Need help pls ... My C200 W203 MY2004 aircon has been playing up in the last 10 months, now it blows hot air. The garage told me that the AC compressor needs to be replaced. I am still not completely sure that the Compressor is the culprit since the compressor was silent and never made any noise.... Could it be just low freon ?

 

is it a reputable shop? do they have star? if it is low on freon you will need star to fill it anyway, when the system senses low freon it shuts down the compressor to prevent damage, thus you need to turn the compressor back on with star to fill it. if your shop has star im sure they tried this.
I went through this a few months ago, trying everything I could before I would admit that it was a compressor failure. then I saw it fall out in pieces. if you can buy it online you will save money. I paid 850 I think plus labor. you can get them online for half of that, I couldn't wait for shipping. just be careful driving around with your a/c in such bad shape, if it fails catastrophically it may take out other peices with it, power steering, radiator, etc...
good luck bro.

 

call that mechanic and ask him why the compressor is out...and wat codes were active on the a/c computer

and u dont need star to pump freon...i had napa recharge my a/c

 

In fact you can recharge your a/c yourself its pretty simple process. Do that and see if it blows cold again. These cars are charged with freon that glows when it leaks, if you have a black light it may be advantageous to go over it at night and see if you spot any leaks

 

I just tried 3 different AC specialist, and they all said the freon R134a was full and needs new compressor. Just got a quote from authorized dealer MB in Auckland, NZ. It will cost $4,150 fitted....Damn

 

time to find a good indy shop that price is murder!

 

I'm going to be replacing my AC compressor in the next few months. During the summer I notice when the AC on, it was not blowing cold air. I also noticed when raining and with the heater on, it would not de-fog the side windows properly. There was some condensation on the side windows. After reading up on the Heating/AC system, I found out the AC compressor removes humidity from the cabin of the vehicle. Heater core and cooling system not leaking.
My mechanic checked the system and was told the it was fully charged. He evacuated the system and the we checked the internals of the compressor with a borescope. No shrapnel inside. Re-filled the system and checked to see if the compressor was getting power. Confirmed, power to the compressor but not engaging.
I will be ordering a new AC compressor (RMeuropean.com?) and doing the install myself. $400-425 plus my time.
I was able to get to the 3 AC bolts (E12 torx), AC hoses (6mm hex) and the elctrical connection. Tight fit for the mounting bolts and hoses, but doable. I will update when this is done.

 

Updating on my new AC compressor, drier, & expansion valve install. Finally did all of this a few weeks ago. I found a "Denso" OE replacement AC compressor (new) for $300. The other parts were from RMeuropean.com
My neighbor at my work and good friend owns an auto repair shop so on the weekend I decided to get this stuff installed. Since the system was already evacuated of refrigerant, I started removing the compressor and replacing with the new unit, plus the drier and expansion valve. Added 6oz. (175ml) of PAG46 oil to the new compressor and 1oz. in the drier (thx Glyn, for the info). New o-rings to all hoses and fittings that were removed. Made sure ALL fittings, hoses and connections secure. Then we pulled a vacuum for 45 minutes to remove any moisture, etc. Then charged the system with 750 grams of R134a with the AC on. Check the temp. at the vents, nice and cold. Now I am just waiting for summer to arrive.
Now with the HVAC working properly, my side windows do not fog up when raining.

Note: When I removed the old compressor and tried to drain the oil, nothing came out.
The system was charged and did not leak refrigerant. Usually if it leaks a little oil, it should be leaking some refrigerant. But notin this case. Maybe the "swash plate" compressors are different.

 

Is there a part number to the PAG46 oil or do I just get it off the rack?

 

You can purchase the AC compressor oil online at RMeuropean.com or some of the local auto parts stores may also have it in stock (Oreillys).

 

Very true!

same issue here been noticing my side windows don't defog correctly or takes a while, but my front and rear have no issues. Even noticed my side view mirrors not defogging like it should. have this whine noise when accelerating too. Mechanic called me back saying idle pulley/alternator are fine, the prob is the air compressor.