Pulling in yesterday heard some hissing and saw some steam. Immediate thought was coolant leak, but after inspection seems it was the refrigerant leaving the ac system. I shook the ac line that runs next to the upper radiator hose and the hissing got louder and softer so I'm not sure if it's just the line fitting or a hole in the condenser. There was fluid about halfway down and across the front of the condenser. The condener is loose and bangs around, it looks not to be seated correctly on the drivers side.

Is there a common failure point here that I can check out first?
What am I looking at for a repair job on this?

Sitting in a black on black car in bumper to bumper LA traffic was not fun on this 97 degree day.

 

You've lost the lower condenser isomounts a number of miles ago and rubbed a hole in the condenser on the RHS; About 1/3 of the way down, back side of the condenser, IIRC. Hang on, I'll dig out a pic and edit back, let me know how I've done....





Guess it was on the front side:





You'll need a new condenser & reciever/drier, upper (Rock Auto) and lower (Dealer) condenser mounts (Better go ahead and order 4 Radiator mounts from Rock while you're at it. Then a vacuum & recharge of the a/c system


Oh..... and the condenser will be hellaspensive if you want OEM!!! I did for the same reason; black car on gray interior but I reckon TX compensates to make my gray as bad as black in LA ;-)
Bought one from a wrecker & when it arrived it was copper-tube, not OEM, but the wrecker claimed they'd take it back for full refund within 12 months if unsatisfactory so I installed. Performance is fine, though it is considerably heavier than OEM.

 

@imagineaudio; If you determine a new condenser is needed, check with Welsh Enterprises in Ohio:

Welsh Enterprises, Inc - Jaguar XJ6(95-97) / X300 Heating/Cooling Radiator, Heater Core & Header Tanks Parts - Condenser With Receiver Drier - XJ6

I recently put one in my '97 Vanden Plas...the unit I received (quickly I might add!) was an OEM condenser with the original part number on the sticker of the received unit being MNA-7392AA even though their web site lists part number MNA-7390AA.

I couldn't be more pleased with the pruchase!

Best of luck to you.

Bob

 

aholbro1, that sounds like exactly what happened. And thanks, mailshack for the link.

I found a used condenser from a pressurized system for a good price. Anyone ever order from everydayxj.com?

 

Don't remember what I got from them but it showed up sooner than I expected; was a good transaction.


Thinking about it...it may've been the little fastener anchors that hold the trim panels on under the hood at the leading edge...

 

hmmm... I having no problem finding the lower condenser mounts, but I can't find the upper mounts. Suggestions?

 

$0.47 @ Rock Auto - I cracked the code - they are listed under 1995 Vanden Plas 4.0L but not XJ-6 4.0L! Who Knew?


ÜRO PARTS Part # CBC1448 w/o Bushings


http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/rafr...&parttype=6716

 

oh wow, Thanks!

I'll have to look again to see if they have the lower mounts miscatagorized... I found them elsewhere for $35 incld shipping...

 

Only place I've found the lowers is the dealer. Don't recall them being that expensive though.
Rock has radiator mounts on that same page for about a buck and a half. Get u 4.
Top & bottom are interchangeable and they do wear out.

 

yup, getting the radiator bushings, too... they're shot. Thanks for all your help. Can't wait to get it fixed. 107-110 degrees today!

I found the lower mounts at the dealer, $22.50 each... Looks like I'll save 10 bucks ordering elsewhere.

Edit:

As the system is depressurized is this something I can install myself? I know I'd need to have it evacuated and charged elsewhere...

 

I assume once one loosens the top bracket, you can lift the condenser and radiator enough to work in the new bottom bushings?

.

 

Yep
Once the top plate is off, the only things holding them on are the hoses and gravity.

 

Wasn't able to get the bottom bushings on the condenser without dropping the bottom bracket too. I might have been able to work it around or push up harder, but it seemed to be binding on several hoses and I didn't want to stress it.

My bottoms were completely gone like everyone else, but my top bushings were like new even though I had ordered some. Thank goodness they were only 78 cents from Rockauto

.