A/C/ Evaporator Replacement - DIY or NOT?

[rantarM3]

My M3's A/C stopped functioning recently so I took it to a shop to diagnose the problem. They determined that there's a leak somewhere and put dye into the system to pinpoint the location (at a later date, when my schedule permits).

Their preliminary diagnosis is a bad evaporator, which seems like a reasonable explanation. They quoted ~$2500 all-in for the repair, with a 2-year warranty and with a new OEM evaporator. If I were to do the bulk of the work (sans evacuating/refilling), it would be under $1,000.

For anyone who DIY'd their evaporator, looking back on the project, would you advise for or against undertaking this project?

[nrubenstein]

It’s dash removal, which is a massive project.

If you are patient and thorough, it’s entirely DIYable. But, generally speaking, I find that dash R&R is comparable in annoyance level to an engine change. (But you generally don’t need the same level of heavy duty tools.)

[Iyzmi]

$2,500 is not bad at all for this job. My warranty covered 21.6 hours of labor plus $613 for the OEM evaporator. $3-3.5k seems to be about average based on my research. It's definitely not something I would take on myself, look up some pics and you'll see why. Here's one example:



No thank you.

[rantarM3]

Originally Posted by nrubenstein

It’s dash removal, which is a massive project.

If you are patient and thorough, it’s entirely DIYable. But, generally speaking, I find that dash R&R is comparable in annoyance level to an engine change. (But you generally don’t need the same level of heavy duty tools.)

Originally Posted by Iyzmi

$2,500 is not bad at all for this job. My warranty covered 21.6 hours of labor plus $613 for the OEM evaporator. $3-3.5k seems to be about average based on my research. It's definitely not something I would take on myself, look up some pics and you'll see why.

I have seen videos and photos of the job and that’s precisely why I’m hesitant. LOL I should have mentioned that the tech that would be doing the work has done many of these, particularly when he worked for a BMW dealership.

I have no doubt that I am capable of doing it, but the question is whether I should. Based on your input, I should leave it to the pros.

[nrubenstein]

Originally Posted by rantarM3

I have seen videos and photos of the job and that’s precisely why I’m hesitant. LOL I should have mentioned that the tech that would be doing the work has done many of these, particularly when he worked for a BMW dealership.

I have no doubt that I am capable of doing it, but the question is whether I should. Based on your input, I should leave it to the pros.

Generally speaking, it falls into the category of "I'd do it, but I would generally not recommend it to someone else."

[Cerberus]

How prevalent is the leaking AC evaporator on e9x chassis cars?

[nrubenstein]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

How prevalent is the leaking AC evaporator on e9x chassis cars?

Seems to be a pretty common issue.

[boostboost]

My m3 a/c sucks and i need a new evaporator since it's not my daily and i have a garage i'm gonna do it myself.

[mansehajsingh]

Originally Posted by nrubenstein

Seems to be a pretty common issue.

Originally Posted by rantarM3

My M3's A/C stopped functioning recently so I took it to a shop to diagnose the problem. They determined that there's a leak somewhere and put dye into the system to pinpoint the location (at a later date, when my schedule permits).

Their preliminary diagnosis is a bad evaporator, which seems like a reasonable explanation. They quoted ~$2500 all-in for the repair, with a 2-year warranty and with a new OEM evaporator. If I were to do the bulk of the work (sans evacuating/refilling), it would be under $1,000.

For anyone who DIY'd their evaporator, looking back on the project, would you advise for or against undertaking this project?

I totally have to tell you not to purse this yourself as it is a huge undertaking. I recently had to open the dash, amp and stereo to lookup some wiring issues with my system and doing just that was a night mare as it took us almost 3 hours to pry everything out.

[deansbimmer]

It's really not a DIY project. Only for the most hardcore DIY'ers who I usually call semi-professional anyway. You need to pull apart the intake plenum and engine bay components to access the heater and AC connections, evacuate (and charge) the refrigerant (special equipment), then take on a full dash disassembly to remove the air handler. Then disassemble that unit to service it. To do it correctly is a full day's work for a skilled professional who's already familiar with the job. $2500 is a very fair price for the job- they're obviously taking into consideration their experience with the job as most would charge a good bit more.

