How To Find and Repair AC Leaks - EricTheCarGuy

[@CertifiedGasSystems]

You are too real Eric. No editing the silly parts and mistakes. Learning a lot from your effort. Saves me a lot of time and mistakes on my end. I do residential hvac and never put a vacuum on a system with a known leak as it will suck air through the leak into the system and allow moisture into it. To verify a leak I pressure the system with nitrogen & look for a drop in pressure. Congrats on a million subscribers.

[@patrickliverpool6487]

I am an Certified Auto Electrician for years. Listening to Eric the car guy it's amazing and I am doing very good so far thanks so much. I will always watch your videos

[@nomoniggs]

Man you could've done alot of other fun things with your time, but being the awesome guy you are, you decided to help out your fellow man. Your the best bro. Thanks a mill for your vids.

[@djshotokan]

I have been ASE certified on AC/ Refrigerant for years. This is an absolutely amazing video, Anyone actually listening to Eric is doing it right. Of All the test i've had to fail people on in this, its one thing...SAFETY GLASSES. Keep it up Man.

[@karlmadsen3179]

Eric is the best. Smart. Articulate. Helpful. Knowledgeable.

[@tmst2199]

And he cracks me up.

[@manjindersingh5882]

Gv

[@joeydomino6567]

Love the confidence in his common sense decision to reuse old orings since the new ones didn’t look like the right size and old ones looked good. Have faith in your gut.

[@LuisOlivoFan]

Thank you. You helped me find a leak in my dash in my 2009 Doge Journey. I previously attempted to find the leak with dye and was frustrated. I them bought a detector after watching your video and sniffed the AC lines with nothing found until I sniffed the vents as you instructed and the sniffer went crazy. Now to access the AC core in the dash to replace it... Yay 😖!

[@COCOT20]

Eric, remember for the next video that the yellow hose need to be vented at the mainfold when you plug the refrigerant can in order to vent the remaing moisture thats trapped inside this hose ! BTW great video !!!

[@briansabolik7125]

But that would have blown most of the dye out!

[@91C4NVA]

Thanks Eric, I'm a tech of 30 years, that was/am weak in AC diag, because I've always done mostly engine performance and diagnosis. I have to say nice job in many ways. Nice to see a video, that makes sense, and isn't full of blah blah, irrelevant stuff. Keep up the good work.

[@MuyAnimalista]

Is so clear that you explain ! I never find a professional like you. Complement from Italy!

[@walterbrunswick]

I love AC! Already worked with an AC tech (residential/commercial) and starting technical college in Sept 2012 for HVAC/R.

[@CravinMorehead420]

Another great video Eric. Just a tip... if there's a leak in the system, stay away from SEALANT(s). Usually they never work and clog the expansion valves (also ruins recovery machines), so please take it to a shop to have a certified technician work on it, if unsure.

[@micholob86]

Just found your videos. Very helpful and easy to follow. I do all my own car repairs but have never had to deal with AC issues til now. This 30 minute lesson is a great resource. Thanks!

[@Peterdidntbuildit]

Great video. And as a professional tech im glad to see these kind of videos so consumers can understand the difficulties of Ac work. Just a couple of thoughts. Why not bench test the line before installation As brazing is a industry approved repair. With the vacuum pump and a couple vacuum plugs you can pull a vacuum on just that line and it is quicker than pulling vacuum on the whole system. Also with that said you can isolated the whole system line by line and confirm evaporator leaks before pulling dashes. Take that electric leak detector and throw it in the trash it can be set off by anything as your video shows. Keep up the good work

[@tlcagent]

As an apprentice mechanic I love all your video, teaches me a lot and keeps me interested.

[@cipmars]

Also keep in mind that if the compressor doesn not crank for a long time it will break (the shaft seals) so it is really worth checking if it's ok. I bought a car that had a leak in the system that nobody bothered to fix for years and I had to change the compressor too.

