TYC 97172 Evaporator Compatible with 2007-2012 Nissan Altima

The OEM evaporator started leaking (found UV dye in evap drain and on the coil itself with UV light and cell phone camera). This coil was a good fit and coil density seems to be on par with the OEM unit. The foam around the edges isn't as substantial as OEM, but it should seal enough. I did have to gently bend the tubes by hand to get them to line up with the TXV in the firewall. This coil did come with new o-rings and plugs to keep debris and moisture out. Unfortunately the screws used to hold the protective cap over the tubes were too short to replace the original bolts in the TXV.I had read the TXV sometimes fails on these cars so I spent about $15 on a new one since the original was going to be removed during this process anyway.I would say that if you don't already work on your car and understand why you need to pull a vacuum before filling to a specific weight, then this probably isn't something you need to do on your own. I suppose you could have the system evacuated, replace parts, then have it vacuum and filled by a shop.I found 2 different videos on youtube that show removing the glove box, blower assembly/housing and covers to the evaporator to get it out instead of the entire dash like Nissan says you have to. The videos weren't in English, but they show enough that you can get the idea. There is a metal bracket that supports the blower housing that you need to bend out of the way to get the blower assembly out. In the videos they use a hammer to bend it up, but that seemed to create other problems because you have to bend it back. Using a hammer and beating it can bend it in all kinds of directions. I cut 2 notches with my dremmel and a little cutting wheel so I was able to bend it up by hand, and those notches kept the bending to one place. Granted, I wouldn't want to do this much as it weakens the metal. Getting the assembly back in was a pain because there's a plastic stub that has to go into that metal bracket as you are getting everything back together. I got the fan in, pushed up and pulled the bracket and fan down together, with some force to get them together. Then the 10mm bolt went back in. The blower was probably the hardest part, because it is so big and there isn't a lot of room to maneuver. Also, there are little clips for wiring that have to be unclipped, and those were a pain.I did remove the cowl (plastic and underlying metal pieces) to get to the TXV and line bolt(s). Luckily my TXV allen bolts came out without a fuss, but they were rusty. I cleaned them up with the wire wheel on my bench grinder and coated them in anti-seize.I added a little AC oil that is listed for my system and used it to lube the o-rings. I tried to blow out any oil and measure it to see how much to add, but I never got any out of the original evaporator. So by little, I mean a few drops. Carefull, it can run back out while installing the core since the pipes angle down.I removed the passenger seat to give myself more room to sit or lay on my back to work. You'll need a large torx bit (can use a wrench on the front bolts, but not on the back- they are round on the outside).Got everything together and pulled a vacuum letting the pump run for about 30 minutes. My system never completely lost pressure so I didn't expect moisture to be in there. I had to let it sit over night but it held vacuum. Ran vacuum pump again anyway to be sure then added about a can of R134 (car was still off). Used soapy water in a spray bottle to check for leaks at the TXV (both sides). No leaks so I put everything back together under the dash. At this point I started the car and ran the AC to add the remaining refrigerant to the low side (you really need to weigh it in). After letting it sit for a few minutes and idle the vent temps were 40F with outside temps in the low to mid 80's.So far so good. If an o-ring leaks, I should be able to change them by pulling the TXV from the engine bay.Also, go ahead and get a new filter and put it in before replacing the cover over the evaporator. I hate having to squish the filter into the housing through that little opening.Having already removed the glovebox (8 screws), it took me right about 1.5 hrs to get the OEM evaporator out (including removing passenger seat and work under the hood). I got the new one in and everything connected to pull a vacuum in less than an hour. The next day I spent about 2 more hours checking, filling and putting everything back together (including cowl under the hood). It's been a few days and everything is still working great.

Instalado funciona genial 😁

It's a pain to get to it but it was a direct replacement for the OEM. Make sure you look into getting a new expansion valve as well as the bolts that hold it on. Mine were corroded in and even after hitting it with some heat they still wouldn't come loose. I had a spare expansion valve from my other vehicle and ended up at Home Depot to get replacement bolts.

Excelente ya instalado