Has anyone had any experience in removing the dash fo get to the evaporator coil on a 3rd generation Dakota. Mine is a 07 and the Evaporator Coil must have a pretty good leak,. The Dodge place here in town diagnosed it, but wanted in excess of a grand to fix it, and I flipped out and went and got it and told them no thanks. I have removed the dash on a 97 model, but this one is quite different. Sure could use some good advice. Thanks in advance.

wdavishd

 

I'm taking the majority of the quote is labor. Looking at the service manual, replacing the evaporator doesn't look too difficult, but will take quite a lot if time. Toss in parts and shop fees, I can see where they want a grand to do the job.

Check the stickied thread here for the service manual. There is a bit of time consuming bs that has to be done to get the evaporator out.

More interesting to me is the fact that yours would need replacing. Quite uncommon for an evaporator to have problems. Especially in an '07... Are you certain they diagnosed the problem correctly?

I would more suspect a failed seal at a connection point than the evaporator itself.

** Recommendation **
Get a second opinion from a different shop before ripping half your dash apart to replace the thing.

 

I had it at a Dodge/Chrysler Dealership here in Tyler, Texas, a couple of months ago for a new compressor before the warranty went out, and they put one on, and things went well until about a week ago and it started blowing a little warm, so I took it to the same dealer thinking it might be on their dime, and they kept it 3 days and called me and said they had the gauges on it and it was pressured up and they couldn't find a leak, so they shot a little dye in it and sent it home with me. This time it lasted 2 days and was dead empty, so I took it back and they kept it all day and called and said they had found it in the evaporator under the dash, I took them at their word, because I had been looking at all the outside connections for the dye to be oozing out, but no sign of it. Anyhow on my way home, I stopped by Autozonk (lol), and got a can and put in it, and it blew cool that afternoon, but was back empty by noon the next day. So maybe I should get a second, since I have no detector of my own, but I felt like after all the time they kept it, that they were on the money, but who knows? Needless to say they wanted 1130.00 to do it and with the Evaporator costing less than 100.00, I figured what the heck. I'll do it. Im disabled from a liver transplant, and my disability doesn't allow me too much extra every month, so I'll have to try. Thanks for your reply man.

 

Sounds to me like they diagnosed it right. I've only pulled one dash before. My back was killing me for a day afterwards. Sounds like you've got the time to do it at your own pace though.

 

Heads up, first step, don' forget to disconnect the battery and wait a coupla-few minutes for the air bag system capacitors to discharge before working on/in/under the dash.

 

Yea man, you're not the first one to tell me that. I appreciate it. I'm going to get started as soon as I get the parts in, and I'll keep an update on the Forum as I get along on it. I'm not going to be In any hurry in this awfully hot weather. I really wish I had a little more info.on removing it before I start, but so far I've had no luck at all. Thanks man.