Firstly,if the condenser has been holed by a stone,consider yourself very unlucky.I have been in the auto air business for over 40 years and the number of condensers that have genuinely been stone damaged can be counted on one hand.A leak in the condenser this bad will mean no gas pressure in the system and no cooling function.However,as this part sits right at the front of the car,the aluminium material does eventually become porous/corroded due to external influences(eg road dirt/salt).It is very possible that the condenser has a slow leak,that may not be easily detectable on initial inspection.If this part does need replacing,take the car to an a/c indy specialist who should be able to complete the whole job for around half this price.
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