No, but since my car didnt hold the charge i gave it, now i wish i would have listened & looked for leaks
I got a car with non running ac. I added Freon and was looking at ac hose that runs by exh manifold and could see vapor spewing out. Seems the hose was bumped up against o2 sensor fitting in manifold. Had to look at it in just right angle.
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I wonder if there is some sort of optical viewing technique that would make seeing a small freon leak easier? At night in the dark using LED lighting, maybe with a polarizing lens?
That would work great for a dye injection test. But wondering if there’s a way to improve viewing without injecting dye?
Basically Tester already posted the 2 ways to check for freon…
R134a is basically a colorless odorless gas that requires and electronic devise or a dye to find the leak… Now if it is leaking as fast as you are putting it in, then you maybe able to hear feel the leak…
Again, better to take AC work to someone that knows what they are doing…
HFC-134a is a nonflammable, colorless gas or liquified gas with a faint ethereal odor . The odor, characterized as weak and nonirritating (Shulman and Sadove 1967), may not be noticeable for most individuals and thus will not serve as a warning property.
I’ve got a ‘98 Buick with similar issue. Been a slow AC leak last several years that I could manage with a few cans of recharge throughout the summer.
Last summer it finally became a significant leak and wouldn’t hold for more than a few days.
Trying to decide whether to attempt DIY or pay several hundred for a shop to fix it.
Anyone with experience working on these older Buick AC systems? Or anyone with a sense of cost for a 20+ year old GM AC repair? Philadelphia area…
Find the leak with a refrigerant sniffer.
Once the leak is located, the cost to repair can be determined.
Tester
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Which model '98 Buick do you own?
Since you didn’t specify the model, I randomly picked the LeSabre, and found that its book value–if it is in decent condition–to be less than $700.
Would proper A/C repair by a professional cost less than $700?
Probably, but… does the overall condition of this 25 year old car justify spending even a few hundred bucks on A/C repair?
Blockquote
It’s a century…
Just because the scarp or KBB or dealer value is likely less than $700 does not mean it is not worth putting money into it.
The fact of the matter is is that it would cost significantly more money ($10-20k) to find a replacement car than my current vehicle might be worth on paper. It’s almost always cheaper to keep an old car running than to start making expensive monthly payments on a new or used car.
I understand the argument that repair costs on an older car might start piling on- however, this car has been overall very reliable so even a heftier bill like this is likely less than a couple months payment on a new/used purchase.
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Unless you’re fully equipped for diy’er A/C repair, imo this is a job best given to the local A/C specialist. The link below might prove helpful.
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Went ahead and replaced the condenser, accumulator, and O rings at these locations.
Thankfullly seems to be working great after 2 weeks. Not too bad a repair for a moderately familiar DIYer and about $200 in parts.
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A few weeks ago, i decided that i couldn’t handle driving this old car without a/c in another global warming summer & even though i used to do it years ago before i ever had auto a/c, i turned myself in to a pro shop for the expensive diagnosis. Their dye showed tha the condenser leaked out at the bottom, maybe a stone pierced it, or a 23 model yr. old aluminum condenser could have corroded with road salt. I got a new condenser on Amazon for about $80, replaced the leaking one myself & the pro shop evacuated & recharged the system for $161.59, 2 weeks ago. Still working so far. Thanks to all posters here for all advice. But i sure would like to rig up a heavy enough screen in front of that delicate condenser even though advice to the contrary considers this sort of thing an airflow obstruction.
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Great job OP, good for you got not giving up & sticking with it!
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I drive a Chevy Volt and one weak design is the bottom of the radiator is completely exposed to debris coming off the road. An aftermarket company has a screen they invented that installs just in front and captures little rocks and whatever to protect the expensive stuff. I don’t worry it will reduce the flow of air at all. You can probably rig up something yourself, heavy screen and tie wraps.
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Glasspilot, your reply seems very sensible to me, I would think that the benefits of such a good amount of a/c coil protection would surely tip the balance scales away from the slight, if not negligible inefficiency of a flow restriction.
But here is how out of touch with the times I am. Isn’t a Chevy Volt an electric car? They have radiators? I could only picture them having a/c coils…
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A guy told me a short time ago that some Chevy Volts were hybrids, both gas & electric. That made sense then, as to why your Volt would have a radiator, is it a hybrid then?
All Volts are plug in hybrids and have the same drive train.
Texases, thanks for this info that answered my question efficiently & didnt just get me more confused, as answers to some questions ive asked here & there have done. But at least im not as in the dark as a guy i used to work with, a fellow maintenance man who didnt know that concerning engines being liquid cooled like the Volt is, he didn’t know that not all outboard boat motors were air cooled like the old Sears Tanaka 3 horse Gamefisher is, thought his, i think, 35 horse Chrysler outboard was just air cooled. …
Thanks Texas. To gudenteit, you might be thinking of the Chevy Bolt which is a pure electric. The Volt is a plug-in hybrid, both electric and gas, so no range anxiety. I can go 60 miles on the battery before the engine starts.