[R129 SL] '91 500SL A/C problems

[gregorio at weststargroup.net]

Hi Rich;
I had my car converted to the R134 by a very good mechainc here in Tarzana, CA, (which included replacing a leaky hose and some other minor fixes) and the whole bill came to about $200-.  I think you need a new mechanic! Not sure where you are located, but if you are near me, I'll be happy to refer you to my guy.  He's a fantastic mechanic and very reasonable.   

Cheers,

Greg Conte
1991 500SL
West Hills, CA


----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Oldbenz1 at aol.com 
  To: r129list at mbcoupes.com 
  Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 4:13 PM
  Subject: [R129 SL] '91 500SL A/C problems


  Recently the A/C in my '91 500SL began to blow warm air.  A local M-B repair facility quoted me more than $2500 for the fix.  The major problem is a leaking hose at the compressor but of course, they apparently subscribe to the philosophy "never let a cash cow escape unmilked" so their estimate included replacing a laundry list of hoses, seals, fittings, dryer, etc., etc. ad infinitum.   Part of the "fix' included a conversion from freon12 to R134.  I've seen kits offered to accomplish this conversion for less than $50.00 and I would guess that the estimate  I received for that part of the job was grossly inflated.  I suspect that to replace the hose in question is one of those things that requires many hours of labor, and I'd bet that suppliers of after-market parts sell the same hose for a fraction of the M-B price.   Here's are my questions:  if anyone out there has been involved in a similar problem, can you give me tips about the difficulty of replacing the hose, and do you have a source for the parts at humane prices?   I have a fair amount of experience and may consider doing the job myself, although I do not have the equipment to charge and test the system once the new parts are installed so would have to have that done by a professional A/C shop.    Any suggestions would be appreciated.  
  Rich Splaine 


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