So I've got my '94 wagon on the road, after it had been sitting for most of last fall/winter/spring of this year. Now it runs like a swiss watch, and I'm going through some peripheral items, spedo failed, and... NO A/C.

When I bought the car it had low/no cooling and a charge of RF134A at the low pressure port got it working tip top, and ice cold right off the bat.

Seeing as I can't ethically drive the dog or the 3.5 year old around w/out A/C I figured it had to be a slow leak, I checked the pressure at the low pressure port and it read 0, I turned on the A/C but I didn't hear the compressor kicking in, did some googleing heard that can happen with no pressure, so I started adding some coolant, and almost right away I hear "PSSSHHHHH..." and one of the hoses went between the low pressure port and the compressor.

So now brainiac the wundermechanic now has a dead A/C system and a BIG leak.

How hard is the leak to find? I can hear the damn thing, I ran in the house and grabbed a stick of incense lit it, and hoped the smoke would show where it was audibly coming from but now luck. It seems to be below the radiator. I don't really want to keep pumping RF134A into the atmosphere, and it's expensive.

And I'm thinking my compressor is dead. It still spins, but the fact it wasn't taking in any coolant, or opening up to? is a clue.

Any comments or suggestions for this repair?

 

an A/C technician would inject some ultraviolet dye, and use a UV light to find the leak pronto.

 

I'm wondering if i jostled the relay on the panel doing my fuel pump... Or the compressor is just shot. The pressure gauge jumped up from zero to close to redline for the temp that day in almost an instant, and then...psshhhh...I hate paying someone else to fix crap on my car. Mostly because...it costs money, but I don't have UV die that's for sure. A blacklight, I could probably find.

 

Go to someplace like Autozone and they will have a can of freon with die in it. They also have a cheap Blacklite . Just plug it into the low pressure port and look for the leak.

 

If you HEAR the leak it must be a big one! Which is nice as finding the small leaks is what's a pain! Your compressor won't engage and suck in the refrigerant if the pressure is too low: you have to jumper the plug at the dryer to get the compressor to engage.