24 hours to Diagnose! Mechanic Comeback! Ram 2500 Cummins

[@EarlSinclair97]

That refrigerant sniffer sounds like a Galaga arcade game.

[@CloudStrife8894]

I was just gonna say the samething lol.

[@scottgibson807]

Makes me miss my old Atari 2600

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

Sounds like a win on a slot machine.

[@rdj232]

@@scottgibson807 space invaders😀

[@DonaldWells-wk8dc]

@@EarlSinclair97 their inherently suspective to false triggering ...just blow that tip off was good idea. It can grab vapors all around...then you doubt equipment and diagnosing...yet experience helps🙂

[@REDBIRD-95]

Hey Ray, have you recovered from removing all those screws from the crate Eric sent you? 😆 Have a great Sunday my friend👍

[@TonyM-zi9rq]

I'm betting that was done on purpose for the annoyance effect. It was what the young ones would call extra.

[@orasmiller1273]

The tractor with the wheel falling off was hilarious 😂😂😂

[@danielgriffith7694]

I removed all what you described on my 02 Ram. Mine was a broken blend door. So I dismantled everything as described and replaced all the blend doors, the evaporator coil and the heater core. That was 9 years ago. At 183,000 miles, it has the original compressor, and other components. It’s only been charged once, when the work was done , at home in my driveway 👍👍👍

[@midniteoyl8913]

This is a prime example of 'one repair finding the next weak link'. Good chance that evap coil wasn't leaking/leaking enough to detect until after the other repairs happened.

[@forgetfulme1719]

cracked receiver dryer allowed moisture in, later corroded evap coil, should replace it last year same time

[@andrewwturner]

That was a great diagnosis. Thanks for bringing us along for the ride.

[@gdj8013]

That is an awesome truck with low mileage for that year definitely worth fixing properly. Don’t see many of those old 5.9 Cummins dodges in that good of shape. Ray please bring us along for the repair id definitely like to see it.

[@stevejenssen7299]

The evaporator leaking, rare but happens. Ray you are awsome

[@Olk940]

Do you understand Ray, that after watching your videos for the past year I now go through a crazy amount of Brake Clean. I believe I have a problem and now need a 12 step program. Thank you for the videos Mr. Ray!

[@zacharystewart1064]

Reminds me of the time I was in automotive class in college. Instructors dad had a 05 cummins and we replaced the evaporator once leaked down swore we screwed up somewhere. I literally ripped that dash out in 45 minutes and proved to him it wasn’t leaking found the ac compressor shaft seal was leaking figured the leak just moved to the next weakest link

[@bearpuf]

Ray, you are incredibly impressive over and over again. Thanks for such a detailed video and making the effort to educate the rest of us.

[@JackTatum-yw2hr]

If the A/C has been cooling that truck "in Florida" for an entire year since last worked on, I don't think this should be considered a comeback. New things break over a year's time.

[@avitiello100]

TIP... in a pinch you can use a TV remote (IR type) to reveal the green AC die.. Awasome videos...thank you

[@boozydaboozer]

How does that work? IR is on the bottom of the visible spectrum (below red, hence the name Infra Red) while UV is at the top (past violet, hence the name Ultra Violet).

[@RonRussell-sj1zf]

Your troubleshooting is once again excellent and your rationale hard to disagree with, Good job!

[@Redneck-Rocket-Scientist]

Since you have to pull the dash and open the HVAC plenum box, replace the three OEM plastic blend doors with aftermarket aluminum ones that don’t stick and strip the actuator drive. I have a 2003 Dodge/Cummins Turbodiesel Ram 3500 SLT, with 113k on the clock, that usually only blows hot or cold air out the dash vents. The A/C works and I only drive 2,500 miles a year since I retired, so I haven’t been motivated enough to pull the dash yet😅

[@evilgtidriver]

Dodge actually did one thing right. After the steering column comes out, that dash comes out in one piece. They put large electrical connectors on each side so you don’t have to play with a hundred small connectors. If you’ve never done one, you’ll love this one.

[@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse]

A premonition that the dash will need coming out several times during its life?

[@RIRWINJR83]

@@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse Or save in assembly process time.

