Evaporator core leaking

How do you pull out evaporator core on a 2006 Lincoln towncar? I know most of the core is located inside a square housing on the passenger side firewall under the hood. Do you still have components under glove box that has to be disconneted?

It would be worth a FSM or a single car Alldata subscription unless someone has done one. Don’t you feel “exposed” without a FSM for your car? try books4cars.com,they are treating me well.

I suggest you go to an A/C or if you are in the north a radiator shop and ask they how much they will charge you. Now compare that with how much the parts are going to cost you as well as possible tools and time. Maybe you will consider having the guys who do it a lot do it for you.

Are you SURE this is where to leak is?? These parts seldom leak…It’s usually a connector or fitting or compressor seal where you will find the leak. Replacing the evaporator or heater core in these cars is a MAJOR job…

My '99 information indicates that it is all done under the hood.

To test the core in the vehicle you need to discharge and recover refrigerant, disconnect the core and pull a vacuum on it.

To replace it you need to split the housing under the hood. Cut the seal carefully
Disconnect the suction accumulator/drier. (You need a new one only if you lost pressure for a significant time or the refrigerant got contaminated somehow.) be sure to use a backup wrench

Sometimes I don’t know if to answer the question directly or give the very good advice that you and Joseph have. I take it for granted that the OP knows what is going on in regards to AC work,it is better left to pros.

Thanks for your input. The car was in the shop for another unrelated problem. The Lincoln dealership are the people who claims my evaporator is leaking because I asked them to check and see if I needed freon.

So the other people who need evaporator replacement why don’t you post the price you were quoted,parts and labor please.

You could have told use you were checking a Dealers diagnosis,you recieved replies as if you planed to do the job yourself,a lot of needless dialogue.

Not planning to do job myself. Price quoted to replace core around $1000. Before I have core replaced I would like to see with my own eyes the core is leaking. I beleive dye can be pumped through system to detect any leaks.

You cant get a visual on the evaporator until it is either out or exposed. You can sniff for the presence of refridgerant (electronicaly) through a passage way into the evaporator housing or out one of the air vents.

You can’t see the dye leaking from the evaporator because it is in the (dark, dank) evaporator case. You can see leaks in the condenser, the compressor, the dryer and the lines in between them. They might have found the leak in the evaporator by using a gas sniffer.

Sometimes sniffers can detect leaks that are not very significant. You might want to ask how they found the leak and how they know that there is not a leak elsewhere. How long did it take for AC performance to diminish? It is a big job and that is why the factory service manual requires a leak test on the detached evaporator before starting the replacement job. I might be tempted to refill it and see how long it lasts, but I do have a set of good gauges.

A 2006 should not have a leak in the evaporator yet. As caddyman indicated, o-rings, yes, evap no.

Thanks all for your help.? Filled up system with freon and I will see how long it lasts.?

Stick a common instant-read thermometer in an AC outlet, set the AC to Max/recirculate and the blower on high. Observe and record what what the temp bottoms out at while you are driving. It really should not change much over the course of a few weeks or months, or forever for that matter. If the temp goes up, you have lost refrigerant or have some other problem.