The air conditioning evaporator sits behind the dashboard in the heater unit assembly and is catalogued in four handed variants: RHD pre-XD511058, LHD pre-XD511058, RHD from XD511059 (and all MG TF), and LHD from XD511059 (and all MG TF). The evaporator thermostat and expansion valve are not handed, along with their sealing O-rings (catalogued in large and small sizes) and seal assembly. The blower motor that drives air across the evaporator core is also handed LH and RH. Many pipes and hoses in the system are handed by steering position and some are additionally specific to manual versus automatic transmission, reflecting the different routing around the different gearbox positions.
A wiring harness for the cooling fan changed specification at the Mk1/Mk2 transition (XD511058/XD511059) in line with the broader MGF facelift.
Condenser, Compressor and Drive
The condenser assembly, mounted ahead of the radiator at the front of the car, is catalogued as a single part across the range, retained by four rubber mountings and two upper brackets. The compressor is also catalogued as a single part across production, secured to the engine by mounting bolts of three different lengths (short, medium, long) catalogued individually. The compressor shares its drive belt and tensioner pulley with the alternator, a single longer polyvee belt wraps crankshaft, tensioner, alternator, and compressor pulleys together on air-con cars, so the drive belt, tensioner spindle, tensioner pulley, and pulley-retaining nut are common parts between this page and the Alternator page. The compressor drive belt is different from the non-air-con belt (longer) and is not interchangeable.
Receiver/Drier and Tri-Pressure Switch
The receiver/drier assembly sits in the high-pressure side of the circuit between the condenser and the expansion valve. Its two functions are: trapping any moisture that enters the refrigerant system (via a silica gel desiccant) and storing surplus liquid refrigerant. A tri-pressure switch on the receiver/drier body monitors refrigerant pressure, cutting compressor power if pressure falls too low (suggesting refrigerant loss) or rises too high (suggesting condenser airflow problems), this protects the compressor from damage. The receiver/drier should be replaced whenever the AC system is opened for repair: the desiccant saturates once exposed to moist air and can no longer protect the system from internal corrosion if reused.
Pipes and Hoses Across the Circuit
The AC refrigerant circuit uses a combination of rigid pipes (for long straight runs) and flexible hoses (where movement or different end angles are needed). Key items are: the compressor-to-pipe hose (changed at MGF VIN YD522315, with one specification for earlier cars and another for later MGFs and all MG TF); the pipe-to-evaporator hose (four variants: RHD manual, LHD manual, RHD automatic, LHD automatic); handed evaporator-to-receiver pipes and receiver-to-condenser hoses; the condenser-to-compressor pipe; and the pipe-to-compressor hose (also changed at YD522315). Pipe-to-body clips are catalogued individually, including the RHD-specific clip visible on the live page. Charge valve cap-and-seal items cover the high-pressure (discharge) and low-pressure (suction) service ports.
A common 7mm O-ring is catalogued as a service item for use at hose connections throughout.
R134a Refrigerant and Service Requirements
The MGF and MG TF air conditioning system uses R134a refrigerant from launch, the modern refrigerant, not the older R12 that requires conversion on some earlier cars. R134a is widely available but servicing the system requires specialist equipment: an AC service machine for evacuation, leak detection, and recharging. Home recharge kits are not a substitute for proper vacuum and evacuation and can leave moisture in the system that damages components. A system losing refrigerant rapidly has a leak that must be located and repaired before recharging, simply topping up is a short-term fix at best.
Running the AC briefly once a month even in winter circulates refrigerant oil through the compressor seals and prevents the seals from drying out and leaking when summer demand returns.