[@cigarsgunsanddiesel8032]

it's still a Dodge, they're notorious for electrical issues!

[@SWHBOYCE]

@@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse That's funny !!! ( but count on it if it's made in M'urica ) ...

[@nf100]

that's what i did when i changed the heater core on my '13 1500. hood 4part u tube vid series on pulling dash enough to get heater box out. after seeing the crap on the evaporator i cleaned it and did the cabin filter mod

[@rudypernas7962]

hey ray that sounds like the ATARI games back in the 80s😂😂

[@gregjohnson2073]

Pong

[@kevincurry4735]

Just imagine if it sounded like Yars Revenge.

[@johnsmith-xr6qy]

What a great way to show the customer what you are seeing & saying when you have a video and handy - dandy tools to do a diagnosis. NOT that they would not trust you up front.

[@rumleyrum5839]

Leak detectors can be a valuable tool for finding those elusive leaks. I found an inexpensive one with good reviews on Amazon and found the one causing me problems on my '03 Silverado that the A/C place didn't find.

[@rfregia2012]

about to dive into my AC system on my 2007 2500. Thanks for the videos!

[@letsgopedal4249]

Man I've been enjoying your content over beer back since the days at that little Napa auto care or whatever it was. Two things. I'm grateful for the fact ray hasn't changed. It's always like a day in the shop with the boys. And man. Everytime I hear Ray gripe about the importance of a/c diagnosis and doing the valves and easy stuff before pulling the dash. It sounds like he speaks from a bad experience every single time. Gotta appreciate a lesson that was learned the hard way. Been there. Done that.

[@scottpetrini756]

I have a 1989 Ford Ranger that was purchased new by a family member. I have had it 20 years myself. Since new it has had to have the a/c recharged each year. When brand new it went back to the dealer to be recharged and checked for leaks, but no leak was ever found. Every year I have had it has been checked for leaks at it spring charge but again nothing ever found. It has become the norm to have the oil changed and the a/c recharged every spring. Once charged, I have cold a/c all summer. I also have a 1997 Ford F150 and its a/c went 25 years before it needed any a/c work to include a recharge. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't.

[@BeardedFordTech]

I've also found out if it's leaking this way at the evap core. Start the ac after charging it and adding dye. Let it run for a while and put a black light on the water puddle if it's green. The evap is leaking. Some vehicles you can gain access to the evap core through the blower motor controller. Can also shine the blacklight on the drain tube. Just a trick I learned back in 2020. Does it always work on day 1? Sometimes it can take a while. Depends on how big of a leak. Great video bro.

[@michaelpendarvis7814]

Good idea to change the heater core while you're in there, of course I'm sure you'll suggest that to the customer.

[@ronsloan7662]

Hey Ray, good detective work there. I'm in total agreement that you find the easiest leaks first. Of course when you fix 1 leak, the next weakest link let's go in a pressurized system. That's a beautifully kept Ram. I hope your customer allows you to do the work on it because I think "it's going to be a great video". Cheers!

[@talis84]

It shows how much the customer trusts you, to bring the vehicle back three times "for the same issue" Most people would go to another tech by this point thinking that all the parts fail at the same time, and at the same rate. It's probable that each failure happened in sequence of repair.

[@bruceb4349]

Yep. Once you repair a leak and repressurize the next weakest part of the system starts seeping.

[@jochemsluis8834]

As a HVAC&R tech we use dye as a last resort. I use sniffer and bubble before anything else. You might want to check the shaft seal as I have just had a truck in the shop that the mechanical seal was scored badly due to contaminants. I did a clean up and had to get the seal made as it was an import. I always get the Trucks and Containers as I am broad with my skill set. Great job in finding the coil leaking. Something must have attacked the aluminium coil as it was in the middle of the coil. Vibration would leak on the ends as it has more mass, or just bad aluminium casting.

[@Streamer687]

Not One Car Engineer has ever thought of re-designing this system for easier access... something like putting an '8 inch Square Maintenance Access Door' (bolted or screwed into place?) would be a simple this to make/design?

[@travisboman7531]

Nah! Makes too much sense!

