Quick question: B4 Quattro climate to B3

[nicka90q]

Hi all,
I have a good deal to buy whole climate that is on parts car Audi 80 2.3 quattro estate.
Engine code NG.

I would like to install it into audi 90 2.3 20v quattro 7A engine code.

My question is can it be done and what are the major obstacles e.g. electrical wiring or different parts?

Best regards,
Nikola.

[S2central.net]

If you are LHD then it should indeed be easy... RHD is also possible but with a bit more work. You are looking at dashboard removal job so not a trivial matter.

Assuming you are lifting out everything related to climate from the donor... I am not 100% sure the B4 heater/evaporator housing is identical shape to B3 Coupe - the centre section with all the motorised flaps etc should be common, but you might need to source the heater housing from an LHD climate car. i would need to look at parts system for details and options, but I would just go for it if price is good.

Make sure to unplug the climate loom carefully - it will be a separate/complete sub-loom that is connectorised for the B3/B4 - that will save lots of grief later !

[_ShurikeN]

Argee with previous poster: doable, but not bolt-on.
I would advice to take all the underdash harness аnd left underbonnet harness to sort them out later in your garage.

Possible hardware issue is dryer position: NG and 7A freon hoses are different around it.

[nicka90q]

Donor car and my car are LHD.

I have some parts of climate control in my car but a lot of the parts are missing.
So I thinking it is easier to swap all than to try to complete all peaces.

Thanks for quick response

I will buy whole climate control system so it wont be to much of a hassle to install it and take picture of all things.

Thanks for advice I will follow it to the letter

BTW I must remove whole dashboard because i have a leak in to the cabin somewhere in there.
So when I'm doing that I can install climate control as well

Thanks

[nicka90q]

Ok. I can make freon hoses later so that is not a problem.

That is good advice @ _ShurikeN I will see if I can take whole electrical wiring.

[S2central.net]

I personally think you will regret lifting the entire vehicle loom - its a mass of spaghetti and lots of fiddly work to do cleanly... with dashboard out of donor vehicle it really should be very easy to unplug the climate sub-loom from the B3/B4 locations.

The engine components of the climate system may be integrated on the engine loom though so it may be worth lifting that in its entirety... if you understand the schematics then should be easy to find which coloured plugs on the auxiliary relay panel are in use - then you can see if that is tied into the NG loom or separately thru the bulkhead.

[nicka90q]

Aha I see you point.

I will see how it is connected to the auxiliary relay panel and act accordingly.
If it is a separate loom then it is not necessary to lift whole electrical loom.

Thanks again.

It will be a lot of work to remove donor dash.
But wish me luck

[_ShurikeN]

The engine components of the climate system may be integrated on the engine loom

Definitely not (at least for LHD NG).

All climate-related wiring is located in the left underbonnet harness (harness with front lights, rad temp sensor, fan, compressor, aux resistors if any... ).

[_ShurikeN]

If it is a separate loom then it is not necessary to lift whole electrical loom.

Climate underdash loom is a separate independent harness if it is old-style B3 climate (1 window):


It is simply detached and installed bolt-on into B3 cars (including all 7A and S2 3B). All the necessary pins from the side of common underdash loom must be in place.

If it is later-style B4 climate (2 windows), the wiring can be partially integrated with common underdash loom. Unfortunately, i don't have a picture now, but I have such a harness in my garage. Though t is not difficult to detach that wiring. Some pluses and grounds, perhaps. Installing this harness will require some wires soldering/clipping.

... upgrading the left underbonnet harness is another story. In my opinion, the neatest solution is replacing the whole harness, but... there are some issues...

[Error404]

The pipe work, drier, compressor, condensor etc does not matter, it will be the same.
To make it easy you need ALL the wiring and motorised heater box from the climate car. Its quite an easy swap in LHD, just a few wires to connect if you get all the parts from the donor car

[nicka90q]

Ok I it get all wiring from donor and there is no problem

I think that it is a manual climate control that has two buttons.
So I think it wont be a big problem to install.


Thanks guys this means a lot.

[S2central.net]

^^^^^THAT^^^^^ is not climate control - that is manual air conditioning... I wouldn't bother retrofitting that unless you are desperate for aircon in your car.

When we talk about climate control in this forum, we mean the digitally controlled system with LCD display and a bunch of motorised actuators, sensors etc... the manual system just turns the zircon system on/off and uses a system of mechanical cables to position the flaps etc.

[nicka90q]

Ok sorry

I did not know that.
I'm not desperate for air conditioning but since I planning to road trip a lot than it would be ok to have any air conditioning.

Do you agree?
And can you tell me why it is not worth an effort?

[_ShurikeN]

It is worth efforts because you will perform the hardest (in my opinion) work: pipework under the bonnet. Repeating a dash-out job later, when You find electronic climate-control, is not a big deal.

[nicka90q]

Thanks _ShurikeN I did not know that it can be done this way.

I will buy this whole if it is not already sold.
Also I will post pictures of my car.
It needs work done but engine runs great

Thanks guys for help.