I had the AC fixed a month ago, and now the condenser has sprung a leak.

new condensers are $120. It looks like i can just use the R134 stuff for sale everywhere - for $40 or so. I dont think I need to flush the system, since my mechanic just did that.

How hard a job can this be??

 

replacing the condensor requires opening the system. opening the system means it needs a hard evacuation, and it should be flushed of any air contaminated oil, and refilled with fresh oil before charging.

 

it was just flushed and recharged a month ago. I need to flush it again?

And when you say oil - is R134 oil?

Beyond those questions - this looks pretty straight forward, no?

 

as I understand it (I'm not an AC expert at all), air getting into the AC system is toxic to the refrigerant, and when you replace the condensor you will lose some unknown portion of the r134 AC oil as well as let air into the rest of the system, contaminating it. you flush it to remove all the AC oil so you can put in the correct amount, and you hard evacuate it to remove the air, then inject the correct amount of oil and refrigerant.

 

Most likely when the condenser leaked some oil came out. Look where the leak was and see if it was wet. Pull the grill and remove the condenser. Simple straightforward job. Replace the condenser and then you'll need to vacuum down the system to boil out the moisture and check for leaks. Do this for about an hour. If all is well get a can of 1st charge 134 which has a charge of compressor oil in it. Then fill with normal 134 until you reach the charge pressures. just read and follow the instructions with the charge cans. Also look at some utube DIY on charging the AC system. Wear gloves and eye protection.