[@92mrsrdb]

I drive a 98 doge dakota and I've had the evaporator changed out twice! My husband bought the truck for me on my birthday in 1997 so all miles and maintenance are mine...

[@kevinyancey958]

You can't "sniff" the ports and say they're leaking. The refrigerant detector will go off on the oil that's still in the port, everytime. If you're going to check the port, rinse it out with a solvent and then blow it dry with air, first. Since refrigerant typically carries oil with it, check for oil stains. The sniffer is best for checking the evaporator and other hard to get to areas.

[@rayshutsa6690]

Customers trust you because you will not replace something unless it needs. It helps if you have good tools. I like this videos it shows us that it can take some time to find a refrigerant leak.

[@petermccoll469]

Nice dig. Found the major tiny leak this time. great video. Thanks

[@jerrydavis3462]

I only wish my sister in law had a mechanic as good as you so he could find the AC leak because honestly I can't be sure if it's the evaporator or the rear AC leaking I'm disabled so it's hard for me to check ✅ your videos are definitely enjoyed and appreciated!!!!

[@kevinwethy1411]

I have a 2012 Ram that had the same issue. Luckily, it was covered under warranty but was still a very expensive repair. For a few weeks prior to the AC failing, I could smell the refrigerant in the cabin, not a pleasant smell.

[@haroldbenton979]

That's going to be a freaking fun job to do.

[@robfish2303]

Those ram dashes are relatively simple to do. Not too many screws to remove, or connectors. It comes out in 1 peace.

[@alanprice9712]

I think he means One piece as in a full unit.. 😊

[@topher8634]

They're not too bad. I've done a few of the evaps and a dozen or so of the recirculating doors.

[@robfish2303]

@topher8634 yeah those doors on a Dodge are terrible. The foam disintegrates, and it funny, blows all over you and the cab when turned on high. I recommend to the customer to replace the doors new, or put new foam on them. I like Ford dashes the best. You don't have to remove the steering column it all comes out as a "complete unit". 45 minutes without the center console. 1 hour with.

[@M4sterT3ch]

One of the easier dashes to pull.

[@IR-nq4qv]

That's a winner winner, mac and cheese dinner. If it took a year to bleed down, chances are..., the condenser probably wasn't an issue back then when the other A/C repairs were made. Good job on the diagnostic sniffing. Thanks Ray for the surprise Sunday video.

[@TheWabbit]

I'm in the process of chasing an AC leak on my 2007 Tacoma. What a PITA. It started with a shop replacing a bad compressor and screwing up one of the connections, then I found they didn't replace the condensor, and it had a leak. Once I got this fixed and the pressures came up, I ended up with it leaking somewhere else. Its leaking down about every 4 months so a little quicker than the dodge but not fast enough to find it in one session, unfortunately the shop put an aftermarket compressor and I'm not 100% sure they put the proper amount of oil in there. The AC compressor is pulling the engine speed down to where it is more noticeable than normal, and I believe this compressor is going bad. It's easy to believe they screwed up the compressor with lack or extra oil, they gave me old parts and I found the installation sheet and it shipped full of oil and was suppose to be dumped out and properly weighed, I'm betting the bolted it on as is or complained about the oil spilling and dumped it all.

[@ONEIL76]

Yea your face with a challenge with this project and I know you are the best person in the world to do it my brother love you man

[@delantel6689]

Great diagnosis, Thanks

[@victorbellan8357]

You have a big job ahead of you !

[@charleskadletc2431]

Rays a dedicated tech.

[@Sir-Stan]

I had the exact problem with my 2001 several years ago after having it recharged once a year it finally was fixed.

[@tsimpson007]

Very cool Ray thanks for letting us ride along

[@Andrew-zv4fm]

I like the air horns under the hood. I appreciate your process. Check with the easy and what is convenient. Leaks of any kind are hard to get to.

[@busdriversteve1137]

Sometimes it takes time; I did the same process on my 2008 Dodge 2500 with the Cummins 6.7, it took almost a year.

[@Steve-k4f5z]

Technology has made troubleshooting so much easier and less costly today

[@thk7513]

Back in the early days of AC, you looked for a leak wit a propane torch with special adaptor. The flame would change color. Had to be careful about not burning anything up.

