[Skidmarkart]

My refrigerant has a slow leak someplace. I got a new compressor last summer and it worked fine all summer, but this year wasn't cooling :evil: . It is that time of year in North Carolina when AC isn't a luxury, it is the difference between life and death (okay, that might be a slight exaggeration - but the humidity is terrible). I took it in and the mechanic says it still has refrigerant in it, just not enough to run the compressor. So, there is probably a slow leak someplace. Any suggestions on where to begin?

 

[Guest]

The way Air Conditioning technology is these days, you are more or less at the mercy of a shop. You can't legally do anything to your system which might allow any r-12 out to the atmosphere. I recommend that you take it into a good AC shop where they can pinpoint the leaks and restore the system to working order. Worst case scenario is that you will have to have a new core put in, which means taking apart the dash. Let's hope it's just a hose

 

[rtkraken]

They sell refrigerant dye kits that can be injected with a charge up. Run it around a bit, then look over your A/C system with a U/V light and any leaks glow bright. The U/V flashlight can be had for around $30 and the dye comes ready mixed with R134a charges and can be sourced for R12.

The A/C evaporator is buried in the dash and not real accessible. For that you might check the evap drain tray hose under the vehicle, the dye may show up there if the leak is in the evap.

Happy hunting... slow A/C leaks can be tough to identify.