Quote:
Originally Posted by Corbi
I have a 99 GMC Savana with front and rear a.c. I know the condenser clutch is not engaging. The seller said there was a leak in the system. Would recovering the refrigerant be a first step to find leaks? How would you get started with a repair? Thanks!
|
the most likely scenerio is the compressor isnt engaging because the freon has leaked out..
here is hpw I leak test.. first I do a visual.. the condensor is the coil in front of the radiator, the compressor is the pump with the clutch... the evaporators are the inside units.. one inside the dashboard and one usually in the rear ceiling or rear wall.
if the system recently worked.. then you have a good shot at seeing Oil spots where the leak is.. esp if it leaks out fast. I look for clusters of dust, pollen etc on the condensor.. often indicating part of it was more greasy (sticky) than the rest.. I also check for CHaffed hoses and oil spots near where the pipes fit together.. hoses can run against the frame, sometimes a broken belt previously will gouge a hose.. a Van is trickier because you have rear things tp check..
thre fittings on the system are O-rings.. and so you can visually look for leaks around where the pipes fit together... round the compressor pulley is anotherp lace to look for oil residue..
if nothing is obvious..
then I'll vacuum the system down with a vacuum pump the best I can and charge it to 150 PSI of nitrogen, if its a bad leak you'll hear it hissing someplace... if I dont hear it then ill go out with my electronic leak detector.. and see if I can find the vicinity with that.. ie the hose connections / TxV at the rear evaporator.. if I narrow it to an area ill do more look listen and feel... oily residues, etc.. ill often try something simple if my tester comes positive in an area.. like replace the O-rings..
vacuum and charge with Nitrogen again.. if the nitrogen charge holds overnight 100% then I vacuum and charge with refrigerant.. since the system had a repair made ill almost always charge in some Tracer DYE so if it is still leaking ill be able to see the tracer dye with a UV light...
if I dont find anything at all and my nitrogen holds or only bleeds off a little over night then ill vac, install tracer dye and charge with refrigerant.. and ill run it.. some leaks are so slow they are hard to catch.. so you put dye in and recharge the systenm and use it.. if the cooling starts to get weak then you use a UV light and go out in the dark and look for signs of that dye anywhere ..
Linear Mode