[@dog2335]

You need an olight arkfeld pro flashlight. Has a bright white light and very bright uv light. I use one at work to look through tinted glass and at uv ink printed coding and it's great. Has a very nice hat mount built into the clip. And it's a small package.

[@surferdude4487]

I've seen the Car Wizard work on the HVAC in Ram trucks before. the amount of the interior you have to remove to get at that stuff is insane! I know that it's a month later and the job is already done. I would suggest replacing all the HVAC doors and gears with metal parts while you have it apart. The parts cost is tiny when compared to the labour costs of getting all that apart and back together again.

[@RukarioEnterprisesLLC]

It sounds like one of those EKG monitors at the hospitals

[@cycleguy666]

That whole system is a gonner!! So much needed!! Chrysler had a lot of problems with piping and evaporators. A split receiver dryer was the first to go. I just wonder sometimes how long aluminum can last under such harsh conditions!!

[@brettemerich3237]

Ray there was an ac technician who would run the ac and check the condensation under the vehicle (puddle)and also diagnosed a bad coil. Nice diagnosis of leak as usual.

[@dcolb121]

Great diagnosis. Good, logical troubleshooting. Experience counts.

[@deangaryjames]

I used to hate the dash out jobs, but nice when the fault is found

[@DonaldWells-wk8dc]

Dodges are quick buys yet everything can turn into a crappy team football🏈 team. All products certain years aren't perfect . ..and road salt rust doesn't help.

[@williamearle3893]

Ray, thank you for educating me, love your channel.

[@billbrowse2553]

Excellent a/c video,thank you.

[@sadayukinaga9363]

Ray wasn’t looking for refrigerant he was looking for ectoplasm he’s the true ghostbuster

[@bobbg9041]

Thank you and have a wonderful day! After having the system drawn down to a negative pressure I would diy change the failed part Why not i changed the condenser On one of my cars, on the 01 celica i had to pull the bumper and crash pad a body shop put in a steel koren knock off that did not work like the oem part it was junk and after a year leaked. A mechanic buddy of mine at the time told me to use new o rings So i did then he recharged the system for me twice once with a hobby pump second time with an ac service tool like you use. That was 13 years ago still blows ya out of the car my thermometer reads 45 to 50 in the summer on a 90 dgr day. Its not that hard just need to know what nuts bolts and screws to pull. Or how to find the leak and tools to fix it. Don't let your insurance company tell you they are using aftermarket parts, and go right back to the body shop if it don't work like it did from the factory. I even have factory parts replacement courage on my insurance policy.

[@watermanone7567]

I have mentioned to you for years that dye is not the way to go. It can also plug the orfaces. Sniffers and soapy water are used by most HVAC techs. and seldom if ever use dye. Get over the dye now that you have a sniffer. I have been doing HVAC for over 50 years and never had to use dye. It can also cause issues with filter dryers. Thanks for the video.

[@Gary_in_NoVA]

Not a HVAC tech, just a DIY guy. But, this is the 1st I’ve heard negative things about dye. Would love to hear the opinions of other HVAC techs on this.

[@JimmyMakingitworkflorida]

Keep replacing parts, eventually you find it. Cheaper to put a $7.00 can of refrigerant every 2 weeks.

[@surewhynot6259]

Your compressor won't last long

[@patrickchavez3848]

I just got notice you made a video today! Any ay its always a good day when you get a Rainman Ray video no matter the time! At 7pm this video just salvaged my day!

[@jeremiah-om7zl]

Love the sniffer

[@TStheDeplorable]

I'm working on my buddy's a/c today. So far I detected leaking low side port valve. Unfortunately, it's frozen in place and broke in half when I tried to remove it, so today the replacement refrigerant line arrives. But I really worry he has another leak, that perhaps I "caused" the leak in the port by putting the gauges on it. It has dye in it, but I'm also ordering a cheap version of your sniffer that had a good number of decent reviews. I hope I can fix this!

[@jasonkarov]

That's a nice truck, especially with the Cummins but even so , but if it'was mine, I'd use small grinders and cut the bottom of the dash covers to access the evap rather than pulling the entire dash

[@61rampy65]

Pulling the dash isn't difficult, but it is time consuming. Many times all you have to do is get the dash loose enough to pull it back enough to sneak the HVAC box out.

