How can you tell where your car is leaking freon?

Question

I just bought a 98 plymoth voyager van and it is leaking freon. The prevoius owner said that they would just refill freon once a month at the begining but it got to were it leaked to fast. Does anyone know how I can tell were it is leaking from. I'm afraid if I take it to a machanic they will say they need to replace the whole system even if they don't have to. Please any advice would be appreciated?

Answer 1

Those vans were VERY well known to leak freon from the A/C evaporators. An easy way to tell, is if you can smell it inside the vehicle. Or you can remove the glovebox, by unclipping the two black glovebox straps (that always break very easily, but are VERY cheap to buy from the dealership), there is a rubber grommet almost directly behind, with a wire attached to it. Remove that grommet from the heater case and look DOWN inside the opening with a flashlight. If you see residue there, then it needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, to do so requires removal of the entire instrument panel. If your van is equipped with a 3.0L V6, the labour charged, shouldn't be as much as it would be for a 3.3L or 3.8L equipped. Especially if it has AWD. Another area to check would be the bottom corner(s) of the A/C condensor. If you see moisture there, then it needs replaced. But most likely it's the evaporator. Almost all Chrysler products from the '90's era were famous for that concern. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

They should be able to replace something if it is simple. That is nothing you want to do yourself if you know nothing about it. The refrigerant is highly pressurised. You could easily damage something or get hurt if you don't know what you are doing. Quite frankly no one here will be able to tell you enough about fixing it yourself because a leak could come from so many places. If you just want to identify the leak, have it filled again and put some soapy water on all of the refrigerant lines and parts. That can usually make something show up.

Answer 3

before everything it appears like while they have been fixing your automobile, they broke a seal someplace or cracked a pipe in the experience that your a/c replaced into working large earlier you extra it there. while it labored once you left they in all probability only re-filled the gadget without looking the leak they made. i could call a common supervisor and make this a controversy. They wanted $1400 for an evaperator???!!! that's insane, i could propose in no way going to a Tires Plus to get provider performed, circulate to a repuatable save. Now to respond to your question. the probabilities of you getting unwell are very narrow. you're able to have long term exposure to have any impacts, till you straight away breath it in.

Answer 4

Ask your friends to recommend a trustworthy repair shop. (Don't go to whoever is cheapest--there is usually a reason that they're cheap! That said, avoid the dealership if possible.)

The shop can inject florescent dye into your system. If you go back a week or so later, they should be able to tell where it is leaking from. You may need a whole new system--the vehicle you bought is nearly 10 years old and a Plymouth. Bad combination. Still, it's possible that it is something simple. Any shop willing to continue to recharge a system that is known to be leaking is breaking the law and damaging our environment.

Good luck.

Answer 5

You can buy freon with purple dye in it. Then you use a blacklight in a dark garage to see the leak.

Answer 6

Just take it in and if it is too much trade the van in or try to fix it yourself. you may want to try the compressor or the freon lines. or go to a junkyard and ask them if they have a used a/c system and how much.

Answer 7

I am sorry,buy freon refill it.

buy a empty spray bottle fill it with soapy water spray the hoses you gonna see bubbles ,
yes there it is ,yes there it is ,yes there it is.

Answer 8

yhe AC guy/gal has a sniffer that tells where its leaking.... just putting more in is dumb