So, at first the A/C system would not work. I got it recharged, and it worked for about a month.
Then, it suddenly stopped working again. The EC (economy) button will not shut off, and no cold air would come out.
I was told that I had a leaking evaporator. I decided to get it recharged again and try my luck with high-end leak sealing chemicals.
I had it recharged a second time, and now it still doesn't work. The EC button will not go off, only this time when I start the car, the charcoal filter light goes on. I can press it to turn it off, but it comes back on whenever I start the car (it doesn't go on if I turn the climate control unit on with the key in the ignition -- it only goes on when I actually start the car).
This is getting weirder and weirder. Unfortunately the LCD is damaged so I cannot accurately get error code readings. Can anybody advise as to what the problem might be? I will be checking this, so if there is any other info that can help you, please post and I will post back. Thank you in advance ...
The first thing I would do is replace the LCD so you can run the diagnostics properly.
Otherwise you are stuck with SDS diagnostics, which is pricey, or just throwing money at the problem, which is even more expensive.
FWIW I would never try sealants (high-end or otherwise) in a sophisticated climate-control system. The evaporator is a known problem area (there is even a DIY in the stickies on replacing it yourself, then you just have to have the system evacuated and recharged, very affordable that way, I think G-AMG did it so you know it's a good one) so just replace it.
But still, I'd fix the LCD and see what the diagnostics tell you. It's possible that the sealant has caused other problems, so start there. At least that's what I would do if it were my car.
Take care and enjoy the ride,
Greg
__________________ If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice. Meister Eckhart
When you learn from your own mistakes, that's experience.
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At this point, it is freshly charged with pure refrigerant, and what has changed is that I now have the charcoal filter coming on whenever I start the car. Surely that must be evidence of some specific problem.
At this point, it is freshly charged with pure refrigerant, and what has changed is that I now have the charcoal filter coming on whenever I start the car. Surely that must be evidence of some specific problem.
That is good news that you didn't add the sealant. I would still replace the interface, though. It's possible that whatever is triggering the charcoal light is related to the LCD failure. Moreover, IMHO Matt L is the sharpest AC guy that we have on the forum, and the fact that he also suggests replacing the UI is advice I would not ignore.
My default rule when faced with an issue of unknown complexity is to start by fixing what you know is broken. While there may be ten different problems, sometimes one fix takes care of a couple of others, and at least you know you didn't replace something that didn't need replacing. So, if it was my car, I'd replace the LCD (which you know is broken) and the evaporator (which you know is leaking), reboot the thing to clear any existing codes, have it evacuated and recharged, and then run the diagnostics. In this case you get the added benefit of specific diagnostics once you replace one of the broken parts.
If you don't want to follow that method, I don't know what else to suggest. You could try searching for other causes of the charcoal filter light, but whether that will relate directly to your circumstance is an unknown. Good luck whatever you decide to do.
In addition, I would not take a single story that the evaporator is leaking as gospel. Sorry, I missed that in the original post or I would have mentioned it.
The evaporator replacement is very involved, and it is possible to have a leak at a TXV sealing ring which completely mimics an evaporator leak. It's also potentially possible (but I hope not the case) that the shop wanted to do an evaporator job. Maybe a boat payment is late.
M-B sells a special tool to check the evaporator for leaks in-place. It connects to the evaporator in place of the TXV and allows you to charge the evaporator with pressurized nitrogen.
I have no idea what this tool costs, but the part number is in the FSM. You could also make one out of an old TXV, although I have not determined how I would connect the charge line to the ports. Probably by welding on an aluminum fitting.
'96 E320 (W210) A/C Problems - Please Help 
Linear Mode