[IB M]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

It's really not a DIY project. Only for the most hardcore DIY'ers who I usually call semi-professional anyway. You need to pull apart the intake plenum and engine bay components to access the heater and AC connections, evacuate (and charge) the refrigerant (special equipment), then take on a full dash disassembly to remove the air handler. Then disassemble that unit to service it. To do it correctly is a full day's work for a skilled professional who's already familiar with the job. $2500 is a very fair price for the job- they're obviously taking into consideration their experience with the job as most would charge a good bit more.

Is the car ever the same afterwards? Said another way - is it possible to put it all back together close to factory spec or are you destined for loose fitting clips and rattles for evermore?

[brettcp]

Originally Posted by IB M

Is the car ever the same afterwards? Said another way - is it possible to put it all back together close to factory spec or are you destined for loose fitting clips and rattles for evermore?

This would be my first thought/concern as well.

[brettcp]

Originally Posted by Iyzmi

$2,500 is not bad at all for this job. My warranty covered 21.6 hours of labor plus $613 for the OEM evaporator. $3-3.5k seems to be about average based on my research. It's definitely not something I would take on myself, look up some pics and you'll see why. Here's one example:



No thank you.

I pride myself in doing most of my M3 work myself, but to this project I say:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K7fCQlUhj0

[kimiraikkonen]

Originally Posted by rantarM3

My M3's A/C stopped functioning recently so I took it to a shop to diagnose the problem. They determined that there's a leak somewhere and put dye into the system to pinpoint the location (at a later date, when my schedule permits).

Their preliminary diagnosis is a bad evaporator, which seems like a reasonable explanation. They quoted ~$2500 all-in for the repair, with a 2-year warranty and with a new OEM evaporator. If I were to do the bulk of the work (sans evacuating/refilling), it would be under $1,000.

For anyone who DIY'd their evaporator, looking back on the project, would you advise for or against undertaking this project?

How much refrigerant are you leaking (rate of decline)? I did a recharge 2 years ago and just had to do another one this year (over 24 months later). So yes, I might have a small leak as well, but for $50/recharge, this is more economical then trying to fix the source.

[rantarM3]

I really appreciate everyone's responses, and thanks do Deansbimmer reminding me that the plenum has to come out, I have been swayed to stay away from the project.

Originally Posted by kimiraikkonen

How much refrigerant are you leaking (rate of decline)? I did a recharge 2 years ago and just had to do another one this year (over 24 months later). So yes, I might have a small leak as well, but for $50/recharge, this is more economical then trying to fix the source.

I plan on heading back to the shop next week so that they can find the source of the leak. The suspicion is that it's really small. You make a very good point - I had thought about the cost of the repair, value of the car, and number of refills it would take to cover the repair. The only illogical part on my side is that I am completely OCD about this car and am not sure if I would be able to leave it as-is.

Here's a shot of my car at the shop earlier this week:

[deansbimmer]

Originally Posted by IB M

Is the car ever the same afterwards? Said another way - is it possible to put it all back together close to factory spec or are you destined for loose fitting clips and rattles for evermore?

It absolutely can be as good or better as before. That's how it should be, and is what you get when you find a good tech that knows the job and takes time to does things properly.

However, the sad reality is that many independents and dealers (especially) cut so many corners in the name of productivity that cars often end up with more broken clips and mis-installed parts than they came in with. It's intentional- not necessarily out of ignorance. It's why there exists this inherent belief that a service like this will always result in future noises and issues.

Short story: One of my techs came from one of our area's largest franchise dealer who was doing an airbag recall on an X5M and was mid process of pulling the dash the right way. Their head "master" tech came over and asked why he was taking so long. He noted that the "trick" on these was to yank this spot just so to snap a hidden tab to get the dash out without having to remove the center console- "saves two hours" he said... These types of shameful practices are what you get at many shops that are driven by high productivity. Good techs get sh*t on while the shady ones flag the most hours and receive all the praise. Owners have no idea and still take cars to the dealer under the assumption that's where your BMW really gets the red carpet treatment.

