Air con expansion valve - where?

[GG33]

Trying to locate the air con expansion valve. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I guess its drivers side front wing, but how do you access it? Any directions would be useful. I had the system re-gassed and it sort of works, but possible diagnosis os sticking (or stuck) expansion valve. I would like to reduce the pending bill by replacing the valve myself, just hoping it doesnt involve removing the pedal box?

GG

[itiejim]

I'm afraid I know nothing about air con... However, whilst removing the headlights from my car yesterday I found a cylindrical thingymajig behind the access panel for the lights in the forward part of the passenger side front inner wing. It was connected to the AC and so may be what you're looking for?

[GG33]

Thanks - that's the dryer and not what I'm looking for, but would be interested to hear how much access you had to it?

[sweeper]

GG33 said:

Thanks - that's the dryer and not what I'm looking for, but would be interested to hear how much access you had to it?

Access to the dryer you mean? Easy. With the passenger side wheel removed you see two screwed covers in the front wheel arch. The rectangular one gives you access to the dryer (the dryer is actually screwed onto the cover).

[GG33]

Thanks for that - now I just need to find out how to access the expansion valve.

[sweeper]

As per this thread, the expansion valve sits in the same spot

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=6&a...

[GG33]

According to that post, the expansion valve is behind the inspection panel in the drivers side footwell, which is different to where the dryer is located. But the link was useful.....

[Tanguero]

The dryer is in the passenger wing forward of the wheel. The expansion valve is in the drivers side wing roughly adjacent to the pedals and accessed through a panel inside the footwell.

Its not particularly easy to get to unless you have 4foot long arms with double jointed elbows and treble jointed shoulders. I found that taking the drives seat out made it a fair bit easier.

[JensenA]

Isn't the expansion valve fitted near the compressor itself where the high and Low pressure hoses connect?
A new one costs £50-60, ring someone like Racing Green who sell them, and use your initiative to weedle out of them exactly where it's located.