[@bruceb4349]

Don't you have to be able to pull the EVAP straight back to get the lines out of the firewall ? Sure, cutting the bottom of the box will allow you some access to the bottom of the EVAP radiator, but I don't think it gives enough access to pull the evap radiator straight back to get the lines clear of the firewall and then drop down out of the hole you cut, does it ?

[@JimSampson-y6v]

Did a 2003 dodge about 4 months ago... leak was at evap core. Dash was fairly easy to r/r.... Blend door actuators worked fine but found 2 broken off plastic blend doors. Hard to find new doors ! Anyway... you could tell doors were probably broken due to heat and cold mix constantly.

[@stoker261]

i liked this kinda video.

[@GlennLaycock]

it is very clean and in good shape

[@Leon-qc7fe]

Not to tell you what to do however, I had a leaky seal, replaced it and was good for a while then slowly leaked again. About a month. Same thing again, another seal. Then a third time another seal. The truck was 10 years old in Michigan. So parts cannon time. Replaced ALL seals, been good for 3 years now. It might be a good idea to replace ALL the seals too just for fun.

[@Ruan850_]

Ray The sound of this equipment reminds me of the game Columns It reminded me of the sounds of the blocks " bip bip bip bip "

[@losoj30]

A video on Sunday!? YES!

[@woody95124]

Another good job / diagnosis bud....We all know thts a big ass job to fix.....

[@catherinemorgan2741]

Ray, twice in one day I'm blessed

[@NuTex1954-lk5un]

You can use a White Sharpie to mark the top of the light OR/AND you can use a fine tip soldering iron to mark the top and then sharpie it or use a drill to make a tiny indentation and sharpie it.

[@Papieck37]

Fantastic forensic video Ray... I really enjoy these type of video where you go all Sherlok Holmes

[@methamphetamelon]

Truck's got some nice honkers under the hood.

[@Invisibleman7]

Surprise upload on Sunday night, it’s 9pm in U.K. Thanks Ray

[@yanglue611]

That's great. Maybe I should get a sniffer. My usual experience is old Compressor seals, Condenser, Heater Core Temp Sensor or HVAC Thermostat. The expansion valve will be once in a while. The evaporator core is hardly ever. Sometimes, the high pressure switch.

[@mathuelee2686]

You also have to remember that you just charged the system back up so there will be trace amounts of freon under the caps second most leak detectors will go off if a decent amount of wind hits the tip of the probe. Heck if you blow in the tip they go off they may have fixed that issue with the new ones

[@basbass429]

Nice vid, reminding of your own wise words, you may have found a problem, but not THE problem 🙂 Although this case, this was probably the worst aircon system ever to leave a factory with leaking overtime everywhere.

[@SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

hvac tech here: never ever forget that you never found The Leak, you only ever find A Leak. never stop looking after the first leak. and always shove the detector in the evap drain on the bottom of the car if you want a fast test to see the evap being leaking.

[@1jantheman1]

My thoughts exactly. Should have checked it all the first time.

[@markgardner9134]

Yes, thoroughly agree. Find all the leaks instead of annoying your customer.

[@robfish2303]

@SupremeRuleroftheWorld my way of doing HVAC on a vehicle. I do the repairs and go over it again with a leak detector. I use a Bacharach H-10, which hasn't failed me yet.

[@ORRadtech]

Isn't that part of the reason to vacuum the system down and hold the vacuum for a period of time to verify it holds?

[@SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

@@ORRadtech no, for proper leak searching you first do a pressure test with nitrogen and a leak search, you always search with the maximum pressure on the system. automated vacuum testing that these machines do is basically useless as they are too fast and not accurate enough.

[@istvan5400]

Hello Ray! We have a different method to find leakings in AC systems. Put some UV reagent ink into the system (when you recharge it), turn on the AC for 30 min. then get an UV light, that will reveal all leakings under 10 minutes

[@RATCHETMAN1001]

where do u get reagent ink never heard of that

[@istvan5400]

@@RATCHETMAN1001 Sorry buddy, I write from Europe. That ink is avalilable every AC service

[@darlenepopulorum-oy7it]

Took me and my son 10 1/2 hours to do a heater core on my '99 Dakota, ripping the whole HVAC unit out.

