Retrofit Air Conditioning A/C to a E30

[Royalratch]

Hi all.

I am about to put in an order for an original A/C kit from BMW for my 1990 318iS. The link below lists the parts - it's around Ԛ£650.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=64&fg=95

What I would like to know is:

1) Is this hard to fit myself.
2) What is a 'Magnetic Clutch' and do I need that part too.
3) Is it also an option to rip the A/C parts from a broken E30 and plug into mine.

[Brianmoooore]

The link only shows a replacement compressor, something to do with the magnetic clutch on the compressor, and a kit for converting from an obsolete/illegal refrigerant gas to a more modern/legal one. This is far from a complete aircon kit.
Parts from a scrapper, with the odd new part is the only sensible way to do the job.
The installation requires a fair bit of dismantling and refitting of bits, but is doable.
Final testing and filling of the system would have to be done professionaly.

[E30Mark]

As Brian said there is so much more to this than meets the eye!

You will need

Compressor
Condenser & fan
numerous coolant pipes
Drying container
Evaporator
Complete new heater box (dashboard out job)

Plus the wiring to make it all work, get a complete kit off another car, the only issue you will have is sourcing a 318iS compressor, rare as rare in the country. The states is full of them! look at sourcing one from there, but finding one with a guarantee might be difficult.


Welcome to the zone

[Royalratch]

Many thanks guys. You just saved me a bundle I guess. I get the feeling from your replies that it's not worth doing...?

[E30Mark]

A few people have done it here, i plan to do it in the future!

If you can get a complete 2nd hand kit then go for it! buying new will cost more than the car is worth...

I looked into this on my 318iS, you can still expect it to cost you Ԛ£500+ going the 2nd hand route. Although a 318iS with air-con is rare, I've only ever come across one that i know of.

[Brianmoooore]

I intend to do it as well when I can find the bits, but on a M50 engined touring.
Already have M50 E36/E34 bits for under the bonnet, so I reckon I just need the E30 heater box and internal wiring loom.
Looked on ebay when I first decided to do this, and there was an E30 heater/aircon box listed, ending in a couple of days. I bid on it, but didn't push to hard, as I thought there'd be another one along later.
Hasn't been a sniff of one since!! If I'd known that, the person who bought the last one would have paid a lot more for it!

[E30Mark]

I might have a spare heater box.... I have bought 2 kits in the past, both wrapped up sitting in the shed, will have to check both heater boxes against each other, if they are both OK then i'm sure we can come to a deal Brian

[stuartgallafant]

also, if you remove it from one car, to put on another, you have o do it in the same day. otherwise, the receiver dryer will be open to atmosphere, and if its like that for more than 24 hrs (in some cases 1hr!!) then its shagged

[Brianmoooore]

also, if you remove it from one car, to put on another, you have o do it in the same day. otherwise, the receiver dryer will be open to atmosphere, and if its like that for more than 24 hrs (in some cases 1hr!!) then its shagged

Thought the drier was a service part in any case.
In the refrigeration rear I come into contact with the most (milk cooling), the engineers seem to change these every time they go near the stuff.

[Brianmoooore]

I might have a spare heater box.... I have bought 2 kits in the past, both wrapped up sitting in the shed, will have to check both heater boxes against each other, if they are both OK then i'm sure we can come to a deal Brian

Might well be interested on taking you up on that, Mark.
My next project is another M50 engined, LPG fuelled, touring to replace my wife's touring - which I found out yesterday (looking at my service records), I've owned since 1994!!
I want this to have aircon, and I'd like to fit this fairly early on in the build.

[gilb]

ha ha iv had loads of fun trying to fit my air con the hardest part is inside the car doing behind the dash!!! to get the pipes through to the engine bay there is a bit of meatal that pushes out but its covered in underseal so u cant see it just fought id help u with that as i was there panicing thinking il be drilling holes evrywhere. only problem im going to have is wireing it up to the fuse box

[Brianmoooore]

ha ha iv had loads of fun trying to fit my air con the hardest part is inside the car doing behind the dash!!! to get the pipes through to the engine bay there is a bit of meatal that pushes out but its covered in underseal so u cant see it just fought id help u with that as i was there panicing thinking il be drilling holes evrywhere. only problem im going to have is wireing it up to the fuse box

Would have thought it's reasonably easy with the dash removed. BMW provide all the holes for fitting everything, although brackets are missing sometimes for various things.

[Royalratch]

Jeez. Forget that then.

[Brianmoooore]

Jeez. Forget that then.

What? Removing the dash?
It's actually quite an easy job, especially the second time you do it.

[e30cossie]

If you have a r12 refrigerant air con system you do not have to convert to r134a.If i was retro fitting a system i would convert to r134a but if i needed recharging i would get a drop in replacement as i do on old fridges using r12.

[Brianmoooore]

In my proposed set up, all the bits are designed for R134a as they left the factory, except for the evaporator.
Any O rings or whatever in there that need changing?

[e30cossie]

The evaporator is just a coil so there is nothing that can be changed on this.