I know where my AC is leaking..I just need to know which part am I looking at
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pstarSR
Active member
that picture is hard to show but that looks like high side. and in that larger portion, with the bolt is an Oring. they go bad on every car. but if you OPEN this you will lose refrigerant. and you will need a recharge. also, refrigerant is toxic if inhaled. DO NOT DO THIS in your garage. do it outside if you open it and try to replace the seal.
Please, have it repaired professionally by a shop well versed in electric vehicles.
1) venting the system is illegal
2) loss of refrigerant, either by venting or by a slow leak, carries some of the oil from the system, the cost of damaged compressor from low oil will cost you many 100x what you "saved" doing it yourself.
3) EV's require different refrigerant oil to maintain the dielectric properties in the compressor, std oil for R134a you get will not do that.
I am not such a shop and have nothing to gain with the advice above, but the costs of getting it wrong can exceed the value of the vehicle. Especially when many of the Leaf's use a heat pump, so you loose A/C and much of the heating system if your repair fails.
4) the "wet" you see from the leak is refrigerant oil, proving #2 above.
1) venting the system is illegal
2) loss of refrigerant, either by venting or by a slow leak, carries some of the oil from the system, the cost of damaged compressor from low oil will cost you many 100x what you "saved" doing it yourself.
3) EV's require different refrigerant oil to maintain the dielectric properties in the compressor, std oil for R134a you get will not do that.
I am not such a shop and have nothing to gain with the advice above, but the costs of getting it wrong can exceed the value of the vehicle. Especially when many of the Leaf's use a heat pump, so you loose A/C and much of the heating system if your repair fails.
4) the "wet" you see from the leak is refrigerant oil, proving #2 above.
Nissantyler
Member
So you think I can replace o-ring ? The refrigerant is leaking already. It's probably all out
Nissantyler
Member
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Nissantyler
Member
Thats where I saw liquid
Nissantyler
Member
What are those parts?
marshallinwash
Well-known member
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- Dec 4, 2023
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It looks like a 92450, AC Pipe Front.
Last edited:
pstarSR
Active member
I know you can replace it, its a replaceable part. I worked in auto repair for years. You could replace the o-ring yourself ( probably a $.05 part ) and then have a shop refill your refrigerant. since you will need some equipment for that.
even if you think its all out, its probably NOT. AC is high pressure, but will NOT function if the pressure is below a threshold. so you could still HAVE pressure in the system, and gas. but not enough for it to work. so I wouldnt use that as your "im safe" to do this in my garage with the doors closed idea. you can find the fill ports ( usually a BLUE, or RED cap. or BLACK cap ) on those aluminum lines, take the cap OFF and there will be a Shrader valve ( like from a bike tire ) inside the fitting. you can press the small tip. to open it quickly, and only a bit. if you hear a HISSSSS and feel something come out.... you still got gas in the system and should have it evacuated at a shop first. or, do it outside. and wait an hour.
basically you take that 10mm bolt OUT, and pull the two halve of that hose apart and there will be an oring in there. my have to unbolt that clamp bracket at the bottom also.
also the AC orings are specific if I recall. so do ask the parts guys for the A/C compatible orings
in the end, though. the shop will take 5 minutes to fix that, then refill you. and probably only charge you for the refill and refrigerant. id take it into a shop. they will have to refill you anyways.
None of that address the oil issue, which can lead to very expensive problems.
Do a search on compressor failure and cost of replacement, there are some on this site..
If that is the leak and the only leak, yes the repair of the leak is simple, but if you don't get the oil right, the costs are very high.
No where to you mention the oil in your write up. Refrigerant oil is soluble in the refrigerant, so any leak of refrigerant also leaks oil.
unlike ICE car compressors which are shaft driven from a belt, the Leaf and most other hybrid are electrically driven, like home A/C and the electric motor runs in the refrigerant and oil mixture. The oil must not be at all conductive and there can't be impurities in the refrigerant/oil mix.
The picture is hard to determine what is leaking, it could be condensation or it could be oil.
Proper diagnosing and repair would involve using a "sniffer" to locate the leak, draw-down of the system to open and repair, replacing the lost oil, in the system and then recharging to the correct amount by weight. The last two are not something you mention and are not easily done at home.
