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Technical Fiat 500 a/c evaporator core removal.

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Technical Fiat 500 a/c evaporator core removal.

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005 taif

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I have a leak in my evaporator core so I decided it needed changing. To describe this as "challenging" is an understatement to be sure. The amount of parts that need to be removed to get this core out is nothing short of staggering. I believe the very first part they install when building a Fiat 500 is this HVAC unit.

I have attached 2 pictures of what is left behind once the HVAC unit is removed... the throttle and brake pedal and the steering column layed out on the floor. You even have to partially remove both front doors! It took 10 hours to get to the state you see in the second photo. It looks like a Fiat blew up inside my work shop! Parts every where.

Every wire connector is different (almost) and requires solving a new puzzle to disconnect it.

I love my Fiat, but I have to give the engineering of this car a minus grade. Totally ridiculous decisions on how to assemble a car are rampant.

The icing on the cake is the obscene amount of money they want for the replacement core. $468CDN! Cores for other cars are typically $200. There is nothing special about the Fiat core... in fact it's made by Denso.

The instructions from Alldata was a godsend... even though it doesn't describe half of what has to be done to get the HVAC out. There is no mention of the bare steel super structure/cage that surrounds the HVAC.

You've been warned.

(n)
 

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005 taif said:
I have a leak in my evaporator core so I decided it needed changing. To describe this as "challenging" is an understatement to be sure. The amount of parts that need to be removed to get this core out is nothing short of staggering. I believe the very first part they install when building a Fiat 500 is this HVAC unit.

I have attached 2 pictures of what is left behind once the HVAC unit is removed... the throttle and brake pedal and the steering column layed out on the floor. You even have to partially remove both front doors! It took 10 hours to get to the state you see in the second photo. It looks like a Fiat blew up inside my work shop! Parts every where.

Every wire connector is different (almost) and requires solving a new puzzle to disconnect it.

I love my Fiat, but I have to give the engineering of this car a minus grade. Totally ridiculous decisions on how to assemble a car are rampant.

The icing on the cake is the obscene amount of money they want for the replacement core. $468CDN! Cores for other cars are typically $200. There is nothing special about the Fiat core... in fact it's made by Denso.

The instructions from Alldata was a godsend... even though it doesn't describe half of what has to be done to get the HVAC out. There is no mention of the bare steel super structure/cage that surrounds the HVAC.

You've been warned.

(n)
Click to expand...



Hi, and welcome from the UK, :wave:

is yours a 500 (2 door) or the 4 door 500l..??:confused:

there have been a few people making informative guides to access the heater box - for repair to the gear driven diverter flaps,

if your guide gives additional info that is fantastic,
could you please add more info on the materials you got info from?,

which province are you in..??

thanks,
Charlie - Oxford - UK
 
varesecrazy said:
Hi, and welcome from the UK, :wave:

is yours a 500 (2 door) or the 4 door 500l..??:confused:

there have been a few people making informative guides to access the heater box - for repair to the gear driven diverter flaps,

if your guide gives additional info that is fantastic,
could you please add more info on the materials you got info from?,

which province are you in..??

thanks,
Charlie - Oxford - UK
Click to expand...
I would very much like to read about how others gained access. Where can I find these posts?

I have posted in the wrong place. Mine is a 500 Lounge... not L.

I live in NS
 
varesecrazy said:
I've just made @jrkitching aware;)
Click to expand...

This really belongs in the 500 (USA) section. I don't know how different the cars are in this respect to the European models, but both the problem and the repair process look depressingly similar.

I don't moderate either of these sections and so I can't move the thread myself. I've posted a request for it to be moved across.

Meanwhile, I've copied the first post complete into the most recent thread on this topic in the 500 section - you might want to continue the discussion there.

There's a full Fiat workshop manual for the european 500 in the downloads section; it might still be useful to DIY owners of North American cars, though obviously use at your own risk.
 
Last edited:
005 taif said:
I have a leak in my evaporator core so I decided it needed changing. To describe this as "challenging" is an understatement to be sure. The amount of parts that need to be removed to get this core out is nothing short of staggering. I believe the very first part they install when building a Fiat 500 is this HVAC unit.

I have attached 2 pictures of what is left behind once the HVAC unit is removed... the throttle and brake pedal and the steering column layed out on the floor. You even have to partially remove both front doors! It took 10 hours to get to the state you see in the second photo. It looks like a Fiat blew up inside my work shop! Parts every where.

Every wire connector is different (almost) and requires solving a new puzzle to disconnect it.

I love my Fiat, but I have to give the engineering of this car a minus grade. Totally ridiculous decisions on how to assemble a car are rampant.

The icing on the cake is the obscene amount of money they want for the replacement core. $468CDN! Cores for other cars are typically $200. There is nothing special about the Fiat core... in fact it's made by Denso.

The instructions from Alldata was a godsend... even though it doesn't describe half of what has to be done to get the HVAC out. There is no mention of the bare steel super structure/cage that surrounds the HVAC.

You've been warned.

(n)
Click to expand...



I would love to see the instructions to build a fiat 500. I am sure instruction no 1 is Find the heater until and place is on the production track. Everything else follows from there.


Obscenely I found it therapeutic. I said to the lads that helped me, its only undoing nuts and bolts - the difficulty is doing it in the right order! Because you are inside none are seized or rusty. Our top tip is get the front seats out of the way before your start. Drink tea, have music playing, and enjoy a bit of banter, swearing and cursing FIAT is allowed
 
Generally the heater matrix is the worst for access on any car..

It tends to be bolted to a bare bodyshell..then travels on down the producton line..getting buried.

Notable exception was the old boxy classic panda..it was behind the engine..and was a 5 minute job to slide out..

However if it leaked it just went on the road.. often unnoticed :(

Charlie
 
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