[hothatch]

Hi all,

I own a Ford fiesta petrol 1.4 (Jan 2006 model). Recently the Ac cooling stopped which was diagnosed as Evaporator (cooling) coil leak. This similar problem happened earlier and i had replaced the Evaporator under warranty on Nov 2007.
Kindly advise as to :-

1. Is it normal for the Evaporator coil to fail so frequently (every two years) .. Iv had a maruthi 800 no such issues for 7 years and my other car is a palio no such issue for the 8 th year and running good.

2.Should i take up this issue with Ford to have the coil replaced free of cost. (The service advisor at ford said that is was a normal issue and the coil is usually changes in 1 ~ 1.5 years for the fiesta)

FORD Fiesta owners please respond... Team bhp members please advice .

[hothatch]

Hello GTO,
I was searching through several threads and came across a reply regarding the evaporator replacement for your Merc.. So could you please advise me in this regard.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by hothatch

Hi all,

I own a Ford fiesta petrol 1.4 (Jan 2006 model). Recently the Ac cooling stopped which was diagnosed as Evaporator (cooling) coil leak. This similar problem happened earlier and i had replaced the Evaporator under warranty on Nov 2007.
Kindly advise as to :-

1. Is it normal for the Evaporator coil to fail so frequently (every two years) .. Iv had a maruthi 800 no such issues for 7 years and my other car is a palio no such issue for the 8 th year and running good.

2.Should i take up this issue with Ford to have the coil replaced free of cost. (The service advisor at ford said that is was a normal issue and the coil is usually changes in 1 ~ 1.5 years for the fiesta)

FORD Fiesta owners please respond... Team bhp members please advice .

he he he, what??
tell him to fit a fiat coil in it.
it will last much longer.

Jokes apart, be straight out and tell this guy not to feed you BS that 1-1.5 years is all it lasts, when it has already worked in your car for close to 4(?).
question-mark cos you mentioned "every two years."

However, it would seem like the luck of the draw went against you.
probably usage/circumstances/quality finally caused it to conk off.
I dont see any way in which you can blame ford for it, at least not now, since now you dont even have the part warranty.

You could also take a second opinion from outside of ford.
sometimes these leaks are fixable, or you could source a refurbished part as well at a fraction of the new one's cost.
I would suggest at least getting it checked outside.

[dhanushs]

Evaporator coil is located in the front just behind the dash board. If it was not fitted properly the last time, then leaks can arise.

Actually, most of the time, the leak is from the joint where the refrigerant goes in/out. Ask for a goodwill warranty from Ford, or else, it can be fixed from an outside mech. But then, removing of dashboard is chore, and cannot be done correctly outside A.S.S and if not properly done, it will start rattling.

So, if there is a way in which you can persuade Ford guys to remove and give you the coil, then you can get it repaired cheap. Also, IIRC removing and refitting dash costs just about 300 bucks, and evaporator coil leak fixing will cost ~300-500 bucks. ie, you can get it done inside ~1000 bucks, instead of replacing it for ~5,000.

In any case, you will also need to refill the refrigerant.

[Jebs]

Hi hothatch,

Which service center did you check this? Are you sure that it is the failure of evap. coil, Do check once outside. I had a similar issue almost an year back and posted a thread too.

[Blue Thunder]

Please check this thread by Jebs....

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...hose-pipe.html

[hothatch]

Well, I got it checked at "Chennai Ford" ... First they checked the gas pressure and there was hardly any ... and the Service advisor straight away said that it was the evaporator problem.

Any reliable AC mechanic in Chennai from whom i can take a 2nd opinion to confirm if it is the Evaporator that has failed.

[yogi1771]

Do you hear a hissing sound from the vents when you on the ac,recently my Fiesta's evaporator coils failed(5.5 yrs old) got the work done from outside and was told by the mechanic the coils start to fail usually after 4yrs(any make of cars) in coastal areas.I am facing a different problem though after replacing the coil,there is severe water condensation so much so that the cars footwell gets moist,the vents start dripping water.Got it checked twice got everything cleaned the draining pipe etc but still the problem persists ,any idea how to rectify this problem.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by hothatch

and the Service advisor straight away said that it was the evaporator problem.

Evaporator coil does not fail. It develops leaks.

And there is a reason why the service advisor straight away said that, because 80% of the time, refrigerant leak occurs through the joints in the in/out lines of the evaporator coil.

However, any AC mechanic can pin point the exact source of leak.

Most probable sources of leaks in Ford Fiesta/Ikon as per Ford SA.


Also, check if the AC pipes have protective sleeves. Or else, rubbing together can cause leaks like in the case of Jacs.


Image source: http://www.mthealthyautorepair.com/A-C.html

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by hothatch

Hi all,



1. Is it normal for the Evaporator coil to fail so frequently (every two years)
2.Should i take up this issue with Ford to have the coil replaced free of cost.

1. stock AC units,IF LEFT UNTOUCHED , need no attention at all as they come well tested and with the original oil and good refrigerant

An evaporator coil should last at least a decade - the problems start once you have the ac opened once for "service" , moisture gets in,does not get properly evacuated during recharging , your receiver dryer stops drying and that leads to damage inside.

2.Please request Ford to give you a goodwill replacement ; and then see how far things go

[SirAlec]

where is the exact location of the leak. Coil rarely fails that easily, its definitely caused by tool mishandling during fitting.

[hothatch]

Originally Posted by SirAlec

where is the exact location of the leak. Coil rarely fails that easily, its definitely caused by tool mishandling during fitting.

The exact point was not located. In fact the service engineer checked the pressure.. said it was low ... and said it was definitely due to evaporator coil leak and had to be replaced. He went on to say that it usually fails due to dirt and dust especially when in ventilation mode due to dust and leaves collected near wind screen. I must say that i maintain the car very well. wet wipe everyday and weekly vaccuming. Dunno if the coil is actually clogged with dirt!!!!

[JustCause]

Originally Posted by hothatch

The exact point was not located. In fact the service engineer checked the pressure.. said it was low ... and said it was definitely due to evaporator coil leak and had to be replaced. He went on to say that it usually fails due to dirt and dust especially when in ventilation mode due to dust and leaves collected near wind screen. I must say that i maintain the car very well. wet wipe everyday and weekly vaccuming. Dunno if the coil is actually clogged with dirt!!!!

The coil failure could also occur due to improper, leaky joints of a repair job & also if the coil is not fixed properly & is subjected to shock.

[figo_united]

Originally Posted by JustCause

The coil failure could also occur due to improper, leaky joints of a repair job & also if the coil is not fixed properly & is subjected to shock.

That was the reason I too was told by the SA when the evaporator in my figo was detected with a leak. Vibrations in dashboards might cause it, and ford had also sent instructions to install dampeners to avoid that it seems.

[SirAlec]

Originally Posted by hothatch

The exact point was not located. In fact the service engineer checked the pressure.. said it was low ... and said it was definitely due to evaporator coil leak and had to be replaced. He went on to say that it usually fails due to dirt and dust especially when in ventilation mode due to dust and leaves collected near wind screen. I must say that i maintain the car very well. wet wipe everyday and weekly vacuuming. Dunno if the coil is actually clogged with dirt!!!!

So he was not 100% sure where the leak was. Please also check that his equipment was fine. It happened once, when i was charging a friends zen ac. The leak was at the valve on AC equipment.

^^^
Never heard that a dash vibration could cause leak in a coil. As coil is completely housed in a plastic container. Only joints are exposed that too through two holes on the firewall.