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Does that U/V die work? Yup. Bad Accumulator located wicked quick.


Tedybear

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Okay,

Long and short of it. No A/C in our Explorer. So I recharged it and it didn't last...Finally loaded the system with leak stop/detector. No action on the system at all.

Went with a 1/2 sized can of R134a with leak stop and U/V detector again... This time? The leak showed up like flippen gang busters. Bottom of the Accumulator looks like it rotted out from the inside. Got some great photos of it draining all that leak detector with my U/V light...



Getting ready to drip....



Wait for it.......




Ewwww...Looks like a huge glow in the dark booger.

Okay, enough of the show and tell. Anyone know off hand how much replacement compressor oil should be added to the replacement accumulator? Considering what it had seems to have been totally blown out.... I'll be ordering in the replacement, it's cheap enough on Rock auto....

Thanks!

S-
 


4x4junkie

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In a case like this I would disassemble the system, do a full flush of both coils with solvent, then replace all of the O-rings, reassemble and then vacuum it down and put in the factory spec'ed amount of PAG-46 oil and R-134a freon. This is really the only way you can be sure the system is free of contaminants and has the proper amount of oil (especially since you put that leak-stop crap into it). I'd go a step further and replace the hoses too.

Check for black goo & debris accumulated around the orifice tube, a significant amount here would indicate a compressor (and condenser) replacement may be needed as well.
 

Denisefwd93

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Good job finding the leak! Now don't screw up �� without the right procedures
Oil mixes with refrigerant so you really should not add without knowing how much is needed 4x4J's advice is golden
 

Tedybear

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The "Black Death" for A/C system was mostly with the conversions from R12 to R134a. Not saying I won't examine things....So

Regardless the receiver/dryer will get a good look over for surprises. The system did blow some wicked cold air when it was 'charged'. So that at least is a decent sign the compressor and associated parts are in serviceable shape.

Once I find a spec on how much oil to add to the new replacement receiver dryer I'll tend to it. I still have to order the part in. And there's no real over the counter R134a that doesn't contain the leak stopper and "seal conditioner". Some have the U/V dye, which is what I went with. Pretty sure that's all over the system, but that's also harmless.

Likely the system is full of moist air, so the vacuum purge will take care of that. Issue is finding a shop that can purge the system after I replace the part needed. Local firestone shop attempted to shaft me with a quote of $250 plus tax for them to do it. Those clowns wanted to "Performance Check" the system, purge and recharge for that price.

Get this: They first quoted the job needing 3lbs of R134a @ $250.

I told them the truck wouldn't use that much, and the sales writer then stated rudely "Well, that will knock $100 off the bill, as we charge $100 a pound for R134a"


I talked with a friend of mine that lives down state. He owns his own shop and gave me his quotes for the work. $34.99 for the service itself. $ 1.09 per ounce of R134a and the same per ounce of compressor oil as needed. (That's $17.44 a pound for those math challenged...and he's still making a profit. Love to know how Firestone can charge $100 a pound for the same thing. That and the guy was a total arse)

Currently we'll be addressing the clutch issues and transmission issues first. I can always roll a window down... Can't go anywhere if the clutch sticks and locks up.

S-
 

Denisefwd93

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Last month we did a 3 zone minisplit install and my former full time employee (I'm retired from HVAC) helped out on the work. He left a flare nut loose.. 8lbs of 410A gone. I only found out after the "call" from the client they had the AC installed to sell the house. Major embarrassment!

Most shops are looking to make a buck anyway they can. when it comes to handling controlled substances like refrigerant. Yeah it it gets $$$


R22 is being phased out now just like R12. I don't even want calls for R22 equipment but they will come in I'm sure.

134 is... not so expensive and available to DIYers.

There literally are hundreds of types of refrigerants. 12, 134A, 22, R407, 410A, 404A 409A, are just some we've used over the years. So much changed with the EPA rules.
 

Tedybear

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Last month we did a 3 zone minisplit install and my former full time employee (I'm retired from HVAC) helped out on the work. He left a flare nut loose.. 8lbs of 410A gone. I only found out after the "call" from the client they had the AC installed to sell the house. Major embarrassment!

Most shops are looking to make a buck anyway they can. when it comes to handling controlled substances like refrigerant. Yeah it it gets $$$


R22 is being phased out now just like R12. I don't even want calls for R22 equipment but they will come in I'm sure.

134 is... not so expensive and available to DIYers.

There literally are hundreds of types of refrigerants. 12, 134A, 22, R407, 410A, 404A 409A, are just some we've used over the years. So much changed with the EPA rules.
Used to recharge with R12 all the time when I was a tech. Sadly when I change careers we sold off a lot of stuff. Our snap on dealer must have loved it, as he did a buy back of quite a bit of it.

