Defender air conditioning
Rear air conditioning is a new innovation for Defender. Ed Evans shows the UK’S first installation, and explains how it can be added to your existing front system
Part 2: Fitting air con to the rear
ast month we looked at fitting the Coolair Logan aftermarket air conditioning system to our Td5 Defender, an installation that can be carried out on any model from the early One Ten through to the latest TDCI. While I have been testing the completed front system, Coolair Logan has been putting finishing touches to its brand new rear air con unit which supplies rear passengers with their own independently controlled cool air flow.
This unit can be fitted at the same time as the aftermarket front system we described last month, with an obvious cost saving when fitting both systems together. But the new rear system can also be added as an extension of any Defender’s standard factory-installed front system, or as an extension to a Coolair Logan front-only system. It’s all housed in a tasty unit which incorporates central arm rests and storage solutions, and replaces the cubby box or centre seat.
LInstalling rear air-con
Installation of the rear system takes only a couple of hours. It’s a simple matter of connecting to the existing front refrigerant pipework using a special manifold, and piping the refrigerant along the vehicle’s underside and up into the new rear unit mounted between the front seats. As with the main front system, Coolair Logan will install the rear unit at their Lincoln factory or at your home or workplace if a covered work area and power are available, or at your chosen garage. Alternatively, your garage can install the kit for you if they have refrigerant handling equipment. Of course, before installing the rear system, it’s essential that the existing main front system, which will supply it, is all in good order and working efficiently.
DIY installation is also possible (instructions supplied), but only if you have the necessary competence and understanding of refrigerant systems and their hose fittings. Before starting the job, the existing refrigerant will need to be removed by a garage, and then the system re-charged after adding and connecting the rear unit. It’s never safe to work on a charged system, and it’s illegal to vent refrigerant into the atmosphere.
In LRM, May issue, we showed the front system including the refrigerant compressor, condenser and the facia console being installed. Now, it’s just a matter of connecting into that system in the engine bay and piping some of the refrigerant to the new rear unit. The first job before adding the rear unit, is to remove the refrigerant from the system using special equipment which will later return the refrigerant into the system when the job is completed.