Ministry of Defender HVAC upgrade

Trevor at https://www.british4x4specialists.com/ installed mine. I'm pretty happy with it thus far, but it hasn't been warm enough yet to do a thorough test on the AirCon side. The heater is vastly improved over the OEM one however. The limiting factor for heat is what can the engine produce.

He used a MudUK console and these vents 2.25 Inch Black Round Indash Vent

the results have been mixed. Full disclosure i dont have one. A local buddy has on on his LS3 swapped 90 and it just does not do the job. Check the other forum for a better review NAS ROW

hillstrubl said:

Trevor at https://www.british4x4specialists.com/ installed mine. I'm pretty happy with it thus far, but it hasn't been warm enough yet to do a thorough test on the AirCon side. The heater is vastly improved over the OEM one however. The limiting factor for heat is what can the engine produce.

He used a MudUK console and these vents 2.25 Inch Black Round Indash Vent

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Glad to hear the heat is better! Which style dash do you have and was Trevor able to wire it up to work with the existing HVAC controls (fan switch, air mixer, etc)?

It can be installed without either the MUD fascia or Puma style dash. 2 ducting hoses run up to the inside of either bulkhead fresh air levers. Would flank a radio. Crude, but effective, def old skool look.

I can't seem to find many reviews on this or any air con upgrades for that matter. I might t pull the trigger on the MOD one in the coming weeks though. Unless anyone knows of a better option?

Anyone have any updates to report on this in regards to performance?

The factory AC in my '90 definitely impedes legroom quite a bit for the passenger so that would an improvement. Are there only the two vents mid-dash to deliver AC? Any more pics of the install under the hood and how crowded it is?

local buddy with thi9s in a ls3 swapped 90, still unusable just does not not blow cold enough air. on early trucks it relies on the lowerdash/bulkhead to move the air...just gets too damn hot down there. Knee knocker ftw

Naplm00 said:

local buddy with thi9s in a ls3 swapped 90, still unusable just does not not blow cold enough air. on early trucks it relies on the lowerdash/bulkhead to move the air...just gets too damn hot down there. Knee knocker ftw

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Thanks! Is there a current "gold standard" in knee knocker set-ups? Living in Los Angeles, AC is pretty critical. I'll also be looking into insulation, etc. too.

I think most are buying the cool logan / rn one .

I have really been happy with MoD. They are very responsive and alert to customer questions/problems. Truly a team where Land Rover runs in their veins.

Emailing Jonathan to [email protected] will get a reply.

P.S. be sure to add a small fan with separate switch to get max a/c value (see MoD's YouTube video for details).

Cicione Sprinter still selling under dash last I knew.

Cicioni advertise their a/c systems for 2.5 L Defenders but only work on the 300TDi and TD5 (i.e. those with the multi-groove serpentine belt drives)- NOT the 200TDi or others with V-belt drive. I had quite a haggle with them as their ads do not clearly speak to this and, specifically mentions that if comes with V-belt. Hopefully they will change their ads and instructions to reflect the 'not for V-belt' engines.

Somewhere along the line they were acquired by a subsidiary of the huge German conglomerate www.Webasto-comfort.com and we all know how such stories end.

It is a shame as Cicioni have a strong following and good reputation for their Defender a/c system in Europe/Africa where they are more widely used.

I did

John Z said:

MOD AC install

So I figured I'd pass along how I did my AC kit as I did deviate from the original design a bit. Starting with the wiring, I added another relay and have it setup so that when the AC is on it will automatically start the fan. When the AC is off, the normally closed contact off relay 1 will...

www.defendersource.com

I did

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I received supplemental instructions for mine that advised to change the condenser fan relay trigger from the pressure switch to the compressor clutch wire, so that the fan always runs when the compressor is working.