AC issue

Took my car in this week to have the ac recharged and the mechanic, who I know well and trust, said their is a major leak in one of the condensers, which needs to be replaced, a $600 or so repair, he says, given the removal of the bumper, etc. The other one may also be damanged, he says. My question is this, though. This actually happened, I think, last year, but I didn't fix it. By leaving it for like a year without fluid, am I facing a possibly even more major repair bill because rust might have formed elsewhere in the ac system?

Thanks.

2001 Base, purchased in 2004, replaced engine at 130K+, RIP 2017

It takes less than 10 minutes. That should not be a major factor in the price.

Running the A/C low on refrigerant can ruin the compressor as it is the refrigerant that carries the oil with it to lube the compressor. My advice is if when you turn on the A/C and it blows warm air or starts out blowing cold then warms up you should not use the A/C system until you get the cause of this behavior sorted which is usually low refrigerant, which generally means there's a leak.

Unless there is evidence of a rock impact the problem is probably due to corrosion, unless you assure me you were very good about keeping the radiator ducts clear of trash build up.

In the case of corrosion the other side can be close to developing a leak and you should consider replacing both condensers. You can of course chose not to and just wait until the other side develops a leak. It may not ever develop a leak.

There are of course the radiators which can suffer from corrosion as well.

When the tech has the condenser out he can advise you on the condition of the radiator and then you can make the call to replace both items. He can inspect the other side and also advise you on their condition and whether they should be replaced or left alone. It is rather a pricey job, as those parts are not cheap.

If one or both radiators are replaced, the system will have to be drained of coolant then refilled. That is the time to refill with fresh Porsche anti-freeze and distilled water. In some cases the tech will catch the old coolant and reuse. If the stuff's reasonably fresh this is ok. If it is years old, I like to replace it with a fresh mix of anti-freeze and distilled water.

Oh, it is true the bumper cover has to come off but I've watched Porsche techs remove both the front and rear bumper covers of my cars and those of other cars a few times and it takes the techs 5 minutes and that is sometimes concurrent answering my questions.

Of course after the A/C system is reconnected it needs to be evacuate and held at low pressure for a while to check for leaks and remove any moisture than might be present. Then the proper amount of refrigerant added along with the proper amount of compressor oil.

Afterwards, be sure you use the system enough that you are comfortable it is working ok.