911 Airconditioning

[pikey]

So, what's the deal with 911 Air-Conditioning??

Have been looking around with a view to buying my first and keep coming across items that say "a/c - it works!!" and "assume a/c does not work" all over the place. Is a/c really that much of a problem?

Ben

[domster]

No, it's not a problem.

It's just that most air con systems need regassing every few years on any car, and soon-to-be-sold s/h cars are prone to having owners who can't be arsed to getting it done.

Also, the ventilation in an air cooled 911 isn't fantastic, and can get very stuffy on a hot day. So having at least a trickle of chilled air is better than nothing at all.

[manek]

Ben, I insisted the dealer I bought mine from regassed the a/c and put new tyres on the back. I reckon there's enough margin for them if you're buying from the trade to do all that sort of tidying up.

[steve-p]

I know mine doesn't work, because it doesn't have a/c! It was a bit of a culture shock initially but to be honest, the ventilation in a 993 is actually very good and I have hardly missed it at all except for a handful of days. Nothing like as much as I thought I would, bearing in mind the car is black with a black interior. And it's one less thing to go wrong, wear out or need maintenance, and of course a small weight saving. I would rather have it than not, but it isn't as essential as you might think. I hadn't had a daily driver without climate control for 15 years prior to this.

[Jamie Summers]

I now appreciate what they mean about 'assume it needs regassing' - chances are it does. The aircon on older 911s (i.e. pre 993) was a bit of an afterthought and never really up to job in the first place. When I bought my '89 3.2 last summer the aircon was working to some extent (better than nothing), and I assumed that is as good as they get. I finally got round to having the aircon serviced and regassed (cost the princely sum of £70) and now it's cold enough to freeze your nipples off !
Moral of the story is that the old aircon is perfectly good but it does benefit from a service and re-gas !

Jamie

[bins]

If the car, a/c isnt used that often, you will need to have the a/c fully checked out. It can be pretty expensive to overhaul the a/c.

[welshchris]

My ventilation is great, just hit these two little buttons on the door, the windows come down and hey presto loads of fresh air.

Great noise when you drive through tunnels as well!