Air-con question on a LC4 D4D 04/2006 Land Cruiser please ?

[scooby]

I am pretty ignorant about air-con but my local very friendly garage, who service the Cruiser and also do-air con work told me after inspecting the system, that my non-working air-con is a result of needing a new condenser. But they also told me that it is quite expensive. Could anyone tell me approximately how much money we are talking about please ? Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

 

[Tractionman]

I can't help with specific costs, they are right - air con stuff can be expensive.
How did the air con garage inspect your system to arrive at their decision ?
Normally they would evacuate the system, then repressurise that includes a dye, then look for any leaks that show up.
I would have thought that as an air con garage they would be in a position to give a price for replacement condensor, labour and repressurising.
Hang in there though, there maybe someone on here who has had it done, and can give you an idea, meanwhile it may be worth comparing prices from various sources for a new condensor, genuine or aftermarket.
Places like your local main stealer (could be very pricey) Roughtrax, Milners, or other suppliers.

 

[scooby]

Thank you for your reply. It is admittedly just a friendly helpful local garage who service our vehicles but have the ability to check and re-gas air-cons. They have evacuated the system and re-filled and done a leakage test which didn't show anything apparently. There is another place not far away who do nothing else other than air-con stuff and I would probably take the Cruiser there but just wondered how much money it is likely to cost.

 

[MODVRS]

Autodoc list a Nissens (often an OEM fit on Toyota) condenser for £102 including VAT to fit an LC120D4D. If you did a lot of the dismantling a mobile A/C guy would probably charge about £100 to do the final bolting on and refilling. If you took it to Toyota it would be £1200 or more. I'm not recommending Autodoc as I have no direct experience but it gives an idea of what's out there.

 

[scooby]

Thank you for that. As I said I am totally ignorant about air-con. Is the condenser all under the bonnet ? I ask that question because I have read some similar topics on here and it would appear that there are at least pipes & things that go to the rear of the vehicle.

 

[MODVRS]

As an example my mobile guy replaced my receiver/dryer and did a service for £20 for the part and £50 for the service/fitting. Fitting a condenser is no more difficult once all the stuff around it is out of the way. If you need a mobile a/c engineer in Hampshire try Pete Sinclair of Cool Runners on 07740 948126, he is excellent.

 

[MODVRS]

The condenser sits in front of the main cooling radiator (and pretty much looks the same too). It's in the line of fire so often gets damaged by flying debris or just rots away after 15 years from road salt etc. It's a really simple and common repair in most cases.

 

[scooby]

Thank you very much for your help. I have seen that and thought it might be some kind of oil cooler. I did say I was totally ignorant about air-con ! I think I will wait until next spring and take it to the specialists. I didn't know that there were mobile people who did that sort of work. I will investigate.

 

[MODVRS]

By the way. I think you might belong in the 120 section rather than the 100, if you've got a model specific question it's best to be in the right place. I'm only a lowly 90 series owner so I may be wrong about the posher stuff though.

 

[Dave]

Just be aware the system is old, so there may be more than one leak. It may also be that getting the system up to pressure will show a fault somewhere else in the system.

 

[scooby]

By the way. I think you might belong in the 120 section rather than the 100, if you've got a model specific question it's best to be in the right place. I'm only a lowly 90 series owner so I may be wrong about the posher stuff though.

I've just looked on the V5 and in one place it says : Variant KDJ120(K) and underneath that it says : Version KDJ120R-GKAEYW(GD). Pardon my ignorance but does that mean that She Who Must Be Obeyed rides around in a 120 series Cruiser ? If that is the case I will remenber it in future but you guys are helping me so much that I will stick here with this topic if that's O.K.

 

[scooby]

Just be aware the system is old, so there may be more than one leak. It may also be that getting the system up to pressure will show a fault somewhere else in the system.

Yes, that makes sense. Thank you. The garage did a leak test apparently which they said showed no leaks and I assumed that to do that they would have got it up ro pressure. Perhaps not.

 

[karl2000]

Yep its a 120!

 

[Tractionman]

If nothing is showing up at your local friendly garage, how do they come to the conclusion it's the condenser leaking/at fault. ?
This could be a costly mistake if replaced and not solving the problem.
Anyone can do part changing (even Mr T) when the customer is footing the bill.

I think it would be worth a visit to the dedicated air con place to discuss initially, they would be in a better place to price work too, for what may need doing.
Bear in mind, they will want to do their own testing too, not go on someone else's guess/diagnosis, which will have another cost before arriving at a solution.

If, as you suggest, you have pipes going to the rear of the vehicle, you may have the model with rear air con too. Easy enough to find out - on the 120 which you have confirmed you have (even though posted in the 100 section) the controls for the rear air con are on the rear of the centre console. No controls - no rear air con.

 

[scooby]

Thank you for all that information, very helpful and useful. I didn't suggest that I have pipes going to the rear of the vehicle (#5) It's just that I searched the Forum before making my OP and read something about pipes going to the rear. I have looked at the rear of the centre console and there are no controls for rear air-con. Just an empty pocket at the rear of the console available to passengers in the rear and is where the controls fit presumably.

 

[Tractionman]

Ahh, - that's where the confusion has come in, posting 120 series in the 100 series relating to rear air con, as someone else said earlier about not being in the right area.
You have no rear ar con then by your description, FWIW, the controls don't fit in that pocket, it's a different panel that fits in the same place with 2 knobs - heat control and fan.
Obviously there are other hidden components as part of the rear system that you don't need to worry about, - it's bad enough with the front. Don't ask me how I know, lol.

 

[scooby]

You have been very helpful Tractionman, thank you. I don't normally get involved with cars etc, hence my mistake in putting this topic in the wrong section of the Forum. In fact, because of my age I tend to keep away from mechanical stuff these days but when younger I was quite happy taking engines out of tractors, diggers, and off the top of combines. I would like to give some advice if I may : Don't grow old - it's nothing to look forward to" The only comfort in growing old is that it's better than the alternative.

 

[Tractionman]

Advice taken Scooby, - I just wish you had told me about not getting old earlier, I'm already older than Adam !

 

[scooby]

When I was younger I never even thought about not being able to scroffle about underneath things but when I do that now I find it difficult to get our sometimes ! But I've got my memories and I am convinced that I have seen the best days.