981 (Cayman) A/C failure - can someone please help

[Glynn321]

Really not happy that my 981 Cayman has suffered the same fate as so many others that have posted here - the air con has failed.
Planning to replace both condensors and the drier myself having read a really informative article on the Boxster forum.
However, I'm hoping someone can clarify whether or not the 987 parts are the same as the 981 parts? Different suppliers say different things....

 

[911hillclimber]

Best to assume the parts are different I think.

Ive done my 987.2 diy and suspect they are the same but...

call Design911 and ask them or check their web site and reference the part numbers for each part.

hope this helps you.

Graham

 

[Chappelle]

Check parts numbers here against the 987 equivalent.

https://www.porsche.com/all/media/pdf/originalparts/en/KAT039_RDW_GB_981-1.pdf

 

[adrianb]

Are you sure ? Just had mine re gassed and all ok now. Gas leaks out if not used much.

 

[Glynn321]

Adrian

Funny you should say that... I took mine to my mate today to test/check and potentially confirm which part was leaking.

An hour later, it was fully re-charged and working perfectly! Fingers crossed that it stays that way. At least now it contains a UV dye which will hopefully show up if it does leak.

Several times this week I was on the verge of "pressing the button" to buy new condensers and a drier and the O rings etc - I might have just got carried away with all the reports of failed A/C on sooooo many Porsches.

I'll come back and let you know whether it stays fixed....

Glynn

 

[adrianb]

Hi Glynn, glad to hear you got your aircon working again. Like you I have read all the reports of aircon failure and could not understand how so many needed new condensers. I wonder how many just needed a recharge ? Many of these cars do so little mileage, particularly in winter, the seals dry out and the gas leaks out. Within the gas there is an element of oil lubricant but the system needs to be on to be effective.

We are going Le Mans Classic and then South so will be a good test

 

[AlistairF]

My first stop was KwikFit (I know) for a re-gas. They were offering a refund if there was a leak. There was and I was duly refunded.

The condenser was subsequently changed under warranty by my OPC.

 

[adrianb]

Alistair, you did very well to get repair under warranty, usually leaks blamed on stone damage. Was that within the 3 year new or used car warranty?

 

[AlistairF]

Used car warranty. Just this almost made the extended warranty worthwhile.

 

[adrianb]

i am amazed, if you don’t mind me asking, how old is your car/mileage and what was wrong with condenser?

 

[Motorhead]

Adrian,

For what it’s worth my take on this is that you’re more likely to get warranty cover if the condenser is corroded rather than if it has stone damage. Corrosion damage can be attributed either to a material or a manufacturing fault.

Jeff

 

[Glynn321]

Well, that was short lived!

AC now U/S again. At least the recent re-gas will have added a dye that will hopefully enable to me to identify the source of the loss.

I'll report back when I know more

(how can my 14 year old Golf with ~200,000 miles be so much more reliable than this bloody Porsche? Golf has had one re-gas in all that time - never had to replace or repair anything to do with the AC)