I just about hit the floor when Firestone said $100 a pound. We used to charge $29.00 for the service and a couple bucks a pound for R12. Good line of work to be in actually, just wish I didn't sell back my electronic 'beep' R12 detector and the rest of the gauges.

S-
 

4x4junkie

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... And there's no real over the counter R134a that doesn't contain the leak stopper and "seal conditioner". Some have the U/V dye, which is what I went with. Pretty sure that's all over the system, but that's also harmless.
I imagine you must not be looking for it hard enough... Straight R-134a is pretty common everywhere the other stuff polluted with stop-leak gunk is (at least in California & Oregon it is... Can't imagine it's different elsewhere).

http://www.autozone.com/a-c-charging-and-refrigerant-freon/r134a-refrigerant/quest-r-134a-refrigerant-not-for-hybrid-vehicles-with-electrical-driven-compressors/244738_0_0/

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Speed-Steed-R-134a-Auto-Air-Conditioning-Refrigerant-12-oz/20440563
 

Tedybear

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I imagine you must not be looking for it hard enough... Straight R-134a is pretty common everywhere the other stuff polluted with stop-leak gunk is (at least in California & Oregon it is... Can't imagine it's different elsewhere).

http://www.autozone.com/a-c-charging-and-refrigerant-freon/r134a-refrigerant/quest-r-134a-refrigerant-not-for-hybrid-vehicles-with-electrical-driven-compressors/244738_0_0/

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Speed-Steed-R-134a-Auto-Air-Conditioning-Refrigerant-12-oz/20440563
Not trying to be harsh on this. The point of this post was to show that the UV detector dye that they use in R134a works great. At Walmart (where I normally get this stuff) If you want normal R134a, then yeah you can buy it. However it won't have the UV Dye in the mix. Unless of course you want to mail order it in, and wait about a week or so. The UV dye mixed in with the R134A on the shelf that you can local purchase, will of course have the 'stop leak' (which oddly enough is advertised as "system safe")

Our local Advance auto does sell just the R134a with UV dye. $19.99 a can. Walmart's order it in: $ 10.72. And you can believe that the company that sells it: JB Tool Sales is making dollars on that sale. That's the reason I will RARELY do a purchase at Advance Auto, or Autozone for that fact. They have a price mark up that would make OPEC blush with pride!

(Shout out to RockAuto.com! As that is where I do most of my auto parts purchases when I'm not in a rush to get a job done)

So to recap: If you want (in my area) to buy the same day R134A with the U/V dye in it? Then you're going to get stop leak as well. If you want to order it in and wait a couple of weeks (7-10 working days average seems to be our normal route) Then sure, you can 'mail order' the stuff in. Or pay Advance Auto's inflated price for a urine specimen sized can of the stuff and get price gouged.

Sense I no longer have my electronic leak detector, nor my manifold gauge set from when I used to service AC systems. The UV light is one of the cost effective ways to go. And no I didn't buy the pen light kit as that's over inflated for the cost. Go to the hunting section and you can find a very intense UV-LED flash light for about ten bucks. Works at least '9' times better (9 LED's as opposed to '1' LED in the cheesy kit) And provided you do not point it directly into your eye, or spend a large amount of time searching for the leak? You'll be just fine.

S-
 
Last edited:

4x4junkie

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4WD
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35x12.50R15
Not trying to be harsh on this. The point of this post was to show that the UV detector dye that they use in R134a works great. At Walmart (where I normally get this stuff) If you want normal R134a, then yeah you can buy it. However it won't have the UV Dye in the mix. Unless of course you want to mail order it in, and wait about a week or so. The UV dye mixed in with the R134A on the shelf that you can local purchase, will of course have the 'stop leak' (which oddly enough is advertised as "system safe")
Your post is worded as that you couldn't find straight R-134a at all.

This just confirms then another reason for why I said to disassemble and flush the system. PAG oil with the dye already in it is readily available (w/o stop-leak).

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tracer-Products-TD46P8-8-oz.-Bottle-PAG-46-A-C-Oil-with-Dye/29937672

When an A/C system is compromised by a major leak like that, it not only becomes difficult to know how much oil is left in there (since the oil distribution throughout the system varies at times), but whether any other contaminants might've entered back into the system through the leak. The only reliable way to handle a situation like this is to flush the system out with solvent (exc compressor; the compressor should be removed and drained of any old oil).



If you need a set of gauges and a vacuum pump, Harbor Freight has several items to pick from:

http://www.harborfreight.com/ac-r134a-manifold-gauge-set-60806.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-cfm-vacuum-pump-98076.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-cfm-two-stage-vacuum-pump-61176.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/air-vacuum-pump-with-r134a-and-r12-connectors-96677.html


I agree the markup at some of the auto parts stores is astounding. Seems they are also trending away from stocking name brand parts anymore (Timken or Raybestos for example), I suspect their days might be numbered.
 

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