Air conditioning and heating

Evaporators

Air-conditioning evaporators: the heat exchanger inside the dashboard where the refrigerant evaporates and cools and dries the cabin air, made to the core size and the pipe connections of the original, for European and Japanese passenger cars, identified by OE reference.

KRONTEK evaporator: an aluminium air-conditioning evaporator core with its expansion-valve pipe block

The evaporator is the indoor half of the air conditioning. Liquid refrigerant from the condenser expands through the expansion valve into the evaporator core, inside the heater box behind the dashboard, and evaporates there; evaporation takes heat, so the cabin air blown through the core comes out cold, and the moisture in it condenses on the fins and drains under the car. That is also how the air conditioning demists the windscreen in winter.

Evaporators fail by corrosion. Condensate and the dirt and leaves that reach the heater box keep the core damp, and over the years the thin aluminium corrodes through, most often at the lower part of the core and at the pipe block. The leak is slow and hidden: the refrigerant escapes into the cabin air, no leak is found in the engine bay, and the system needs recharging more and more often.

KRONTEK evaporators are made to OEM-compliant quality and as aftermarket spare parts: the core size, the pipe block for the expansion valve and the seals of the original, so the evaporator fits the original heater box and pipes.

The range covers European and Japanese passenger cars. Each reference is identified by the OE number of the original part; send that number and the vehicle identification number (VIN) and we confirm the matching KRONTEK reference.

For availability and OE cross-references, contact us by email.

Frequently asked questions

What are the signs of a leaking evaporator?
A slow loss of refrigerant with no leak found in the engine bay, an oily film at the condensate drain under the car, and sometimes a sweet smell in the cabin when the air conditioning runs. The evaporator sits inside the heater box, so a leak there is found with dye or an electronic detector at the drain and at the vents.
Why is an evaporator expensive to replace?
The part itself is not; the labour is, because on most cars the dashboard has to come out to reach the heater box. That is why the drier, the expansion valve and the seals are renewed at the same time.

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