W210 Condenser Replacement Question

[nhdoc]

The WIS does not mention removing the front bumper but I don't see how you get a wrench on those fittings without it...am I missing something or does the bumper need to come off to get to those two fittings?

Also, what size is the larger one? 27mm?

[gmercoleza]

I thought I'd hear back from you regarding the one I was trying to unload - pity, it seems you already have one.

The bumper does NOT have to be removed. The radiator and fan assembly do, however, along with the crossmember that goes above the radiator. A bunch of rubber will come out along with the fan assembly IIRC, and after that it's pretty straightforward.

[nhdoc]

Originally Posted by gmercoleza

I thought I'd hear back from you regarding the one I was trying to unload - pity, it seems you already have one.

The bumper does NOT have to be removed. The radiator and fan assembly do, however, along with the crossmember that goes above the radiator. A bunch of rubber will come out along with the fan assembly IIRC, and after that it's pretty straightforward.

I found out that the condenser I needed is not the same as the gasser or the E300 non turbo version, there is a special part for the turbo diesel...had this not been the case I would have contacted you about the condenser you had...

On to the next part of the question...you say the radiator has to come out? And the fan you say is that the aux fan? I have removed that already but not the radiator.

Is access to the condenser's fittings gotten from behind once the radiator is out of the way?

The bumper comes off with 4 bolts...seems it would be easier than draining the rad.

[TMAllison]

Cant help with your condenser issues, just wanted to remind you to be sure to think about your fan clutch, tensioner pivot arm and waterpump as replacement of those items will never be easier after you've stripped everything down for the condenser job.

[gmercoleza]

Originally Posted by nhdoc

On to the next part of the question...you say the radiator has to come out? And the fan you say is that the aux fan? I have removed that already but not the radiator.

Is access to the condenser's fittings gotten from behind once the radiator is out of the way?

The bumper comes off with 4 bolts...seems it would be easier than draining the rad.

It has been awhile, sorry if the procedure isn't fresh in my head. IIRC, I did not remove the fan, tensioner, or any of that. I think I removed the shroud first, then the radiator (it really isn't too hard to remove - just drain using the pitcock at the bottom into an oil drain pan). After that, I removed the aux fan assembly. The removal of the condenser was pretty straightforward after that. I recall goofing up somewhere, maybe forgot to replace an O-ring or something, and had to do it again the same day; the second time I got all of it - shroud, radiator, fan assembly, and condenser out in 1/2 hour. But I work like a scalded dog when I want to - your mileage may vary!

[nhdoc]

Despite what the WIS says for the W210 chassis, I found out you need to remove the front bumper in order to get access to the condenser fittings during an R&R job of the condenser on the E300 Turbo Diesel. Taking the bumper off is easy as it is only held on by 4 bolts, but the WIS does not mention having to do it as part of the condenser replacement. The problem with the E300 is the intercooler blocks access to the condenser fittings from underneath so you do need to pull the bumper off.

The receiver-drier is also a bit of a trick to get out; I had to loosen the left headlight to get it out.

All in all the job took about 3 hours to replace the condenser, receiver-drier and hose between them. Another tip is to make sure you get all the o-rings as the only part that comes with o-rings is the hose. The condenser needs 2 o-rings and for $320 list price they don't include them!

They also make you re-use all of the rubber mounts from the old condenser or buy new ones separately...sheesh, talk about cheapo.

On the plus side you don't have to remove the radiator or viscous fan to do this job so you don't have to open the cooling system at all.