[@skipsaunders5974]

Best AC repair video I've found.... nice that you explained how "NOT" to over tightening things.... Thanks

[@glmoore001]

Great Video. A/C was always a mystery to me, and although I do a lot of work on my vehicles, I have always sent this work out. I will try it myself the next time. Thanks Much!

[@MoneyMarcMes]

This is one the most valuable vids on Eric the Car Guy. This vid has answered a lot of questions i've had with AC systems. Thank You Eric!!!! Also another thing with AC compressors is that they also have sensors inside which prevent the AC compressor from running when there is absolutley no R-134A in the system. The compressor only runs when the sensors detect refrigerant. Marc

[@staceysnow9300]

I am buying a 2005 PT Cruiser from a used car dealer and we are going 'round and 'round with AC issues. I am a woman. Think what you want. Say what you want. We are usually at a major disadvantage when it comes to car talk. I watch you, I quote you and I get respect. Thank you. Ericthecarguy!

[@justinduncan7507]

Good job researching the issue. PT cruisers are notorious lemons, perhaps a toyota camry or honda accord would be more reliable

[@SoulSearch11110]

+Justin Duncan I second the Honda Accord.

[@SoulSearch11110]

You are so right on us women getting respected when it comes to "the car stuff"

[@SolidSnake334-47]

run fast. the PT cruiser is crappy car.... to much suspension issues and engine.. they are my favorite cars to make money on.. Go toyota or honda

[@sieftastic]

@@SoulSearch11110 i also vote accord. Although my AC just went out in mine lol

[@MrMarkguth]

Your right, a a/c video would be hard, there are so many variables, I’ve been doing a/c work for20 years or more and still get curly ones, it’s not a one size fits all job, hands on experience goes a long way. Great video

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Ok, you added dye into the yellow hose and then connected it to the refrigerant can. Knowing you don't want to introduce air into the system, aren't you suppose to purge at the shrader valve on the manifold until you see refrigerant coming out so you know you've pushed out the air in the yellow supply hose? But, since you've added dye first into the hose, you'd also be spraying out dye when you're purging it, which I imagine could get a little messy. Wouldn't an injector that allows you to push dye or oil directly into the low side port be a better option. Just wondering because I'm going to try to help a friend find a leak in her AC system very soon. Thanks! *Update, I read through the comments and I've found Eric doesn't respond much to questions, if at all. Anyone else got an answer for me.

[@cantwinee2765]

@@hondahoodgarage6357 Precisely. He does that in his video on evacuating the system and recharge

[@46lfries]

They make a threaded tube that you can add refrigerant oil to a system you can do the same thing with the dye you just have to make sure you fill it up where the dye comes completely out of the holes no air in it you put that between the line in the manifold Lower Side open the manifold gauge app on both side the high side will drive it into the system you're done I've made one out of refrigerant tubing it's kind of a pain in the ass to fill up though works

[@genesloan3175]

@@hondahoodgarage6357 exactly! I thought it off at first. But then concluded the obvious answer was charging up with dye to find the leak... Then fix the leak, pull vacuum. And then once leak solved purge out the air under vacuum and holding then introduce freon.

[@gllorin]

Thank you for all your videos posted and the ones to come. Im currently studying for auto technician. Your videos are very informative. I've been able to associate class with your videos and its helped me a lot. Thanks Eric. Its people like you that make a difference.

[@silksilksilk2]

Man this is awesome! I love how you show all the missteps . As someone who's been trying everything , this was the best video for an inspiring DIYer with some general knowledge. :) A/C go go go

[@jimmyweider3113]

When I asked about the Subaru the other day I knew it was probably the wife's car , and it's funny the AC crossed my mind as I was cooking in my truck.Glad that you hooked it up with Air, Another awesome Job well done Eric.

[@mdkarnish]

Before you start charging the system and after you connect the freon can to the yellow hose, you should have loosened the yellow hose at the manifold end to purge the air from the yellow hose. You should do this for a second or two after you hear air from the connection, then close it.

