerous if you don't know what your doing...

follow me on twitter...kiteaudi...

hmm not what i wanted to hear, it seems this job may well be beyond the home mechanic. well ill still check tmoz to see if it something easy to swap like a seal, if not looks like a stay in the garage for my car!

[mulligan2k]

quick update, couldn't see any dye on or near the pipes, maybe it faded away over the few days between the test and me looking. also the pipe that goes from the compressor to the inside of the cabin is one long pipe, i cant even see how to get it out! definately not a job for the home mechanic, going to try and get a full quote from the garage i took it too before and then start saving

[kite]

The dye used to test aircon normally requires a UV light to be seen.
Try contacting a local aircon specialist for a leak test and quote.

[checkleyand]

My Q7 a/c got progressively worse so I had it re-gassed. It had leaked out again within days. A local garage tells me the two main pipes that run around the engine bay can leak because the alloy pipes are held to the chassis with steel clips which causes electrolytic corrosion. They quoted me around £600 for the job; this included BOTH pipes because if one's gone you can guarantee the other will follow it soon. I'm currently trying to find a supplier, other than the Audi main dealer, for the pipes. Any suggestions anyone?
checkleyand

1999 audi s4 2.7
a/c pipe leak

as the title says ive a leak in my air conditioning pipes. specifically the pipework between the condenser in the engine bay and the evaporator in the cabin (if thats where it is)

started off with warm air blowing through my vents, so went to a local garage to get it re-gassed and leak tested
they told me that it started leaking after 5 mins or so somewhere behind the right hand front wheel (they couldn't tell me which pipe was leaking without taking the wheel off and charging me more

going to have a look on sat morn with my dad behind the wheel to see which pipe needs replacing, got quoted either £110 or £130 depending on which pipe plus at least two hours labour (at £50 an hour)

so i was hoping that i could find a guide or walk through online for replacing the pipe ( or fixing maybe) myself. unfortunately i haven't been able to find anything, hence this post


so has anybody out there replaced any a/c pipework on their car? how big a job is it, im a bit worried if theres too much to do inside the car to get the other side of the pipework