pwood999

pwood999

Well-Known Member
Full Member
My condenser decided to do a wee the other day. It was one of the £60 ebay versions with 2 year warranty but unfortunately 3 years old now. Took it out and there's green dye all over bottom left corner .

Any experience or recommendations from these choices :-

eBay Nissens £97
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSENS-C...299187&hash=item488c3f7b4e:g:lp4AAOSwubRXDgTu

eBay Generic £56
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NE...029046?hash=item440c69aff6:g:HCoAAOSwBRFaTkFz

Island4x4 ****part £85
http://www.island-4x4.co.uk/condenser-9400-britpart-stc3679-p-6872.html

Hella eBay £107
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hella-AIR...516783&hash=item544725b9a0:g:hIgAAOSwxxVZfebl

All Parts Nissens 94257 £100 (including 50% family discount)
 
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Will probably go for the All Parts Nissens option. The extra £3 gets me a local supplier I know well !! (my son works there). Hopefully Nissens will last longer than 3 years.

The ebay one looks like good deal, but their listing has the wrong part number which worries me.
 
I got a Hella from AllParts. Same price as you at £107. Seems to be OK so far and required no fettling to fit.

The condenser from Island is the reason I stopped using them.
 
pwood999 said:
All Parts Nissens 94257 £100 (including 50% family discount)
Click to expand...
Mines just done the same. It survived the vacuum test whilst refilling it the other day..... but has leaked green dye all over the bottom left corner now. I can only assume it was on the edge of going bang, and me using it has caused it to pop! A bit rubbish but it can't be helped I suppopose.

Is Nissens 94257 the Nissens part number and Hella 8FC351037-101 the Hella one @pwood999 ?

Your links are all long broken, but I thought I could search using those part numbers.

Nissens and Hella about the same quality-wise are they? I can get a Nissens one for £120 which doesn't seem too bad seeing as we're seven years up the road from when you bought yours..... it still works I assume?!!!
 
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Yes mine still works. Had to re-gas a few months back dues to leaking compressor, but all good now.
 
That's not bad then. Available for £82 I've found. I'm just double checking is genuine Nissens then I'll probably just get that.
 
£82 delivered from eBay. Looks legit!


IMG_5060.jpeg
IMG_5061.jpeg
 
I hope so!!

I actually thought they were the same part number for both…..

There are the fans and side bracket things I need to transfer over from the old one too.
 
Does anyone know if the dual (or tri) pressure switch BTR9222 shoujld have an O ring or not?

Rave mentions it here...


Screenshot 2025-04-07 at 14.06.36.png

But I did not have one fitted on my car. The switch is a bit corroded, but I doubt it fell out?

There's just a schrader type valve it screws on to.....
 
MrGorsky said:
Does anyone know if the dual (or tri) pressure switch BTR9222 shoujld have an O ring or not?

Rave mentions it here...


View attachment 338545
But I did not have one fitted on my car. The switch is a bit corroded, but I doubt it fell out?

There's just a schrader type valve it screws on to.....
Click to expand...
Sounds a bit wrong, got any pics.

I think I have that bit in the garage will see/get a pic tomorrow, if you can show me exactly what your looking at.

J
 
This is the bit. My dual pressure switch screws directly on to the drier. There is a groove for an o ring on the drier, and the switch has a kind of collar that an o ring would seal against. The collar on mine is very corroded, and has actually cracked around it.

It's got to have one I think.

I'm going to renew my switch anyway. No point in spending another £70 on a refill, only to have it leak away. The switch is pretty easy to get at anyway so it's no biggie.

From the date stamp on the old condenser, I replaced it in 2012, and was a Hella unit. 13 years....not bad..... but not great either!


Screenshot 2025-04-07 at 15.43.56.png
Screenshot 2025-04-07 at 15.53.55.png


Not cheap.
 
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Not really open to the atmosphere at all. And they did a vacuum test before filling it and said it passed. Apparently the machine is automtic and does all that as part of the cycle. It won't refill it if it doesn't pass the vacuum bit.

It was all apart whilst I was waiting for the engine rebuild, but it was all inside the vehicle so was at least out of the elements. And I plugged the ends of the hoses too.

I'm just wondering if the pressure switch seals against the threads or the collar. Is the collar just there to keep dirt off? If it's the threads then I can reuse my old switch.... could just use a bit of thread sealeant to be double sure. If it needs that O ring as a pressure seal, then I'm stuffed. I think my collar is too far gone for that.
 
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MrGorsky said:
Not really open to the atmosphere at all. And they did a vacuum test before filling it and said it passed. Apparently the machine is automtic and does all that as part of the cycle. It won't refill it if it doesn't pass the vacuum bit.

It was all apart whilst I was waiting for the engine rebuild, but it was all inside the vehicle so was at least out of the elements. And I plugged the ends of the hoses too.

I'm just wondering if the pressure switch selas against the threads or the collar. Is the collar just there to keep dirt off? If it's the threads then I can reuse my old switch.... could just use a bit of thread sealeant to be double sure. If it needs that O ring, then I'm stuffed!
Click to expand...
it would be worth pulling a sustained vacuum for a while then to get any residual moisture out which could otherwise cause blockages from ice crystals
 
The refill place told me the machine tests for moisture and all that as part of the cycle too.

It vacuums it out, boils off any moisture, holds the vacuum for 30 mins, and then fills with gas/oil mix up to the required amount if the previous tests are passed. At least that's what they told me!
 
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