[@oduetsebagokele2903]

+Michael “Carnac the Magnificent” Karnish I think he didnt purge because he poured refrigerant coulerent in the hose

[@jerryrivera7704]

He didn't cause this was leak process diagnosis

[@ekimzaga]

thanks eric, you've been helping me fix my honda accord and you don't even know it! Next up is the AC

[@DIYApprentice]

I replaced the compressor myself on my old Acura Legend about 8 years ago, got the system recharged, and it worked for a couple years. The expansion valve then failed along with the condenser, so I replaced the expansion valve, condenser, and receiver/drier then took it to a shop to have it recharged. $800 later in parts and a recharge, and I had a working system. It's now empty again after a few years, and the UV dye appears to indicate bad o-rings on the hoses at the compressor. Smh. The good thing is that R12 is still available, and I'm stubborn about converting to R134A. Vacuum pumps are available on loan at Autozone.

[@Vfh........y]

I've had many Acura Legends and I don't know why you're hesitant about switching it over all you have to do is Pump It Down well first put the new fittings on which are 20 bucks and you are converted. It's pretty simple to do or am I missing something here

[@AntonBabiy]

R134a doesn't circulate R12 oil properly and burns out the compressor and replacing the oil entirely is such a big job its not worth doing. The best cheap way is to run propane/butane mix. There is a guy that made a great post about it, I think his website name is possum living. If you Google it, it'll be one of the first to come up. It's better than 134a cause it circulates the oil, readily available and not harming to the environment. I personally run straight propane in modern R134a systems due to higher efficiency and lower cost. Never had problems

[@AntonBabiy]

@Jay Fox multiply the weight of r134a by 0.4 and you get required weight of pure propane. If you need other gasses you can look up the weight by volume at 25°c and divide the new gas by old. This gives you the value you can use to multiple the old gas weight by like the 0.4 above

[@weneedtermlimits]

Couldnt you just fill it by pressure? Whhy does weight matter?

[@AntonBabiy]

@@weneedtermlimits because once 10% or so gas is in the pressure doesn't change until its grossly over filled. That's why ac charging is always done by weight. Also if a top up is needed, the present gas is pumped out and new refilled cause there is no way to tell how much is already present

[@benlee111999]

I've been waiting for a GOOD video on AC work and I'm very pleased to see that you posted this as well as your other AC videos. Thank you!

[@dsadave]

very impressed. Thanks so much. This video will be archived . Hope your wife truly appreciates you!!!

[@BEEBEE159]

+David Fenderson Unfortunately, they never do...

[@seanseanseanseansean]

Fantastic! I don't fix AC systems at all, but now I know what questions to ask my AC mechanic. He refills my AC system every 6 months. Too frequent! I'm going to ask him what method he uses to verify there are no leaks in my system, because, obviously, it still leaks!

[@osvaldocristovao12]

thank you very much for doing these kind of video, they are so helpful.

[@upstatesc3514]

Good video, very informative. One important piece of info for viewers is that venting refrigerant in the atmosphere is not only 'not cool', it is also illegal. Someone probably already mentioned in the comment section, but i'll mention it again. Also, as an employee of a major hvac corporation i can confirm that pulling a good vacuum on your system is paramount! A good shop will pull a vacuum for at least 30 minutes...be weary of a shop that doesn't take the proper amount of time to do this job correctly. You need all the moisture out of your system otherwise you'll just run into more trouble down the road.

[@AntonBabiy]

If you're experienced in this field could you tell me how corps get away with putting r134a in air dusters (the non-flammable types) but venting even partially empty systems is illegal? Seems like gov actually cares more about profit more than air quality lol

[@mrau92me]

Just because it's illegal doesn't mean it does any harm to the environment... this world is huge and a trace amount of refrigerant isn't gonna faze it. The government is all about coming up with reasons to tax the avg. Joe and padding their pockets and their buddies doing research on this bogus global warming.

