Last Fall I picked up a 1992 300D 2.5 Turbo with 137,000 miles for $5900. As far as I can tell, it's in perfect condition except that there's a hole in the evaporator. When I got it, it was a pound low on R134, with no evidence that the previous owner had ever serviced the AC. So, as a stop gap measure, I simply had the R134 recharged and recycled and, six months later, it's still blowing cold; I'm hoping to make it through a Texas summer.

The R134 service cost me about $125. Replacing the evaporator would cost me $2200.

My questions:

1. I'd sooner pay $125 for the recharge every year forever than spend $2200 to replace the evaporator. Is there any downside to this? Is there any risk of my harming something in the AC system by not replacing the evaporator? And is the hole likely to get larger?

2. I'm aware of the fact that the evaporators on this vintage MB have been problematic. If I replace it, is the new one likely to be just as problematic? Or did the manufacturers solve whatever problems plagued the originals?

FYI, I'm planning to keep the car for a LONG time (15-20 years).

Thanks so much for any advice anyone can offer.

David Sherwood

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 158k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 177k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 144k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 72k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife