# DIY Condenser repair/replacement **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** accord, honda, radiators\ **Created:** [May 18, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004 "2015-05-18T01:55:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zarathuztra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/46a35a/32.png) [@Zarathuztra](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Zarathuztra)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/1 "2015-05-18T01:55:55Z")
2007 Honda Accord LX 2.4 liter engine. I purchased a can of r134a to refill my refrigerant in my air conditioning. in the process of doing so I discovered a leak in the front of the condenser. The leak looks as though a rock or something struck it and caused a small crack or fracture in the grill’s tubing. I used AC pro refrigerant which has leak sealing additives within it. so I assumed they might be able to seal it since it appeared to be small, I discharged some refrigerant and allowed time to pass for the seal secure to cure (5min or so), then I would repeat until the pressure held and no leak appeared present. Or at least that was my plan, a tiny leak still was present when I finished the bottle just a moment ago. My question is… Do I get another bottle to finish filling the system until it’s in the green and hopefully no longer showing a leak? or should I begin the process of researching the repair of my condenser? If the recommendation is to go forward with repairing the condenser or replacing it, what are the tips and recommendations? ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/2 "2015-05-18T02:00:28Z")
Actually it sounds like a leak in the condenser (coolant part that looks like a radiator). I am not sure about repairs, but recycled or new should not be too bad price wise. Replace is my preference. Tips, have a qualified shop do the work. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/3 "2015-05-18T02:10:29Z")
Radiator? Air conditioning? Frankly if you don’t even know what part of the car you’re working on and don’t understand that the radiator has nothing to do with the air conditioning I would think you would be safer and better off having a qualified shop do the diagnosis and repair for you. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/4 "2015-05-18T02:21:42Z")
**_Back Up A Bit. You Purchased The R134A , Why? Was Your A/C Not Working Properly, Not Cool Enough? Next You Noticed The Stone Damage?_** The A/C condenser sits ahead of the car engine cooling system’s radiator. Chances are it would take the hit from a stray rock, not the radiator. Attempting repair or replacement of the condenser is not advised for the DIYer. You would be better off trusting the car to a technician certified in air conditioning repair and one who’s got the equipment to handle it. Get an estimate, first. _ **CSA** _ ---
**Author:** ![Zarathuztra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/46a35a/32.png) [@Zarathuztra](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Zarathuztra)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/5 "2015-05-18T02:26:51Z")
Derp. I did mean the Condenser. Is there any hope it would be sealed by the additives? ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/6 "2015-05-18T02:31:58Z")
One can always hope. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 2:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/7 "2015-05-18T02:58:13Z")
If the condenser is leaking, REPLACE it! Don’t try to fix a leak in this item. ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/8 "2015-05-18T03:51:01Z")
If you’re going to do it yourself, be sure you learn about replacing the receiver-dryer, pulling a vacuum, filling the system with the correct amount of the correct type of oil, and finally filling it with the correct amount of R134A. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/9 "2015-05-18T04:14:03Z")
Have a pro replace the condenser. I’d be stunned if the leak could be stopped with additives. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 4:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/10 "2015-05-18T04:16:49Z")
The reason the stop leak didn’t work at the condenser is, the condenser is made of aluminum. The condenser takes the high pressure refrigerant as a gas from the compressor and converts into a high pressure liquid to the evaporator. This conversion creates heat. That’s why the condenser sits in front of the radiator. Since the condenser is made of a aluminum, the thermal expansion and contraction of the condenser as it heats up and cools back down won’t allow the stop-leak to work. The condenser needs to be replaced if you want the AC to work again. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 4:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/11 "2015-05-18T04:50:54Z")
AC repair is a very expensive area to venture into for a DIYer. A set of gauges and a vacuum pump plus all the miscellaneous hand tools of any good DIYer are needed plus a basic understanding of system operation and dangers involved. And as already mentioned stop leak is unlikely to even slow a leak in a condensor. ---
**Author:** ![Zarathuztra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/46a35a/32.png) [@Zarathuztra](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Zarathuztra)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/12 "2015-05-18T22:51:00Z")
Since I already DIY most other area’s of the car and don’t feel like shelling out the extra cash for the tools. I think I’ll bite the bullet and take it to a shop. Hopefully the end cost isn’t too steep. ---
**Author:** ![irlandes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5e925/32.png) [@irlandes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/irlandes)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 12:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/13 "2015-05-19T00:46:24Z")
A nephew here in Mexico, several years ago, had a Yukon with low Freon. I urged him to find a shop if one exists. He added a whole bunch of Freon and suddenly it lost all pressure. I assumed he blew a hole in the condensor. The good news is it really doesn’t get that terribly hot here in the mountains. My point here is I believe you can harm your system if you don’t know what you are doing. It wouldn’t have cost that much to have a pro put that freon in, but it will cost a lot to have the condensor replaced. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/14 "2015-05-19T01:43:01Z")
The condenser is already leaking so that cost is on the table now. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/diy-condenser-repair-replacement/90004/15 "2015-05-19T21:12:56Z")
ASE, I often describe the AC condenser as “the little radiator” too, since it dissipates heat and, well, it looks like a little radiator. As a matter of fact, they’re all probably bigger than the radiator in the original Mini (the real one, not the reinvented version). In industry we’d call them all “heat exchangers”, a term that I often also use. But I agree with everyone that a shop that does AC work is the answer. The expertise and equipment necessary isn’t in the average driveway.