[@jignc1984]

Hey Eric, I just changed my A/C compressor, condenser, & drier/accumulator and both of my lines lines, but it looks like I've still got a leak. I am going to do a leak test tomorrow. I've got a ford ranger and it looks like the evaporator core is under the hood. Will the dye test work with that? If that doesn't work I'll have to buy or rent one of the R-134 leak detectors. And last my question is can I still re-use my drier, if I just changed it? The only thing I've done at this point is put a vacuum on it. So I believe the only moisture that's been put in the system is coming from the leak and I guess drawn in by the vacuum pump that I ran on it.

[@benicio1967]

Not cool you hit no answer. Hate that for you. Hope you were able to get it all running ok. I know it was a long time ago.

[@jignc1984]

@@benicio1967 I got it fixed. It turned out to be an o-ring that needed to be changed. I think it was at the condenser. It's been a while since I did this, but I think I did a leak test to find it. Thank you for the reply and the concern.

[@AndriiOstapchuk]

Eric You are the Man! I wish all my teachers were explaining so easy to understand as You! I was asked If I can find a leak in A/C on GMC Arcadia. Piece of cake!:)

[@kubastrobos]

irony is poking your eye out with the safety glasses.

[@tmst2199]

Even better than getting choked with a seatbelt!

[@dynamo3059]

i've literally shot my eye out with a bb gun richocet by accident before, always wear safety glasses!

[@thomashuckaby8867]

Thank you for a clear,easy to understand, profanity free video. Very refreshing.

[@JoshuaFinancialPL]

I chose to smash my car into a tree so I could certainly identify the AC leaks. (I didn't. but I have two cars with zero AC and I'm $1,400 in on one repair where we replaced the whole system and it failed after 1 year. so i certainly feel like driving that one into a tree.)

[@heyitschinoable]

Lol what car??

[@spencerlervik2083]

Leave the trees alone they dont hurt acs

[@robertmedina6875]

Probably have a leak . Look at scannerdanner a/c video

[@microgreensgrower3946]

I've been watching a whole lot of video's on this subject and this one is the best I've seen. Love it! Using this info to find the leak in my 05 Sienna. Thanks so much!

[@mustie1]

great how to, thanks,,,

[@eloctocs13]

That was great. I always wonder how that vacuum pump could suck all the moisture out of the system. When in fact it boils off. I look toward to the next video. Great info that can really help guys like me who like to do thing on my own cars when I know I'm not in over my head. Thank you Eric

[@johnrobinson4645]

I just replaced my compressor and I didn't have refrigerant at the time but I did have propane. This works just as well right?

[@sevenpak]

some cars DO explode

[@HighestRank]

Yoga flame. If you ever vacuum it out, keep cigarettes away from the pump.

[@banno6938]

Propane can have moisture in it so do you really want to chance it ? BTW some so called alternatives to freon are hydrocarbon products but do you really want an explosive gas in your AC system ? I do not !

[@CrazyHHO19]

eric my aircon alwas work dont need to fix it but watching you is so rewarding,you are a good man thank you

[@jdwisdom9433]

Hey, I really got to thank you cause I learned so much! JD

[@romanepaillant5575]

You teach Very well and you are Very Specific on detail and I have learned a lot From You today about Servicing AC System. Thank Eric Thecarguy.

[@akabigo135]

Its 88 today. Im gonna have to do it. On my way to Harbor Freight..

[@HighestRank]

Don't forget the compressor oil and refrigerant. I'd buy my gauges at an auto parts store in a kit that comes with refrigerant, if there is such a thing.

[@akabigo135]

I got the refrigerant with the oil already added. It also come with its own gauge. Thanks!

[@tmst2199]

It hurts me to buy anything at that place.Such crap. But I suppose for a one-off it might be best.