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

Ahhh the old Ram Evaporator, luckily they aren't too bad on these. Sometimes I'll pull the blower motor for a peek under the skirt, I mean case.

[@Michael-yi4mc]

Happy Sunday from Hawaii. It’s a sunny 0900.

[@GARDENER42]

Meanwhile, it's a just gone sunset 21:20 here in the UK

[@Michael-yi4mc]

@@GARDENER42 👍Sounds like Happy Hour

[@GARDENER42]

@@Michael-yi4mc Chilli chicken thighs to my own recipe on basmati rice & a rather nice bottle of 2023 Corbières. 🙂

[@DonaldWells-wk8dc]

Got.Monsoon weather here...some sun wind thunder rain and a little hail...sounded like popcorn on the rv roof...in AZ.

[@Michael-yi4mc]

@@DonaldWells-wk8dc 👍Watch out for the flash floods in Arizona.

[@dalejones3862]

That's a fun job ray

[@henrybucki7813]

also try the clutch on the compressor the seal on saft will sometimes leak. they used to say run the a/c once in a while in the winter to keep the seal lubed but that was back in the 70s

[@gavinrewell9703]

Love your work Ray

[@lexalford358]

The expensive one is the hardest one to check for a leak because it’s not easily accessible and that’s why it’s so expensive to fix but it’s Murphy’Law of course l

[@jonclassical2024]

I think it would be very educational Ray, if you showed the repair charges for every job you show...it would give people a good idea what repair charges should be!

[@CedroCron]

The best RAM pick-up ever made is this RAM right here, it just sucks that the A/C setup on these were always a problem with leaky components due to poor design.

[@AJwoodway]

Howdy from Waco Texas yall!

[@DonaldWells-wk8dc]

Gregg Abbott ..yep...busses them to New York city.

[@DonaldWells-wk8dc]

Like Texas

[@ImRestless]

Just used your link to amsoil to get oil for my 2 cars next oil change!

[@mikeallen2404]

i would just recharge every spring and let ride! good catch though,,

[@golf25radioman]

That evaporator definitely was the culprit. And pulling a dash, any dash, is such a big job. Hope you get the approval. I'd like to see the process. After the other leaks were fixed, you probably suspected the evaporator when it came back, you closed the cabin up and the vents so you could check it.

[@Gary_in_NoVA]

I don’t think he has to ask for approval - it is a “comeback” x2. He has to fix it. Also, unless he can convince the customer that he checked the evaporator on the previous 2 visits, and it was good back then, he may have to eat at least some of the cost for not finding/fixing it the previous 2 times. JMHO.

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

​@@Gary_in_NoVAHe didn't replace the evaporator. Customer has no warranty with him on the evaporator. They can have it done wherever they want. 99% of shops including good ones will even charge for this diag if they don't have him do the repair. Then they will move on to the next invoice. Welcome to 2024.

[@kevnski3snrs]

UP IN MINNESOTA HERE, THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO CHANGE OUT THE HEATER CORE ALSO. CLEAN OUT THE SQUIRREL CAGE WHILE YOU ARE IN THAT DEEP. SORRY ABOUT THE CAPITALS. THAT'S JUST THEY WAY I ROLL. CAPS ALL THE TIME. THOSE AMSOIL LABELS SURE LOOK BEAUTIFUL ON YOU CHANNEL.

[@michiganborn8303]

That freon sniffer sound like a hand held Galaga video game from 1984.

[@RATCHETMAN1001]

when looking at those under hood move ur detector way slow. it takes time on small leaks for it to be sucked up the tube. also i put pag oil in those fill ports and look for bubbles . or blow them out and recheck with sniffer.

[@nathanbeeby513]

Ghost busters. That's what this is.

[@herbbates4713]

2005 with a 5.9 way low mileage for 19 years old

[@johnmarino4085]

Nicely done Ray !

[@meganpaull6140]

Excellent job Ray