1997 Ford Taurus Air Conditioning Problem

I have a 1997 Ford Taurus---Last September, my compressor went out. Had it replaced... My boyfriend at the time had a small auto mechanics shop so he replaced it for me... Well, it continually leaked freon. The first time it lasted about a week, the second time it lasted about 2 days. Well, we split and I never got it 'fixed' because it was fall, and I figured I would worry about it in the spring. Well, it's summer and it's HOT..... Well, I took it to a shop last Friday and he couldn't see where it was leaking anywhere. No oil residue. He charged it up, and I had air for 2 days---and it's not working anymore. I took it back and he still can't see where it's leaking out. So he suggested I change this big long hose part that costs about $150 labor and freon... Is that the only part to replace on it?? But is it wise to replace that, when he doesn't even know if it's that which is leaking??? How can I find out what EXACTLY is leaking before I just start putting money into this car??? You need to take your car to a Certified AC Mechanic. Any Mechanic that has messed with AC should know not to just replace any part. You might have a pin hole leak somwhere and it be almost impossible to find, UNLESS:

*DRUMROLL*



Every AC Mechanic or even side mechanic should know about this stuff. There are like over 100 manufactures. You can pick it up from and auto parts store. Buy one of those and slap your mechanic with it. Make sure he knows not to use more then 2oz's of the oil or you will have a different problem on your hands.

TOO MUCH PAG OIL IN YOUR CAR! I also recommend having the system checked using dye.
The evaporator core also needs to be checked for leakage with a high quality electronic leak detector. The evaporator cores are prone to leakage on these cars.

Why did he recommend replacing the hose if he found no leaks?

Good luck Venturi wrote:Why did he recommend replacing the hose if he found no leaks?


I was thinking the same question myself.

I would find a new mechanic. He said that's "most likely" the problem..... He said that if I replaced the compressor, that "most likely" the leak will be in that hose.... He said on the 'old' cars you could just replace a piece of the hose, but now they're all one piece, and I'd have to replace the whole piece. He did put the "dye" type of freon in it, and still can't see where it's leaking......???? The thing that puzzles me is----I NEVER had a leak or anything, that air would FREEZE you out.... I replaced the compressor and now it won't hold freon..... I just don't know.... I know I paid $30 for him to look at it and charge it up for 36 hours of cool!!! You need to start dating certified mechanics. Maybe one of the moderators are available? I'm sure they can use a good lube job. If you want your a/c system to work reliably for a long time then you need to find someone who knows what they're doing to do the work involved. While sticking to certified personnel generally means you get someone who knows what they're doing, it's not always a given. Nor is it always a given that an uncertified person does NOT know what they are doing.


That being said, it sounds like there were a few steps skipped by your mechanic. When you let your a/c system leak totally out of refrigerant temperature/pressure variations in the system (like when you start your car up on a cold morning... and the engine warms up the engine compartment (and a/c system components)) allow for air and water (generally in it's gaseous state) to enter the system.

Neither are good in the a/c system.

If they 'just charged 'er up' at the shop when it came in empty of refrigerant then shame on them. It's not that simple if you want a lasting a/c system. The leak is able to be located if the mechanic has the proper tools. The leak must be located and fixed. A very deep vacuum must be pulled on the system to remove air and moisture. If the a/c system has a leak anywhere, the proper vacuum level can not be reached.

If they didn't pull a vacuum (well.. and change the drier / accumulator) then you were running a contaminated a/c system. If the refrigerant hadn't leaked out after their 'fix' you'd be running the system at higher pressures because of the non-condensables (air / moisture) being in there. That would make your gas mileage and cooling worse (at best). The moisture in the system would be reacting with the refrigerant to form acids which eat components out from the inside out.

Once you start fluffing on some rather important procedures with a/c repair it snowballs in to a very large bill to get it going right again.

You need to find someone competent to work on your a/c system if you want to keep this car's a/c system working for very long. It's potential lifespan has already been reduced IMO.

Good luck. You do not have to have AC refrigerant with dye in it to ADD dye to the system. They Actually make a kit just for it. (Picture bellow)


In order to check this you need one of these. (Picture bellow)


If your mechanic does not have these tools or something similar to them, then I strongly recommend taking your car to someone that does.
These tools are a necessity in auto AC repair. Any of the people on this forum with AC experience will be able to vouch for this. Edited by broughy84 after user split into second thread. For other Question take a peek at the other thread titled "Air Conditioning Problem."

Now.....on with the show! If this thing is leaking out the charge in less than 2 days the leak should be easy to find. Have you taken it back to him or anyone else since the A/C stopped working? If you don’t want to go back to him take it somewhere else to have it checked, and tell them that he put dye in the system. Make sure they also check the evaporator for leakage. All you need is a blacklight and a pair of yellow glasses from your local gass station to find your leak.

Don't ask me how I know, I use to be broke at 1 time. how is dye going to pick up an evaporator leak?need a good electronic leak detector If you take some pampers and tear them into small strips and put them in the plenum drain,they will trap the dye if it is leaking out. I too was broke once. Cheap diagnostic tool. Now I have this mental image of you ripping up a diaper Tom.
 

He’s right though, I’ve done the same by removing the evap drain elbow and sliding a piece of white paper or paper towel into the evap drain. The dye will sometimes hitch a ride on the condensation from the evaporator and show up on the paper.