[@amendes6410]

@@tmst2199 harbor freight has improved over the years I feel. I haven't had any issues with anything I bought from there!

[@tmst2199]

@@amendes6410 The last thing I bought were some snap ring pliers. They were basically worthless for even slightly challenging snap rings.

[@jdwisdom9433]

This certainly raises some topics that I should keep in mind. I thank you for pointing these important areas out to me and all that would undertake A/C repair. JD

[@CORZER0]

134a is an HFC, no chlorine. Zero negative ozone impact. Calm down.

[@tmst2199]

Right. It's not a CFC. Still, it's considered a potent greenhouse gas and has already been banned in the EU. Potential alternatives include CO2 as refrigerant of all things. LOL.

[@herpnderpn2484]

It is something like 1300 times worse than CO2 pound for pound as a green house gas. You are correct, zero impact on ozone.

[@grasshoppaMedia]

Working on a 02 Suby. Nice to see it done on essentially the same system! Borrowed manifold and pump from friend. Wondering if the hoses and connections are really air tight as it looses vacuum after shutting off....

[@marktaylorable]

Great Vidio, well done.

[@HighestRank]

Take us to tamorrow-morrow land.

[@genesloan3175]

Filled a few details about dye that I wasn't sure about how to use it and put it in.. thanks. Need to know more but maybe another video is in your vids about diagnosing gauge readings and what they mean.

[@easytopleez33]

very informative, I just had to watch to see if your fix did work. Cannot tell you how many times I've been down the same road. Your one cool guy, keep the vids coming. And don't let the tough times kick your butt. Take care

[@eddiep6803]

Very helpful video, particularly when combined with others from Eric and elsewhere. This is no Ph.D. program on HVAC; but, thank you to the author for putting this material and himself here for our benefit.

[@Filmaker25]

I knew that solder wouldn't work auto leaks of any kind are sooo resiliant ; they work their way through the tiniest crevices .Even exhaust leaks.

[@prunga308]

Since Eric goes to Harbor Freight , I found in the flashlight section a small hand held black light flash light, around $10 bucks.

[@maloosecat123]

it's 2022 and I am still watching this...one of the best ac videos still!!!

[@Park2King]

Great video. Just learning how those vacuum line gauges and the recharge canister work was worth the price of admission. Would never attempt a repair like this myself (too much additional equipment needed) but it might save me some money when I take it into an A/C specialist if I understand the lingo beforehand.

[@2112user]

Good video, covers everything for a home guy. For those diong a few cars... They do make an injector for the dye. Many variates, but they all go on the low side like the mainfold and let you directly inject it. So less messy and unlike adding to the yellow hose, you can turn the refrigerant "on" and crack that fitting at the manifold to vent the air out of the line. If your in a shop, Nitrogen and soapy can be used to find leaks and check systems too. Work on refers, and that what I use. One question I have always had and never gotten an answer too.... The dryer is basicall just desiccant in a tube. Some are cheap and some are expensive. For the expensive/hard to get ones..... Anyone know if its possible to "cook" these things (140=/- for an hour) like we do for ammo or 3D printer desiccant packs and renew them?

[@NETWizzJbirk]

No, the canned air used to blow off keyboards is most commonly 1,1-Difluoroethane (R152a) though 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) is also used. Both are HFC refrigerants! Not surprisingly, DuPont owns the patent to both and sells the 134a under the "Freon" brand. In contrast, they market R-152a under the "Dymel" brand as a propellant *eye roll*... DuPont also sells Dymel R-134a, which is marketed as non-flammable propellant, but it is the same as Freon R-134a only for a different market.

[@JMPulido55]

"I consider that just irresponsible" (20:40). That's right Eric TheCarGuy. It is like saying: "Leaking refrigerant into the atmosphere isn' cool". No pun intended. 😆 Indeed, refrigerant damages the Ozone layer which protect us from harmful Sun rays. Great video. I learned a lot from it.