[Timujin]

Try a r134 refill and replacing the caps over the high/low Schrader valves. I did this and had a some success so far. Time will tell, but I have dye ready for the next stage of troubleshooting. Evaporator replacement is the last step and I am aware they do leak. $2500 is not bad, but the thought of dash removal makes me want to punch walls.

[Cbozz]

Originally Posted by rantarM3

I really appreciate everyone's responses, and thanks do Deansbimmer reminding me that the plenum has to come out, I have been swayed to stay away from the project.



I plan on heading back to the shop next week so that they can find the source of the leak. The suspicion is that it's really small. You make a very good point - I had thought about the cost of the repair, value of the car, and number of refills it would take to cover the repair. The only illogical part on my side is that I am completely OCD about this car and am not sure if I would be able to leave it as-is.

Here's a shot of my car at the shop earlier this week:

Attachment 1949944

I did see this car posted on Eurowekre's IG, you're running Volks? I think that car had Volks and speed cloth..?!

[EnVe46]

Originally Posted by rantarM3

I really appreciate everyone's responses, and thanks do Deansbimmer reminding me that the plenum has to come out, I have been swayed to stay away from the project.



I plan on heading back to the shop next week so that they can find the source of the leak. The suspicion is that it's really small. You make a very good point - I had thought about the cost of the repair, value of the car, and number of refills it would take to cover the repair. The only illogical part on my side is that I am completely OCD about this car and am not sure if I would be able to leave it as-is.

Here's a shot of my car at the shop earlier this week:

Attachment 1949944

I think thats the same shop I use. Those guys do great work and you're in great hands. They did my work for the evap and my warranty has paid them thousands hahaha.

[rantarM3]

Originally Posted by Cbozz

I did see this car posted on Eurowekre's IG, you're running Volks? I think that car had Volks and speed cloth..?!

Yes, that’s my car.

Originally Posted by EnVe46

I think thats the same shop I use. Those guys do great work and you're in great hands. They did my work for the evap and my warranty has paid them thousands hahaha.

I’ve been in contact with Jason at Eurowerks; he said that either he or one other tech would do the job.

[EnVe46]

Originally Posted by rantarM3

Yes, that’s my car.



I’ve been in contact with Jason at Eurowerks; he said that either he or one other tech would do the job.

Yup, Jason handles everything with my car when I go in but know the owner personally. Great guys! They know my car real well

[tdott]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

It absolutely can be as good or better as before. That's how it should be, and is what you get when you find a good tech that knows the job and takes time to does things properly.

However, the sad reality is that many independents and dealers (especially) cut so many corners in the name of productivity that cars often end up with more broken clips and mis-installed parts than they came in with. It's intentional- not necessarily out of ignorance. It's why there exists this inherent belief that a service like this will always result in future noises and issues.

Short story: One of my techs came from one of our area's largest franchise dealer who was doing an airbag recall on an X5M and was mid process of pulling the dash the right way. Their head "master" tech came over and asked why he was taking so long. He noted that the "trick" on these was to yank this spot just so to snap a hidden tab to get the dash out without having to remove the center console- "saves two hours" he said... These types of shameful practices are what you get at many shops that are driven by high productivity. Good techs get sh*t on while the shady ones flag the most hours and receive all the praise. Owners have no idea and still take cars to the dealer under the assumption that's where your BMW really gets the red carpet treatment.

Exactly why I would DIY, and the reason why I don't let anyone touch my car that I don't trust to do it right.
I currently don't have anyone I would trust more than myself to put back every screw/clip and make sure everything is tight.

Highly likely if you take it to a shop, it will be rushed and slapped back together, they don't get paid to take their time, it's not in their best interest. (This is why you hear about bad rod bearing installs also.) Their goal is to finish the job as fast as possible.


When I do things, I make sure I take my time and it is done right. (Everything is put back, important fasteners are torqued.)
Also I won't have the distractions of being in a busy shop, working on multiple cars, answering phone calls etc. Where the rate of mistakes increases with the amount of distractions.