I'm pulling into my office this morning after driving about 90 miles and a large puff of brown smoke starts to come out of the hood of my car. I park the car, check the temperature gauge, no overheat issues, and immediately turn it off. Opening the hood I see some anti-freeze at the front of the car just in front of the A/C condenser. A rather loud hissing noise is coming from the radiator area or so it seems. Only a small amount of anti-freeze has leaked from the radiator. I let the car cool down and I add a small container of "Bar's Stop Leak". I test drive the car for about twenty minutes and no leaks but when I turn the A/C on all I get is warm air and it's 99 degrees on the ambient temperature gauge. I don't hear either the A/C compressor or the secondary fan turn on when I switch the A/C on. In the mean time I ordered a new radiator but now I'm wondering if the leak could have actually been the A/C system leaking some sort of oil (green fluid). Not sure if the hissing was the freon leaking out of the system or if it was the coolant. Right now the coolant over flow tank is above the maximum line and no additional fluid ever came out of the system. Does anyone know what I can do to test the A/C system? Is there a fuse for the compressor? Will the A/C compressor turn on if it has lost it's charge?

 

No the AC will NOT come on if the charge is low. I think it's pretty hard to confuse coolant with the stuff that comes out of the AC system, but I guess anything is possible.

 

Has anyone added leak detection dye to the A/C system? I have seen some that is the same color as coolant. It's also fluorescent so should glow under a black light.

To run a simple home test you would buy a can of R134a with the built-in charge hose. Follow the directions and hook it to the low side line by the firewall on the pax side engine compartment. Fill until either the compressor kicks on or the hissing starts up by the condenser indicating your leak.

You can also buy a black light bulb at the auto parts store that fits a drop light holder.

 

After some simple investigating it appears that it is definitely an A/C leak. There was only a small amount of fluid that came out but it was green and very slimy. I think the condensor or one of the hoses to the condenser blew out. I will have to check it from under the car when I get back home (I work out of town). If I need to replace the condensor will I need to replace other components (compressor, dryer, orifice tube) given the age and mileage (2003 model with 181k)? Also which fitting do I attach the R134a to? There are two fittings on the firewall; one is connected to a large metal pipe and the other is connected to a small pipe.

 

It's the fitting on the large pipe. The charge hose will only fit on the low side anyway as the high/low fittings are shaped differently.

Now my 2001 is a receiver/drier type with an expansion valve. As such, the receiver/drier is after the compressor so you must fill the system with the charge can upright so that only gas enters the system. The compressor cannot compress a liquid so never turn the can upside-down.

It is always recommended to replace the receiver/drier when opening the system for repair. It is mandatory to replace it at some stores to have the warranty honored for a new compressor. I've had success replacing only the compressor or condenser on my vehicles. A deep vacuum on a hot day helps tremendously in removing water. Harbor Freight sells a cheap vacuum pump.

Low side fitting:

 

Thanks. I ordered the condenser and dryer. Do I need the Orifice Tube and new Compressor Oil? I'll get the vacuum pump from Harbor Freight.

 

No orifice tube, that's an accumulator type system like on my Chevy truck. If you mean expansion valve then no, you do not need that.

You will need about 3 ounces of PAG 46 oil to replace what is lost. That's 1 ounce for the receiver-drier and 2 for the condenser. I added my oil straight to the condenser before I bolted the connection shut. Check the o-rings too, mine did not come with new ones.

I'd also recommend a set of R134a manifold gauges. Again, Harbor Freight has a cheap set for the home user. Pull a deep vacuum and make sure it does not leak.

 

I did not know that about the Orifice Tube. I was just about to ask about the oil to add. I started dismantling everything but I'm out of town for a week so I'll start pulling the condenser next Saturday.

 

Be prepared to "message" it to fit. The one I bought for my 2005 was slightly different than the original. I had to round off some square edges and use some oil to slide it in place. The reward for the sweat and cuts is ice cold, no-leak air conditioning.