[@hobieslug45]

for evap leaks shut the car off and stick the detector up the drip hole or let it sit for a day and check the floor where the evap is . usually on the passenger side. you was just picking up air at the vents . you can blow on the tip of your detector and set it off. you could sand that hose for one or two inches from the hole solder more surface space then liquid steel it all around the liquid steel that takes 24 hr to dry completely

[@bobbyk6585]

Great detail. What a treat when a gifted teacher makes his knowledge available to others.

[@mohamedbari7506]

Wanted just to add a little detail about the change from R12 to 134A is because R12 is prohibited now (not all countries i believe) it's a pure Ozone killer. R134A is a friendly and safe material. great video!

[@46lfries]

Almost all cars have 134 in it now I converted to a Mustang one time but the condensers are slightly small 134a rounded slightly higher head pressure the problem was too much head pressure before you can charge it up completely that suck if your red go fit in an old car what's a huge condenser no problem

[@caskinsro]

For future reference, any Subaru dealer can still get parts for them :P They still make every part for my 95, including body panels. Price may suck a little (a lot) but they are still there! Where did you end up getting new lines? Mines shot as well, dealer is pricing me about $97-$200 depending on the line, and $97 for the dehydrator unit. Seems a bit much lol

[@mopartinez]

George Clooney with a ponytail! Seriously, you rock man! I'm am amateur mechanic and your videos are easy to follow and super informative for the DIYers out there. Great video quality and editing btw. Keep up the good work!

[@exiledintheus7251]

Wow glad I stopped by longtime no talk to. Genuine nice guy on automaintenance.

[@gunlover1955]

I think Peter Hambly is right you just needed to do some more brazing on the tube and you would have had it, but I use an air hose, compressor and some soppy water in a spray bottle to do the line check.

[@asnack]

If you add dye either 1-keep the other end of the yellow hose facing up or the dye will leak out or 2- connect the can of refrigerant first. Lesson learned.

[@aries780418]

The best video are in English. Great information. Greetings from Mexico.

[@govindarajanjayaraman4731]

Wonderful video, i liked it very much.It is ex termly difficult and headache to find the leaks. My car ac mechanic, released the refrigerant and then pumped ordinary air into the ac system. After that he poured the soup water over the ac pipes to see whether there are any leaks in the system. Then he released the air and then pumped in the refrigerant.

[@HighestRank]

So environmentally responsible. I don't know why he didn't use the soapy water before releasing whatever gas was in the system, but maybe he suspected it wasn't R-xxx.

[@waynehendricks8187]

Hi. Thanks a lot for all your videos! You have helped me many times. I agree that A/C work can be challenging as replacing freon and dryers can add up in cost if different problems come up after fixing one thing. Thanks.

[@creechavo]

This is actually very informative even 12 years later.

[@kprice399]

I did my 1st ac repair from this video & today going to do my next repair. Awesome, thx!

[@sieftastic]

congrats!

[@ANDERSON938]

Thank you for the video. You have done the most outstanding video I have seen on youtube, when it comes to autos. Most of the the others either do not show what they are doing or worse yet do not explain what or why they are doing it, that is if there is even any sound. I am sure they think they have done a great job but..poor lighting if the have any at all poor camera views,,etc,etc. Again thank you for a job well done.

[@AnotherWisenedOne]

You're wrong about the knobs controlling the gauges. The knobs connect the center hose to the high and low sides, depending upon which one is opened. The gauges read whatever pressure is in the hose at any time, that means connected to a system or not. If you open only the low side knob when gas is hooked up to the yellow hose, pressure from the can will flow into the system to be compressed down to a hot gas. Open up both valves and the high pressure gas will just flow back into the low side.

[@hectorarellano6764]

The Accumulator and the Drier serve to different functions. The receiver/drier gives the refrigerant a chance to change state from liquid to vapor before it reaches the compressor. As the Accumulator is located where applicable right after the condenser and it collects the liquid refrigerant to be sent to the liquid line to the metering device. Eg capillary tube, T.X.V. Etc.

