BMW 3-Series E36 (1991 - 1998) - Adding Air Con

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Sun 28 Apr 2002 15:03
Adding Air Con - Wil
Can anyone offer advice on the cost to add air conditioning to a 1995 BMW 3 Series? Basically, a ball park figure on cost if done at an air con specialist or difficulty of diy.

Edited by Pugugly {P} on 18/02/2008 at 21:01

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Sun 28 Apr 2002 16:24
Re: Adding Air Con - Honest John
£1,500 - £2,000.

HJ
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Sun 28 Apr 2002 17:28
Re: Adding Air Con - Dave N
HJ is correct, about £1500 plus VAT if you go to a reputable outfit that fits Diavia kits, which are the best.

You could buy the kit and do it yourself, but it's quite complex. For starters you'll need to remove the whole dash to get to the heater box to add the evaporator, then add the condenser, hoses, compressor, fan and receiver/drier, then wire it up and plumb the hoses, which may need to be made up to suit. I would imagine that by the time you fannied about doing this, then taken it somewhere else to get it leak checked and gassed, then trouble shooted it, you'd be better off just getting someone else to do it.

If you're planning on keeping the car a while it may be worth doing, plus as time goes by and everyone gets used to having it, it will be easier to sell with it on. But if it's only a short term thing, you'd be better off getting a car with it already on. Be careful of really cheap quotes, as some outfits just cobble together a system with whatever they have to hand, and modify it to suit. Then when you get a problem, it's a right dogs dinner to find spares and trouble shoot it.

A reputable outfit in the south is www.readerair.co.uk. 01483 726300.
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Mon 29 Apr 2002 08:56
Re: Adding Air Con - Jason
I went to ReaderAir to get my Cavalier air con fixed (dead compressor) and they were very good. £600 for new compressor fitted, drier etc and gassed.

I would use them again. They will also come to you with their mobile vans, but I am not sure this would apply to big jobs

Cheers from Jase
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