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E51 E51 Aircon Pipe Corrosion (Rear)

squeezed under my e51 saturday 2002 looks like my air con pipes a one piece couldnt see a join at rear my little hatch looked ok pipes looked ok but obviously leaked from where it enters the box will have a go at getting it over a pit some where just to make sure its not joined somewhere over the rear axle. how does the pipe inside a pipe system function ? can i not cut the pipes at rear and blank them off.Anyone got any ideas ta.
 
Had the rear pipes blanked off and thankfully now have air conditioning restored in the cab. I don't generally have rear passengers in my camper so not sure what it would be like in the back for them if you did. Its very cold in the front so after the initial cold burst I turn the temperature up a bit before it can permeate into the back although temperature would probably would even out through the whole van over longer journeys.
 
Lize said:
Had the rear pipes blanked off and thankfully now have air conditioning restored in the cab. I don't generally have rear passengers in my camper so not sure what it would be like in the back for them if you did. Its very cold in the front so after the initial cold burst I turn the temperature up a bit before it can permeate into the back although temperature would probably would even out through the whole van over longer journeys.
Click to expand...
May I ask how the pipe was 'blanked off'? I need to get someone to do mine. Have you any pictures of how it was done?
 
@mike_bee
As the rear pipe is completely useless cut it off at the front and then you can get it welded their. Just make sure you block the 2 front pipes off temporary on the vehicle so that it does not get any dirt or moisture in. I wiped them clean with alcohol and used some blue tack and tape.
 
The 1st cut I did on the pipe was about 12 inches away from the joint it makes it much easier then when you got it out cut it right at the joint as shown in the pictures and get it welded make sure you clean it 1st with some alcohol it make it much easier for welding try and save some of the green fluid when it comes out so that you can put a bit on the seals when you put it back together again
 
You'll have to make a little L bracket so that you can tie the pipe to so it's not dangling unsupported there is a 10 mm bolt you can fit it to you have to take the rear cover off completely to make it easier
 
Andyzz said:
You'll have to make a little L bracket so that you can tie the pipe to so it's not dangling unsupported there is a 10 mm bolt you can fit it to you have to take the rear cover off completely to make it easier
Click to expand...
Many thanks for that. I've no facilities or skill for welding myself but this information will be invaluable when I find someone to do it for me.
 
Yes I was lucky I had a friend who could do it for me it only took a couple of minutes to do it he said it welded really nicely. Just make sure you tell them to weld he centre one 1st and then do the rest. You should be able to find someone on an industrial estate to do the welding
 
Hi Mike,
I will see if I can get a photo for you.

The chap blanked off two pipes (think 8mm and 16mm but not definite) using fittings under the bonnet before these goes go to the twin walled larger diameter one which runs under the car all the way to the back. I would think any decent air con place ought to carry suitable fittings and be able to do it.

I wanted a fittings option so the rear can be more readily instated by running two separate pipes at a later date if I decide to. If you weld the large pipe then you can still reinstate by running separate pipes it just means you'd have to cut and join onto the front where my fittings are now in place, it just potentially adds an extra step at a later date.
 
Karl said:
This is not necessarily a common problem, but it happens more than it should.

The problem hear is that the Aluminium Aircon Pipes that run to the rear evaporator corrode over time. This might not seem like such a big deal, but when you take into account that replacement pipes are £1000 PLUS, then you have cost of labour to fit them etc... even if the problem is not a common one, prevention is better than cure.

This also adds to the "underseal" thread, also in this section.

On the E51 isa box underneath the vehicle, at the rear on the passenger side. Inside this box you can see the air con pipes. When you get the car undersealed, ENSURE that whoever is doing the work opens this box and coats the pipes thoroughly with underseal. Also, ensure that the inside and outside of this box are thoroughly coated as well.

The box provides the outer protection for the pipes, so looking after that is one part of the problem. But also coating the pipes will act as a secondary level of security to this issue.

it is not the be all and end all of everything if you lose the air con, but we all know how nice it is on a hot day to whack it on and drive in comfort, after all, why pay for a luxury car that you have to drive sweaty and clammy.

For anyone who has had this issue already, or for any E51 owners that find their aircon does not work. Check this area first. If it's broken, there are two options:

1 - blank off the rear air con. This means you'll still be able to use the aircon up front, but you won't get any cold air through the rear vents. If the system is gassed correctly though, the fronts should be enough to help cool the WHOLE interior down, albeit it will take a little longer.

2 - replace the pipe, which as mentioned above, can cost well over £1000 to repair.

Please see below link to see pictures of the affected area, the pipe that needs replacing, and screenshots of purchase price for replacement parts.

https://flickr.com/photos/9778891@N04/sets/72157659861402231



EDIT: Thanks @Phil for correcting the side the box is on :D. And thanks @MrRob_in for the images linked, this will be extremely helpful to future members :)
Click to expand...
Do you have a suggestion of what to blanknit off with?
 
Rob Whitton said:
Plumbing is plumbing you'd be crazy to spend a 1000 quid on it, I've replaced the front to back pipework on a kia sedona and a Citroen C8 with home made pipework. Fiddly routing and took time and planning but very doable.
Click to expand...
Sounds like good advice
 
Just checked mine and it's leaking at the same point too. Bollocks.

There's an excellent mobile air con engineer I've used before so might give him a bell at some point and see what he thinks.
 
dave_s13 said:
Just checked mine and it's leaking at the same point too. Bollocks.

There's an excellent mobile air con engineer I've used before so might give him a bell at some point and see what he thinks.
Click to expand...
Hi yes I had man look at mine but the problem is one pipe inside the other makes for hard work to repair
 
Yes...I'm going to see if I can get proper access to it, clean it up and bodge a load of JB weld over it.
 
I had a go at bodging this today. Not sure yet if it's worked or not though.

The box with the inspection flap comes of dead easy with 2x bolts, mine was well crusty inside so I cleaned it up a bit, applied some rust treament and some hammerite.

Pipe looked like this initially.

hOxa47E.jpg


After a clean up, looked fine at this point.

vo4TQZR.jpg


Then, after about ten minutes.....
3wWJp02.jpg


There's your culprit. Corrosion causing pin holing.

Anyway, I applied a coating of this stuff.

e6KGRm1.jpg


Then a layer of amalgamating tape, then another layer of leak fix. Ended up like this.

MvYflzw.jpg


Rolled the protective rubber back over and refitted the cover.

Only time will tell if that seals, need to monitor for the dreaded green stuff. If it comes back I'm going to try some stop leak treatment, Halfords do a can for £20. If that fails then need to see how long til it needs a regass and maybe blank off the rear pipes.
 
Last edited:
dave_s13 said:
I had a go at bodging this today. Not sure yet if it's worked or not though.

The box with the inspection flap comes of dead easy with 2x bolts, mine was well crusty inside so I cleaned it up a bit, applied some rust treament and some hammerite.

Pipe looked like this initially.

hOxa47E.jpg


After a clean up, looked fine at this point.

vo4TQZR.jpg


Then, after about ten minutes.....
3wWJp02.jpg


There's your culprit. Corrosion causing pin holing.

Anyway, I applied a coating of this stuff.

e6KGRm1.jpg


Then a layer of amalgamating tape, then another layer of leak fix. Ended up like this.

MvYflzw.jpg


Rolled the protective rubber back over and refitted the cover.

Only time will tell if that seals, need to monitor for the dreaded green stuff. If it comes back I'm going to try some stop leak treatment, Halfords do a can for £20. If that fails then need to see how long til it needs a regass and maybe blank off the rear pipes.
Click to expand...
Hope it works ,I fixed my pipe regassed air con still working
 
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