[@AmandaHugenkiss2915]

The leak detector from harbor freight was a great investment for me. Found tiny leaks and found the evaporator leak in my kid's car. Verified after getting underneath and there was dye in the drain tube.

[@davelowe1977]

I like this video because, a) it's Eric, and b) it educates. However, I do know that for £25 I can have a local A/C shop hook up a machine that will evacuate the system, precisely measure the 134 and lubricant, then pressure test it, inject the exact amounts of 134 and lubricant, and print me off a ticket saying what its done. I'm not complaining about the video, but for the owner of just one car, this is cheaper than buying all those tools (gauges, vac pump, etc).

[@blanktank]

I have 2 quick questions and also I'd like to say that I am about to go down this very long road to troubleshoot my wife's ac system. A bit about myself: I am a small business owner, Triangle Mobile Mechanic, in the RDU area. Not that my plug is out of the way, I have been successful fixing AC systems a handful of times, yet it alludes me, and this video reminds me of my frustrations. Question 1: Why in for Pete's sake aren't we shot gunning AC jobs with parts, I hate this method in particular, but in some ways it makes sense because well, you end up spending more time on the back end typically if the first bandaid didn't work and I would also like to add that those High and Low side switches should be swapped out with new switches at the very least. Am I wrong to thing this way or are you like me and you're going to go for the cheapest way possible despite the obvious chance that there's going to be more issues down the road. Also, 2nd question: Why aren't we changing out the orfice tube. That seems to be a common failure and if that thing clogs then the AC system is going to be less efficient and possibly after a serious clog blow out all those new o rings. Let me know if my thought process here makes any sense.

[@BIGW0RD]

this video is freeking awesome, its just what i needed for my 97 honda accord. thank you Eric.

[@1captjake]

I like the video. Maybe tell the viewers about the leak stop refrigerant and the pros and cons of it. Also with those gauges when you remove the high side hose (unscrew the depressor and remove the quick connect fitting) liquid refrigerant will stay trapped in the hose. You can then bleed the refrigerant in to the low side (engine still running) by going across the manifold. Make sure you do it slow to prevent liquid from destroying the compressor (watch the sight glass).

[@muadeeb]

Thanks so much for this! I've got a compressor failing on my 2001 Xterra and have been doing research for weeks to figure out what needs to be done to fix it and recharge.

[@jdode5071]

Time for a new compressor. Eventually, the clutch will completely fail. Better to do it on a planned schedule, than to have it suddenly fail when you need it the most and don't have time or money right away.

[@reedjasond]

Thanks Eric for creating this video. I love this kind of practical DIY guide, especially on a difficult subject like the AC system.

[@panepinto1959]

Eric - your videos on AC are awesome. Thank you!!! It wasn't clear to me when you added the small amount of refrigerant with the dye and found your leak, how you vented the small amount of refrigerant to install the new hose and dryer/accumulator. You wouldn't just use the vacuum pump to do that, would you? Would refrigerant through a vacuum pump harm the pump? Did you need to have a certified AC technician recover the small amount of refrigerant you added for the test or was it small enough to vent to the atmosphere without much harm?

[@pollodustino]

Evaporators get damp from all the refrigerant evaporating inside it. That moisture, plus the dark environment in which it's located, is a good place for mold and bacteria to grow, especially if dead leaves and plant matter are allowed to enter the HVAC housing. There are cleaning services available, but the only sure-fire way to clean it is to remove the dash, split the housing, and clean it. Though in a pinch a can of Ozium will work wonders.

[@jamessharp2063]

another detailed video to the point and answered every question i spent hours trying to google!

