Author Topic: A/C on Hyundai Accent (Read 1757 times)

kmulcair · « **on:** June 08, 2005, 10:34:12 pm »

Hey, how’s it going. I just got a used 2001 Hyundai Accent for a college car. Now, I do allot of work driving from Mississauga to Markham 2 + times a week. Its a black car with black tinted windows and a black interior. The problem is the car doesn’t have air conditioning. I knew this buying the car. I figured that i could just use the factory fan, and stay cool. The problem is that the car blows hot air, and for some reason, with the windows rolled down, little air fly’s into the car. Its a 2 door. I went to my local dealer the other day. Asked what the price for the install would be of a system. They quoted me approx $1800.00 . This is far to much for me. My question today is that is there a way that i can get this system any cheaper. I have no problem with used parts. I’m just looking for something around $1000.00 cdn. Anyway, if someone out there can help, it would be awesome, thank you.

kev

barrie1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 08, 2005, 11:26:22 pm »

Kmulcair Welcome to the Forum. The answer is yes and no as it depends on how handy you are with tools. If you can do the labour yourself you can probably find a used system at a wreckers. There is also a underdash type of system thats more convienent to install. Not sure on the price right now but it may be cheaper and easier then installing the factory type.

kmulcair · « **Reply #2 on:** June 08, 2005, 11:35:35 pm »

cool, i dont mind having to do the work myself. I'm curious about this i assume aftermarket system that fits under your dash, do you have any information on the creator of it? Anyway, any other information would be good, thank you

kev

barrie1 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 08, 2005, 11:45:09 pm »

Try a Hotrod shop as they are the ones who seem to sell the most of them for retrofit in older cars. If they don't stock them I am sure they can send you to someone who does in your area.

sirAQUAMAN64 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 09, 2005, 05:25:16 pm »

Ahhhhhhhh, I remember my days with my non A/C 3dr Accent PinkMobile.

Hang in there! $1,800 does sound steep, but $1,500 incl tax is prob as good as you're going to come without doing it yourself.

kmulcair · « **Reply #5 on:** June 09, 2005, 07:54:01 pm »

hey, its kev. I like the idea of just getting something in there. It was another long day of 7 hours in that car driving around. I need ac, and im not spending 1800 on something that cost me 5000. There must be a better way. Does anyone know any reputable scarp yards?

kev

exserviceguy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2005, 09:59:32 pm »

Hi Kmulcair, Take it from someone who drive's and works on one: Pulling a complete system from a wreck is one hot job. Most salvage yards make their money pulling the stuff with the highest demand from wrecks and write offs. Very few people come in asking for a complete ac system. You're better off asking if you can take it out yourself but they may have liability issues of you working on their property. In any front end collision the condensor will be toast, so you may be hunting on more than one unit. Beware of a unit that looks like it's been sitting around since 2001, compressor parts and ac valves don't like all that inactivity. Based on the value of the ac compressor alone to the salvage yard be prepared to spend about $300-$500 for a kit you have to remove yourself. And be prepared to spend another $500 to get a tech to install and charge it up. Then you may have to spend some more for parts that didn't work.

johngenx · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2005, 11:01:47 pm »

You could sell the car and buy one with AC.

Wetson · « **Reply #8 on:** June 09, 2005, 11:29:46 pm »

Theres a wreckers yard north of Scarborough that has a "PIY" lot. (Pull It Yourself). I believe they are called Standard Auto Wreckers.

tpl · « **Reply #9 on:** June 10, 2005, 06:02:14 am »

To reinforce Exservice: you MUST have the evac and charge done by a registered, trained tech by law in Ont.
if you do the main install yourself its is somewhat like brake work.... no grease, no dirt, wash your hands often... A/C systems do NOT like any contamination and the slightest grit on a fitting will surely leak.

You probably need a new hvac head unit, you may need a whole pile of door flappers and bits of plastic that weren't present in the none A/c model.

Depending on the sophistication of the cars Emission controls, you may need to get the ecu reprogrammed, you also may need a 2nd cooling fan and relay etc etc. I think that these last are not so likely on an Accent but...

It wouldn't surprise me if you had to pull out 1/2 the dash board and trim as well.

It would be easier to buy another car

articsteve · « **Reply #10 on:** June 10, 2005, 12:54:22 pm »

You could sell the car and buy one with AC.

Exactly, no offense K but I would stand a better chance of scaling the CD Tower than you would finding a complete AC system in a wrecker and installing it in your car. It would take an experience Hyunda tech to accomplish that. Like TPL says, the amount of wiring, sensors, relays, switches, brackets not to mention a shop manual required would be pro thing only. $1800 is very reasonable for a complete system with its 4 major components installed plus all the only endless other parts. What are you going to do with the passenger airbag when you remove the dash? You deactivated many of them?

Fix your heater first. The thing should have some sort of heater control valve so get on to that. Many are vacuum operated so check very closely all your vacuum routing.

You could also hunt around and buy a cheapo manual pop up sunroof. Popped up they evacuate lots of cabin heat.

johngenx · « **Reply #11 on:** June 10, 2005, 06:37:26 pm »

The car is a $5K car? Drop $2K on it and it's worth $5200. Big loss.

Sell it and buy one with AC and you're way ahead. I see people goofing like this all the time. I knew a guy with a C220 and he wanted a C36/C43. He took a $20K car (at the time, it was worth...) and spent nearly that amount on it to make it fast, handle , etc. For $30-32K he could have bought a primo C36. I know, I had one. He spent $40K on a C220 and guess what, it sold for barely more than a normal C220. A huge waste of money.

This is a large scale example of what you will be doing by installing AC in your car. It's much simpler and cheaper to just unload it and buy a car with AC.

neil · « **Reply #12 on:** June 10, 2005, 07:18:44 pm »

Good advice Jon.

Be careful with the Accent AC's, make sure you get the right one. The 1.5l and 1.6l used different kits. They aren't cross compatable.

kmulcair · « **Reply #13 on:** June 11, 2005, 03:54:45 pm »

alright guys so who wants to buy a 2001 hyundai with 94500 km's on it

. Thanks for the advice, its going to be a

to try and get my parents to let me seel it, although it is in my name. Anyway, thanx for the tips, if i get any money i know where its going. Thanks again

kev

barrie1 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 11, 2005, 09:32:43 pm »

There is a unit called Vintage air which apparently sells for around a $1000. plus instalation. It the under dash unit and a lot easier to install. Talk to a Performance shop as they usually carry them. I am sure they can advise you quite well on this product.

Roadrunner · « **Reply #15 on:** June 11, 2005, 11:21:09 pm »

The wreckers yard Thewetson mentioned is about a mile and a half east of Markham Rd (Hwy 48) on the south side of Steeles at a railway overpass.(IIRC)

kmulcair · « **Reply #16 on:** June 12, 2005, 04:39:48 pm »

thanx guys, ill look into it,

kev

weebl · « **Reply #17 on:** June 14, 2005, 11:43:46 am »

One other consideration in retrofitting A/C on a small car is the cooling system. Often on small cars, the non A/C models come with a smaller radiator than the version with A/C. If this is the case on the Accent, then you need to add an upgraded cooling system as part of the job. In any case, most likely a second cooling fan, and possibly a bigger radiator as well.

Author Topic: A/C on Hyundai Accent (Read 1757 times)

Roadrunner