Is it possible to change the expansion valve on my 04 jaguar stype 3.0, without changing the evaporator core. Jaguar sells it together as unit, but i've found the expansion valve on the internet separately. In pictures i have found, it looks like the expansion valve has nuts on it so it should be replaceable on its own , maybe. A mechanic told me the expansion valve had a blockage and that's why my car blows warm air at idle. Don't know if that's true either. Any help would be greatly appreciated. They also wanna charge 8hrs of labor per the alldata estimate.

 

Don't know all your details but if the expansion valve is blocked then what blocked it and is it all through the A/C system? In other words I WOULD NOT replace the expansion valve without further troubleshooting!!

Expansion valves are a pretty rare failure. How many miles on the car??
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"a mechanic" - an a/c specialist? If not, see one

Commonly these are not blocked but if blocked it's either ice which an a/c tech knows how to get out or debris which you REALLY want to understand where it's from!

 

tbird6, the car has 130,000 miles on it. they said from checking the hi and low pressures that they determined it was the expansion valve.

jagv8, themachanis is from a toyota dealership where i know the service manager, so i usually get good discounts on service, but i will take your advice and try to find a reputable a/c specialist in the area. I took it to toyota because i just thought i needed a recharge. i also found an auto shop that specializes in high end imports recommended by another friend that has an x-type. im gonna try that too and hopefully get a better answer. I did call the shop and did confirm that you can get an expansion valve separate from the evaporator, which if it is the problem, would save about $400.

thanks for your help guys, i'll keep you posted on what i find out.