Air Conditioning System Leak Inspection
What is an air conditioning leak diagnosis?
At some point during the useful life of most vehicles, the air conditioner may stop blowing cold. When this occurs, especially in warmer climates, an A/C diagnosis is needed right away.
How does an air conditioning leak happen?
This is a dreaded scenario and the first thing that comes to mind is dollar signs. This does not necessarily have to be the case. A/C systems may develop a leaky seal where one component connects to another, which can be fixed quickly, and recharged with refrigerant. To find out how severe a problem is, the technician will connect the air conditioning system to a specialized recover and vacuum machine, or a set of A/C test gauges. The readings will indicate if the refrigerant is charged (ull), and, if not, how large the leak he is searching for may be. This and other diagnostics tests are performed so you can understand why you A/C is not working, and decide whether to fix it, or not.
If your A/C is providing little cooling or none at all, it may be that the system is leaking A/C refrigerant. As the system becomes low on refrigerant, you may hear the A/C compressor cycling on and off rapidly when the A/C is turned on.
What are the symptoms of an air conditioning leak?
A/C refrigerant may slowly leak out of the system over days, weeks, or even years. Vehicle occupants may not realize there is a problem until the air conditioner does not produce the low temperatures they are accustomed to.
Can I drive with an air conditioning leak?
Driving a vehicle with a discharged A/C system will not cause further damage, however, over an extended time, other seals in the system can being to dry rot due to lack of lubrication from refrigerant and oil. In this situation, the repair will become very costly, as most of the system may need repair.
How often does the air conditioning system leak?
Air conditioner diagnostics are so common that many service shops are specialized in heating and A/C repair for motor vehicles. The chances of having the air conditioner serviced during a vehicle's lifetime is very high, but not typical before the 100,000-mile mark has been reached.
How is an air conditioning leak diagnosed?
Diagnosis of the air conditioning system requires advanced knowledge of air conditioning systems, and a good understanding of the relationship between temperature and pressure of a liquid and gas. A technician with proper training, and certification is required to repair an air conditioning system. Professional grade equipment is used to read high and low side pressure, and the technician must rely on hours of classroom and hands-on training to understand the readings, diagnose the faulty part, and recommend a repair. If a leak is suspected, the technician may place an ultraviolet (UV) dye in the A/C system, and check for leaks with a UV flashlight. Using this method, the leak is very obvious, and the diagnosis is proven as soon as the UV dye is detected on or around an air conditioning component. A helpful sign for technicians when diagnosing air conditioner leaks is a hissing noise, or obvious damage to air conditioning components.
Adding refrigerant to a poorly functioning AC system without first diagnosing the problem may result in overcharging. This has been known to damage the AC compressor, resulting in a very expensive (and avoidable) repair.
What will be the outcome of an air conditioning system leak diagnosis?
Replacement of most air conditioning components requires complete evacuation of the air conditioning system with a refrigerant recovery machine. Once components are re-installed, the technician will remove all air from the system in preparation for recharging the system with new refrigerant. Once any leaky seals have been replaced, or if the system has been verified to hold pressure, the technician will evacuate and recharge the system with new refrigerant and oil.
Many customers claim that their "A/C is not getting cold" when the actual issue is too little airflow from the vents. When you take your vehicle in for service, try to demonstrate the problem so the shop has a better understanding before they start the diagnosis.