RE: AC Condenser Repair: 90-90Q20v

["Duff, Ian" <IDuff@charter.com>]

Are you *sure* you need a new condensor? I thought I did, too, last
summer. Our own Bob D'Amato had posted that he'd gotten his repaired, so
I got an A/C shop to locate the leaks, cost about $45. They were afraid
to call me, because the cheapest condensor they could find was over
$600. I thanked them for locating the leaks (all foreign car owners
aren't rectal orifices, after all), took my car home, and pulled the
condensor (be fairly careful to cover the exposed tubing ends, I used
duct tape). Took me about 15 minutes. I called around, and found a local
radiator shop that was willing to have a look at it to determine if it
was repairable. When I called them back a couple of hours later to see
what their estimate was they said "Aw, it was so easy, we just fixed it
and painted it, it'll be 30 bucks, come get it any time". I got three
new O-rings for about $10 total from the local <grimace> dealer, and
reinstalled the condenser (installation is, as they say, the reverse of
removal), leaving one connection finger-tight. I returned to the A/C
shop, who put some R12-compatible oil in the loose connection, tightened
it, and filled it with R12. The fill cost me something like $125.
Bassoon (better than viola)! Cold! Still cold this summer, too, so the
welds held thru the winter. Total cost was like $210. Not "over $600"
like he A/C guy feared. "How'd you do that?" Well, there's this internet
list...
HTH, email if you want tips for removal.
-Ian Duff.
	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Paul_Royal@idx.com [SMTP:Paul_Royal@idx.com]
	Sent:	Tuesday, 08 July 1997 12:51 PM
	To:	audi-20v@avs.com; quattro-ne@coimbra.ans.net
	Cc:	quattro@coimbra.ans.net
	Subject:	AC Condenser Repair: 90-90Q20v


	Hi Folks,
	     I need a new condenser for my 90-90Q20v.  Actually, what I
need is to
	understand what kind of rare metallurgical marvel the condenser
is made of
	at over $700 (will it hurt Superman, or is it just Platinum?).
	     I searched the archives and found that a few folks have had
their
	condenser welded by a radiator shop or the like.  Is removing
the condenser
	difficult?  How did the repair hold up?  Would you do it again?