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A/C Compressor leaking

3K views 15 replies 3 participants last post by  sc1984 
#1 ·
Ok, so as the title states my compressor is leaking. I replaced the compressor since the original was pretty old. I reinstalled lines after flushing them to be safe and I still have a leak at the back of the compressor. Is there a particular trick to installing the in/out lines on the back of the compressor? I replaced the seals as well. From the look of it the in/out line looks fine. Any help would be appreciated
 
#2 ·
No trick to installing lines on compressor. If you still have a leak with a new compressor, either compressor line attachment point wasn't machined correctly, or you need new lines as sealing block might have become warped.

Did you use a vacuum pump to vacuum out system before charging with r134? I guessing no, because vacuum gauge would have indicated a vacuum leak in system.

If you don't vacuum system and change the accumulator/receiver drier, new compressor will not last very long.
 
#3 ·
I vacuumed the system. Was leaking pretty quickly. Used dye to confirm it was coming out the back of the compressor. I bought a new line to be safe. Took forever to get it aligned but I think I got it. It is holding pressure longer, but there appears to still be a leak and not seeing dye coming out anywhere. So I am going to do another test tonight, and if I can't find anything I will have to take apart dash to see if it is the evaporator.
 
#6 ·
Whenever I am looking for a leak, after evacuating/vacuuming, I add dye and charge the system to full capacity. Let the system cycle for a bit and check. If nothing shows up, I tell the customer to return in a week and we'll check again.
 
#8 ·
OK. So I looked at the line again and cleaned it up. Doesn't appear to be leaking...at least noticeably. I did find out the main problem I was having was my test equipment was faulty. The lines were leaking. So, after using sealant tape on all the connections it appears to be holding pressure, however, in the course of about an hour it dropped about 1-2 PSI from from roughly -31 PSI to -29 PSI. Is this normal or do I have a slow leak?
 
#9 ·
On a side note I jumped the gun and installed the dryer and then noticed there was a leak. Once I saw it was not holding pressure I uninstalled the dryer and reattached the screw on caps. I would say it was open to the atmosphere for about 5 minutes. Will that ruin the unit? Or is it ok to reinstall since it wasn't subject to too much moisture? Any help would be appreciated.
 
#12 ·
So for an update I kept the vacuum going for 24 hours and has lost about 4 PSI. Is that normal? Or do I have a leak? Because I have the new refrigerant good to go and don't want to spend another $50 for more refrigerant if it is still leaking. Any insight would be appreciated
 
#13 · (Edited)
I've never kept ac system on pump for 24 hours. Usually, when I vacuum system, once it reaches full vacuum, I'll let it run for an hour . I shut pump off and leave pump & hoses attached for an hour. If full vacuum is maintained for that time, I judge system to be leak free.

In addition to your ac system, vacuum pump and hoses could be a source of leakage. So check those out to be sure they are not leaking when attached to system.
 
#14 ·
OK. Drew a vacuum and held pressure afte 30 minutes so I added the recommended amount. Ran the A/C and compressor didn't kick on. Hooked up my computer and reset the codes and all is well. Now, hopefully my final question, what should the resting pressure on the low side be? It stays around 40 with the compressor on, but when I turn off the car it starts climbing to seems be holding at the moment at 110 on the low side with the car off. So, if that is normal then we are good to go and truly appreciate all your input. If not what could the problem be if that is way too high? FYI from doing weights I may have overcharged the system by 7/8 of an ounce if that makes a difference
 
#16 ·
So I am going on day 2 now with my install and all appears to be well. Not as cold as my other car but beggers cant be choosers :p I would like to thank you all for all your help. I really appreciate it.You guys saved me a ton of headache and money. So once again thank you! :)
 
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