Airco drier replacement on 1.8

[Supervinnie40]

Hi all,

I visited the aircon specialist last week, and he advised me to replace the aircon drier in the car.

Apparently (I don't know this yet) every aircon system has a drier reservoir that collects the moisture from the air. But this reservoir needs to be replaced every now and then. Mine has never been replaced.

Can somebody tell me if this indeed needs to be replaced, and if so: is there a how-to for this?
Also, where can I find this part? I haven't found it on Rimmerbros yet.

[RayH]

I'm surprised that an aircon specialist would suggest that YOU replace the drier, as this involves degassing and regassing the system so is likely to be beyond your ability.
The drier doesn't collect moisture from the car, it traps any that may have been in the system.
Unless there is a problem with the aircon I would leave it alone!
It appears that it was available as a separate part but is now only available with the condenser.
See https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GRID001576

Originally Posted by Supervinnie40

Hi all,

I visited the aircon specialist last week, and he advised me to replace the aircon drier in the car.

Apparently (I don't know this yet) every aircon system has a drier reservoir that collects the moisture from the air. But this reservoir needs to be replaced every now and then. Mine has never been replaced.

Can somebody tell me if this indeed needs to be replaced, and if so: is there a how-to for this?
Also, where can I find this part? I haven't found it on Rimmerbros yet.

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by RayH

Unless there is a problem with the aircon I would leave it alone!

Hi Vinnie,

The drier doesn't need routine replacement. Whenever the system is evacuated and recharged, if this process is done properly, any stored moisture will be removed.

Simon

[Supervinnie40]

Thanks for the replies.

I think he gave me the advice after I mentioned that the system has been empty for several months now. It's been several years since I had the whole thing re-gassed and I asked him if he had recommendations for maintanence before getting it filled up again. Apart from rubbers and a few checks, he mentioned the drier.

But he probably didn't knew that the 75 uses a different system. Looks like I just need to find a proper place to get it regassed.

[drewbie]

Firstly if its empty it requires a vacuum pulled on the system to see if it will maintain it once the vacuum pump is turned off, this will tell you if you have any leaks. If you still have the original condenser it probably requires replacing along with a new drier pack. A reputable AC engineer will do all this rather then just waste your money on a recharge if its not going to hold it.

[JefferiesFarnol]

I've just changed my compressor (and A/C is finally working perfectly - touch wood!) and so I had to change the drier with it. I bought one from an auto parts supplier that was equivalent to the 75's and it was about £17 if I remember correctly. With the system discharged it's just a matter of unscrewing a cap at the side of the condenser with the bumper off; though, as the other chaps have said, it would make more sense to check the whole system for leaks. Before I did mine I read that it's advisable to change the drier whenever the system is exposed to the air, so if you do have anything that needs replacing it should be done at the same time.