A/C leaking

[notlimah]

So I’ve been having A/C issues for a while now and haven’t had the chance to really track it down. It’s got to be leaking somewhere as I’ve had a shop charge the system, add frion and such, and within a couple weeks it was back to blowing like warm air at best. Had to use one those cheapie Walmart cans to boost it back up over a weekend trip with the fam, knowing I’d need the cold air and that it’d leak in less then a week. 

 

I’ll be home in a few weeks and want to start tackling this (along with heater core swap) but before I start buying parts, are there any places prone to leaks I can check right off the bat? If worse comes to worse I’ll drop it at a shop and have them run dye to check for leaks then fix myself. 

[Tractorman]

How many miles on the AC components, especially the compressor?

 

Last spring I had some of the same concerns that you had.  I knew I had a refrigerant leak, but I didn't have any means to find it.  I ended up buying a used Snapon 134A recovery machine at a reasonable price. Since my truck had the original Denso AC compressor still on it with over 260,000 miles, I decided to change it out with a new Denso unit.  I then pulled a vacuum on the system; it passed the test so I recharged the system with 30 oz of refrigerant.  I drove the truck for 600 miles and then recovered the refrigerant.   I pulled out 30 oz, so I knew I had found the leak. 

 

Later, this fall I replaced the heater core.  Again, I recovered 30 oz of refrigerant confirming that I had found the leak.  When I replaced the heater core, I did not replace the evaporator core because it looked to be in very good condition.  Time will tell whether or not I made a good decision.

 

So, if you have high mileage on an original compressor, I would start there.  The condenser would be the next likely place if it has never been protected by a screen.  I believe that the o-ring connections on all of the line fittings are pretty reliable since there are two o-rings on each fitting. 

 

I have read that some people have had evaporator core failures.  I would suspect these failures could be from some rubbing in the housing or from debris packing into the core since the evaporator core is the first place unfiltered air comes into contact with after passing through the blower fan.

 

- John

 

[notlimah]

I’d assume it’s still stock but not sure. If it is it has close to 180k on it. I wish I had a way to pull a vacuum and check this stuff myself but I don’t. My version of what you did will be to replace a part, out cheap a/c recharge kit and see if it lasts any longer then before. Or pay someone to check for leaks and actually find it. Problem is these parts aren’t cheap!

 

Thanks for the advice though, I’ll start with the compressor and go from there. It sure did cycle a lot.

[Dieselfuture]

1 hour ago, notlimah said:

It sure did cycle a lot.

It will cycle a lot if system is under charged. You can get a vacuum pump with gauges and save in future ac fixes, instead of paying someone to vacuum yours every time. 

https://m.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2386202.m4084.l1311.R1.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xac+vacuum.TRS0&_nkw=ac+vacuum+pump&_sacat=0

Make sure you don't apply pressure to vacuum pump, you can still use the gauges that it comes with to read your high and low side when charged. I'm pretty sure these pumps are only to vacuum system if it's already empty and not like the professional ones that can evacuate a charged system. Maybe someone knows better, I only used it for empty systems and then I fill freon with cans from wallmart and use gauges that come with pump, just don't hook up the pump.

[Mopar1973Man]

Same type of kit I've got. Little 1/3 HP vacuum pump and manifold gauge set.

[notlimah]

Two questions with that kit. How do you verify the systems empty? How do you avoid doing anything other then putting a vacuum on the system? 

 

Id hate to get something like that and end up doing more damage then good haha.

[Mopar1973Man]

1 hour ago, notlimah said:

How do you verify the systems empty?

 

Simple there is less than 0 PSI in the system. If you heading towards a vacuum the system is empty. 

 

1 hour ago, notlimah said:

How do you avoid doing anything other then putting a vacuum on the system? 

 

Hook it up and open the lo pressure valve with the vacuum pump hooked up on the center yellow hose. The blue line is the lo pressure and the red line is hi pressure.

[IBMobile]

See if there is anything here that will help.

 

[Tractorman]

5 hours ago, notlimah said:

How do you verify the systems empty?

 

I understand  your dilemma here.  If you replace a component and then recharge the system with refrigerant and it slowly leaks out, you will have three choices:  go to an AC shop to recover the remaining refrigerant (the best solution, but costs money), wait for the remaining refrigerant to leak out (could be a long time), or intentionally dump the remaining refrigerant into the atmosphere (an environmental no-no). 

