So who's installed A/C into a micra before?

[smidge]

will be attempting this in the coming weeks, anyone done it before and got any advice to give?

i've been told the system is complete and everything i need is there, so if that IS the case then it should be a matter of bolt up, wire up, and away i go..

obviously i'll need to get it regassed too

anyone got any detailed shots of a micra engine bay with the a/c?

 

[CMF_Yom]

I've done it.

Definately not jumping up and down to do it again.

Wasn't hard but wasn't easy.

Just time consuming.

 

[smidge]

okay cool, got a pretty complete setup i think so wish me luck!

not going to pull the dash out but will take everything under it out of the way

 

[CMF_Yom]

lol.. Its really occured to me that there isnt a single part of the micra's engine bay I havent pulled apart (except the engine lol).

 

[smidge]

yom is a freakin champion for all his help so far, thanks mate!!

the before shot!

 

[smidge]

old brackets and new brackets side by side...

 

[CMF_ed.]

Hurry up and get it in, hot day tomorrow LOL

 

[smidge]

okay this is where i'm at....

is this engine mount going to get in the way? i don't have any idler wheel or top alternator braket to make it fit it seems

 

[smidge]

this is the only bracket i've got left that came with it all.... don't know how the alternator top bracket and adjuster is supposed to attatch!

 

[smidge]

and this is what i need, if anyone has one lying around please let me know!

 

[smidge]

massive wiring loom... unfun!

 

[smidge]

looks like i have to re install all the original brackets again... no idler pulley for the AC fan belt... Bugger!!

better luck next time

 

[smidge]

only took about 40 mins to get it back to stock... left the AC core in but otherwise i'm back to non-ac micra-ism...

damn!

 

[smidge]

So i soldiered on today after a week or two of feeling pretty bummed about the whole thing... a massively hot morning drive to work convinced me it was time to get back into it, as well as installing some decent lighting in the garage!

lo and behold i managed to strip the AC wiring from the spaghetti of loom i was given with the kit...

this is the plug that is ready and waiting in the original loom of the car, i didn't realise this at first and pulled the wire from the spare loom... then i found it coiled up waiting! yay!

 

[smidge]

wrong pic, sorry meant this one..

this wire goes from switched power through to a fuse then onto the relay

 

[smidge]

this plug is a mystery, does anyone know what it is for? i can't find any matching plugs on the loom or the car?? Yom??

 

[smidge]

all the bits waiting to go in!

 

[smidge]

after a bit of encouragement i managed to take the backing of the relay holder off and slide the relay into position, i reckon this kit would have been pretty easy to install when the car was new and everything was clean and still bendy!

 

[smidge]

this is the other plug that doesn't seem to have a home

it looks like it should be connected to a thermo fan but the AC system didn't come with an extra thermo fan...

i think i'll have to wait and see and test this one because as in the photo above i have a spare fan which i could possibly run up against the core pretty easily if need be

Another one that Yom might be able to help me out with!

 

[smidge]

this is the plug that goes to the rest of the loom at the one that goes through to the cabin of the car... that is the next thing i'm going to attack then finally i'll install the bracket and all the rest

 

[smidge]

got some more done, mounted reciever dryer, cut out heaterbox and installed cold box, mounted the high pressure lines, took out the dash, installed the new heater control panel

phew...

 

[smidge]

cabin loom plug

 

[smidge]

this is what i had to cut with a jigsaw to make fit the AC box

 

[smidge]

with the blower removed, notice the factory cutouts for the AC lines

 

[smidge]

cut and mated up nicely!

 

[smidge]

pulling the dash out took quite a bit of force but i got there in the end

 

[smidge]

new heater controls installed

 

[smidge]

what it looks like under the dash before you pull the blower etc out

 

[smidge]

poor car!

 

[CMF_s13n1]

There is no bloody way i'm ever doing that! i hate working under the dash, you have to contort and twist and end up lying on something pointy.

I reckon i would track down one of those electric compact self contained air con units. About the size of a shoe box and runs off the cars battery.

Not sure where you buy them or anything, i'm really not sure if they are even for sale yet, all i know is a local person owns half of the company that makes them, and apparently alot of interest has been shown in them, even by race teams, because of thier compact design, yet excellent performance.

 

[smidge]

dash is back in, compressor is in, lines are on (missing one bolt dammit!) hands are dirty and scratched to ****

gonna leave it at that for the night, cause all i've left to do is put the pulley belt on and adjust the tensioner... i'll start another thread about that cause doubt i'll get much of a looksee in here

done wanna break the tensioner cause if i do i gotta start all over again!

 

[CMF_Yom]

This has taken you so long

GTRHOLIC and I had this done in a half a day haha. Dash out and all.

 

[smidge]

you had two people, and all the parts from day 1

this is my first job on the micra too... i could probly do it on a subaru in half a day no worries

 

[smidge]

you had two people, and all the parts from day 1

this is my first job on the micra too... i could probly do it on a subaru in half a day no worries

 

[smidge]

Done! gassed up and everything works!

now just to put some interior bits back in

the system is quite cold too which is good, no leaks

 

[CMF_ed.]

Well done mate!
Just in time for summer too.

 

[smidge]

thanks ed., unfortunately none of the bits i got off you fit at all! its a whole different kit....

worth its weight in gold on the drive to work today... stinkin hot