Thread: Aftermarket A/C - 300Tdi dual cab

Originally Posted by Becnadam

I've read a few pages and this seems like a whole lot of heart ache and pain ? I don't have air con and no existing pipe work compressors etc and I would really like AC. Is there an option where I can buy a kit and it pops in with little effort? I know LR air con isn't going to blow my hair off like a toyota but surely it would cool down a dual cab??
Any suggestions greatly appreciated it's a 1996 tdi.

Hi Becnadam,

I've had both single cab and a dual cab Tdi's and when it was working, the standard A/C was really only good enough for the single cab. Having had the Formula King EV2208 evaporator for a couple of years now, I would say it's just enough for a dual cab. For a wagon I would go bigger, as goingbush did in his TD5.

I don't know of any "kit" as such but you can just buy all of the pieces. Starting without an existing system is no big deal. The only pieces of my original system which didn't end up being reconditioned or replaced were the solid tubes in the engine bay. The only bits specific to a Tdi should be the compressor bracket and the belt tensioner and they should be easily sourced from other forum members. The usual tubing in the engine bay would just be supplemented with the flexible hose. It seems after market systems are just done with flexible hose these days because it's must quicker to install. Depending on how handy you are, you could mount the components in place, run the hoses, do the wiring, and then take it to your local car air conditioning place to make the hose connections and gas it up.

Here are a couple of online suppliers, but there are plenty of others around:

Automotive Airconditioning Parts Distributors
Swish Auto Parts - Swish Auto Parts Swish Auto Parts

If you need any specific advice on parts, feel free to post any questions up here. It all adds to the wealth of knowledge that is AULRO .

James.

I want to say a sincere "thank you" to everyone who has contributed to this thread. After dropping more than a little coin trying to get my under dash system to do the impossible, it's out and a 22,000BTU system is on the workbench. A new condensor is headed onto the roof rack, and ducting is a WIP.

Cheers,

Mathew

Originally Posted by SavingTheDefender

I want to say a sincere "thank you" to everyone who has contributed to this thread. After dropping more than a little coin trying to get my under dash system to do the impossible, it's out and a 22,000BTU system is on the workbench. A new condensor is headed onto the roof rack, and ducting is a WIP.

Thanks Matthew. It makes it all worth it when you see others learning from your own experiences. Good luck with it, and of course feel free to post up any questions.

James.

Originally Posted by Ranga

You can buy my genuine LR unit when I pull it out...

Why? You going with an aftermarket solution too, or just never use it?

Probably both,

James - how's the air con working out?


I find my factory unit has given up the ghost - again.


Could be a hard sell to the missus to pay for it but I am certainly investigating the hint of a possibility of doing this.