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Since I couldn't find any source of information about how to change the evaporator I thought I would share my experience. This is not a complete how to because a) the job itself was like 16 hours and b) I wanted to get it done so I took too few photos. But this could still help some people in the future. Note I am not a native English speaker so my guide could contain errors.
So first of all, I changed it on a facelift R50. The dashboard is dramatically different compared to a prefacelift but the steps are roughly the same. There is a complete 1.5 hour video on YouTube of an Aussie taking a prefacelift dashboard.
https://youtu.be/jjgUuz_9ujI?si=IbgNwn3TjJgb01Cv
Ok so first of all make sure your evaporator is actually leaking! You do not want to do this job just for fun because it is one hell of a job! There is a little inspection hole for an endoscope. To get to it, remove the gaspaddle and the cover held in by 3 torx screws in the drivers footwell. Once removed you see the heatermatrix, the evaporator lines and this round **** thing which you can pull out and stick an endoscope in.
Mine was leaking because the system did not hold any pressure and when filling it up I noticed a puddle of oil underneath the car where the ac condensation drain is.
Ok so you know you need to replace the evaporator. Very roughly the steps are: remove the dashboard trims, remove the dashboard top, remove the steering wheel, remove the dashboard frame, remove the crashbar, remove the heatbox and completely disensemble it.
Make sure you take lots of photos every step, bag and label all the screws per item and label every connector. There will be 25 connectors, 100 parts to dissemble and a 1000 screws and bolts.
With photos I will try to be more precise in the steps.
Step 1: remove the glovebox, the trim below the steering wheel, lift the gearstick gater cover, push the mirror switch up and remove the two bolts. Next remove the two bolts in your cup holders. The center console is now free. Next remove the two dashboard pillars (4 big torx bolts).
Step2: remove the right dash trim by just pulling hard, these trims are clipped in. Then remove the clock above the steering wheel held in by two screws (I have the chrono package) then remove the upper steering wheel cover. Now you can unclip the left dashboard trim. Now you can remove the center piece because the left and right trims overlap the center. Now you see some of the screws for the center clock and the dashboard top too. Remove the center clock.
Next open both doors and tear down the weather strip on the a pillars. Remove the covers on the side of the dashboard, these are just clicked in. The right one has the disable airbag key slot. They reveal more dashboard top screws. Next remove the a piller trims by just pulling them out.
Step3. Disconnecting the passenger airbag (getting it back in is a nightmare!)
Behind the glove box there are two bolts holding the grounds for the airbag. These are attached to the dashboard top and route behind the airbag unit. This means your cannot remove the dashboard top without unbolting the airbag from the dashboard frame. Remove these bolts and remember their route.
Step4. Finally you can now unscrew the dash top, screws are on left and right side, at the center clock and at the top. Four are a bit hidden in what look like airvents in the top. There are two hidden by two tiny covers you need to pry away near the other four. Now unclip and lift the dashboard but don't take it out yet. Lift it up and unbolt the four bolts, using a tiny ratchet, holding the airbag to the frame.
Now you need to lift the airbag, removing the top while guiding the groundstraps.
Step5. Remove the steering wheel, remove the radio, switch panel and push the ac panel back (if you have the auto ac you can just remove it as well)
Now you can unbolt the dashboard frame. Leaving you with the crashbar, steering column and heaterbox.
If you have made it this far, great! Not there yet though.
Step6. Unbolt the steering column, open up the left and right kick panels because you need to unhook the wireingloom from the BCM (right kickpanel) and the fusebox (left kick panel). Now disconnect all plugs from the heaterbox. Now you can unbolt the crashbar and remove it with the wireingloom.
Step7. You are now left with just the heaterbox. Release and drain the heatermatrix lines, coolant will come out but not much, maybe a liter or so.
Now it's time to go under the hood. Remove the battery box and air intake so you've got some eyeballs on the AC lines. There are two bolts holding the lines into a white block, undo these. Then in the center of that are two hex bolts. You need long hex sockets to undo these. These clamp the evaporator lines in the expansion valve by using a plate inside the cabin. You can unbolt these now or do so once you pulled the heaterbox out. The heaterbox is only held into place by one nut, left next to the ac lines under the hood.
Step8. You need to disensemble the entire heaterbox. You cannot just split it, its build in wuch a way that you need take part a off before you can get to the last screw of part b and so on. Its all torx screws but not that straight forward. Basically undo the cabinairfilter box on the right first. Then take of all screws you can find. Note that some are really sneaky hidden, there was one behind the green worm wheel which you can only undo when turning the wheel to a certain angle.
Once you are left and you can nearly feel the top half comes off don't jank it. There is a flap inside the box which mixes warm and cold air this is situated in the lower half but connected to the upper half. To get it off you need to gently pry it off when just peeking inside between the upper and lower halves. Its the white plastic arm in the photo below (where its already disconnected)
Thats was the last puzzle piece. You should now have the lower half where just the evaporator is housed in.
Assembly is the reverse order. Be especially careful with putting the ac lines in, don't forget to connect the white arm and make sure the crashbar is placed back exactly where it was. Take your time make sure to double check every step because you do not want to do this again.
If you have any questions just post here. I'm happy to help.
very timely. i need to do this. looks like a lot of work
It is but its not hard. Just take it slow, label everything and take lots of photos.
Originally Posted by ssoliman
how is the ac working for you now?
Yes but now the heatermatrix is leaking so I need to change the rubber seals on the pipes. Part number 64116910914 (#3) and luckily only ~$15 at the dealer. Heaterbox can stay in place so not too difficult, just fiddly and a bit messy.