 

This same  issue is what got me to start looking for a used R134A refrigerant recovery machine.  I found a used Snap-on ECO 134 A for $650.  It came with a new 30 lb tank full of R134A and a 20 lb recovery tank, lots of AC parts, seals, gaskets, tools, etc. 

 

This particular machine recovers, filters, and recharges refrigerant.  It has a very accurate digital scale that measures refrigerant in ounces for recovery and recharging purposes.  It is capable of collecting and releasing non-condensable gases and has an oil separator. It also comes with a vacuum pump for removing non-condensable gases, moisture, and for performing the leak test.

 

When I was looking for a recovery machine I actually ran across two of this specific model Snap-on machine - the second one went for $250 (it had no extras).  So, there are good used recovery machines out there and they cost a lot less than I expected.  For me the refrigerant  recovery machine has given me peace of mind because I now do not have to worry about the high cost of repairs and I can keep all of my vehicles charged with the proper amount of refrigerant at the beginning of each summer season.

 

- John

[Mopar1973Man]

I look at it this way every time a vehicle out here hits a deer or elk the first thing that is dumped is the freon. I'm sure that if there was such a big issue about freon it would of never been used in vehicles knowing every vehicle that has a front collision is going to lose all its freon instantly. Not to mention for sale to anybody with cash in hand which can be purchased in any auto part store or even Walmart. 

 

Another weird tidbit about R143a Freon... From Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane

 

Uses
1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane is a non-flammable gas used primarily as a "high-temperature" refrigerant for domestic refrigeration and automobile air conditioners. These devices began using 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane in the early 1990s as a replacement for the more environmentally harmful R-12 and retrofit kits are available to convert units that were originally R-12-equipped. Other uses include plastic foam blowing, as a cleaning solvent, a propellant for the delivery of pharmaceuticals (e.g. bronchodilators), wine cork removers, gas dusters, such as Dust-Off, and in air driers for removing the moisture from compressed air. 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane has also been used to cool computers in some overclocking attempts. It is the refrigerant used in plumbing pipe freeze kits. It is also commonly used as a propellant for airsoft airguns. The gas is often mixed with a silicon-based lubricant.

 

So R134a Freon is used in Airsoft Guns, Canned air for cleaning your computer, etc. I hardly doubt that R134a is harmful to the environment nor a problem if dumped in the atmosphere. There is a stigma of the past R12 and R22 that was hazardous and would cause serious environmental issues and health issues. 

 

R12 Freon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichlorodifluoromethane

 

R22 Freon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorodifluoromethane

[Dieselfuture]

You guys both have a good point, I'll take a machine and some 134 and few beers.

[dripley]

Let me know the beer arrives, would ya please?

[Tractorman]

1 hour ago, dripley said:

Let me know the beer arrives, would ya please?

 

That's the trouble with this site - lots of information tossed around about the beer, but no information of any value; like, where is the beer and who is bringing it?

 

- John

[IBMobile]

                                             The beers at Dripley's house and you have to bring it. 

 

                                                 

[Mopar1973Man]

Going to Waremart and grabbing beer myself. Only problem nobody wants to drive to BFE Idaho. 

 

A/C work I've been doing it as a rolling shop for about 5 years. Last thing I want to do reclaim some of these system with black death then you contaminate your captured freon.

 

Rather vent it off and use clean freon and fresh PAG oil. Not someone's reclaimed junk.

Edited January 23, 2018 by Mopar1973Man

[dripley]

1 hour ago, IBMobile said:

                                             The beers at Dripley's house and you have to bring it. 

 

                                                 

I should have seen that one coming. I import my beer from NC to Maryland, to darn expensive up here.

2 hours ago, Tractorman said:

 

That's the trouble with this site - lots of information tossed around about the beer, but no information of any value; like, where is the beer and who is bringing it?

 

- John

It is free at my house, tomorrow.

[pepsi71ocean]

My evaporator inside my heater box was leaking. took a while to get a whiff of Freon on start up to conform. ended up swapping the dryer, and orifice tube as well. A/C works much better but I know the compressor needs to be replaced down the road.