[@MrGarcon98]

great job on the vid ,,,,,like you said at the beginning a/c work is not always easy ! i am a retired old fart 70 years old just installed a new compressor on my nissan rogue , it did not hold vacuum after evac ? but i went ahead and put a 65 psi of stagnant pressure to see if i have a leak of some kind ? it held pressure of 65 for 3 days ,,,,mind you i dont do this anymore but sometimes ill play around cause i am borred LOL ,,,,,,new compressor clutch wont engage no power at the compressor plug ,,,,,,so just backing up what you said ,,,a/c work can be frustrating even with experience ,,,,,,,going down the rabbit hole ,,,,,lol your a good teck eric ,,great vids always

[@vboricuataino]

Great video. Like the way you take your time and slowly go through everything so we can understand the entire process.

[@adventurous63]

I could tell you had a leak when you closed the valves at 9:35, because the pump changed it's tone. If you have a perfectly sealed system the pump won't know if the valves are open or closed.

[@maconpatton]

Hey Eric. I call the yellow hose the Auxiliary Hose. Probably old news by now. Thanks for the helpful videos.

[@brado52]

Sweet vid Eric........I had a similar issue with the kids Honda, had to replace the low pressure line and dryer.....recharged the system and works great....

[@michaelwall629]

Got the job done. Thanks for the help Eric.

[@benicio1967]

He’s one heck of a good man to do this for his wife. She’s got an incredibly generous thoughtful guy. That’s extremely rare.

[@user-pm1sw5ob2s]

I don’t know one male person that would not work on his wife’s car. And I know a lot of married guys. Not sure why you’d think that’s rare.

[@usernamelastname9708]

Whoah Dude My thoughts exactly.

[@newstart49]

To get all the moisture out of the system, you must pull it down into microns reading a micron gauge. If you can get it to hold 500 microns or less, you're pretty safe. It could take hours to achieve this vacuum since the refrigerant oil also absorbs moisture. Any moisture will show up later with internal corrosion and many more leaks. Just too many things to talk about and I think you realize it. It would take an hour long video instruction just to touch the surface in proper procedures, tools and how they should be used. You must have the proper tools and knowledge. This is why I won't do a video on this even with 41 years experience. Under the circumstances, you did a pretty good video.

[@donewiththis494]

He said to pull a vacuum to check for leaks

[@whuvir]

Thanks a lot for your helpful video which makes my job on A/C much easier. I noticed you used polar ICE 134a refrigerant which contains leaksealer to fill the system. Some people claimed that leaksealer clogs compressor and condenser eventually. Could you tell me is that true? Thanks.

[@salvadorpneri]

Before reinstalling the line - why didn't you isolate the line and pressurize the line (could have even pulled a vacuum) to determine if it can even hold a small amount of pressure (or a vacuum if you used a pump)? This procedure would have given you some indication that the repaired line can hold some pressure (or a vacuum). At 250 and above PSIs who knows if the line can take it. Furthermore, you should have conducted a nitrogen test instead to determine a leak and location. Much safer and cheaper. Also, you didn't bleed the charge line when hooking up. Now, you got air in the system. I like your video, it is still very informative.

[@bradmironik6137]

Any thoughts on using the bubble test to find leaks. I understand why eric is reluctant to do an ac video. You need to understand ac in general. I work on residential and commercial hvac equipment and therefore know what to do but finding a leak is sometimes easy and sometimes not.

[@popxkorn81]

Find out if you need PAG oil or Ester Oil, and the amount. The amount of oil needed will vary by system and how much R134A you put in the system. This is explained well in the Haynes book. There is different viscosities of PAG oil depending on the compressor. Look up the viscocity that your compressor needs -- not all the same. If you did a full AC repair with new compressor and dryer, split the required oil between the compressor and dryer.

[@jvjong1]

I love you showing this Eric! Can't wait for your next video on AC

[@SpaceWolfPainter]

Benefit a TON from the info in this! Looking forward to the next video for sure!

[@spencerlervik2083]

Thanks boss you're the best car guy on KZbin