With belt driven compressor a few hundred bucks, and plentiful, many are willing to chance it. belt driven also tend to have larger oil supply sumps in the compressor itself.
A compressor failure on a modern system can be very expensive on a belt driven compressor, requiring the replacement of every component in the system. You can't flush the modern condensers and evaporators and clear them of debris. There are more valves in the Leafs heat pump system than a conventional A/C that all have to be replaced on a compressor failure.
The cost quickly exceeds the value of the car. If you are willing to gamble that much, have at it. The cost of a shop that knows how to do the job right, has the correct equipment to do so, and will check are replenish the needed oil, is worth the cost. Also it gives you some legal recourse if they fail to do the job correctly. However, I would seek a shop that knows EV's and the correct procedure to do the job correctly.
pstarSR
Active member
100% addresses the oil issue dude. when you refill the refrigerant ( at a shop ) will come with oil. any competent shop will add a few oz of oil depending on capacity to the charge.
He asked if he could replace the o-ring. 100% he can.
Wrong, 1st EV's use different oil than shaft driven compressors, look it up. 2nd cans of refrigerant don't contain oil unless they are stated as an "oil charge" and then, what oil? There are different oils depending on compressor requirements, and type.
A trained monkey can change an O ring, that isn't the issue.
I know refrigeration, I designed and built my own systems and the safety shutdowns for those systems.
Not knowing what you are doing, risks very expensive parts and could possibly "brick" the car if those systems are damaged.
Do a search on this site and see the cost of a damaged compressor.
I wouldn't trust most shops unless they have a history with EV's or Hybrids to know the requirements of hermetically sealed compressors.
What the O/P does is up to him, but I would caution against advising on what you don't know.
You say it "comes with oil", do the shops have different kegs for all the different oils? I don't think so, They have a keg of R 134 a, just like I do, and it is pure R134a with no oil.
There are many oils compatible with R 134a and they have different characteristics to meet the needs of different operating environments. Putting the wrong oil in can be a costly mistake.
Putting in too much or not enough is also bad, too much unless way too much will reduce heat transfer and the system will not function as well, too little will both starve the compressor of lube but also cooling.
As of right now we don't even know for sure the system as leaked, or if that pipe is the source, When I 1st saw the picture, I thought it was wet with oil, but when I blew it up, I couldn't be sure it wasn't condensation.
As of now, we have no pressure readings, no temp data from the OP to assess the system. Not even an operational complaint to go on.
Nissantyler
Member
I've added freon twice and it just leaks out..it works for two days with freon but it's freezing for the first day. But then on day two or three it is warm again
1st confirm your suspect fitting with either a sniffer or dye. Sniffer is best, and then go around the system to make sure there are no other leaks, so you only have to open once.
Next, since you have "boosted" it twice, and it has leaked you have no idea how much oil is in the system. This is where it gets dicey: Compressor alone is several thousand dollars and takes a fair bit of labor to change. It is also connected to the HV system so a failure may lock the car down. In most cases in the recent years, if the compressor lets go, it send metal into all the small passages in the condenser and down stream valves, requiring a complete replacement for the HVAC components.
In a normal service of an A/C system the refrigerant and some of the oil is drawn out, oil separated from the refrigerant and the same amount put back in. In your case the refrigerant has leaked out 3 times with no oil being put back in, so it becomes very hard to tell how much is still in the system and there for how much to add.
With refrigerant oil a little too much is preferable to too little. A slight over charge of oil will reduce the heat transfer in the coils. Way too much can "slog" the compressor with liquid it can't compress and damage it. A small amount to little can't lube and remove heat from the compressor which will damage it over time. and a lot too little will cause it to seize up. Getting it just right is worth the effort.
So to mis quote "dirty Harry", "Do you feel lucky punk"?
The refrigerant oil has to be the correct stuff for a hermetically sealed electric compressor that runs on 360 volts +/-. this is NOT the same oil belt driven automotive A/C uses.
With a leak as large as yours UV dye charge should show up fairly well, however it will not be as good at detecting other smaller leaks that may also be present.
At this point I don't think you have done any permanent damage, but the continued boosting and leaking is removing oil every time. I think it is time to either live without the system or to put some money into having it fixed correctly by someone who is aware that it has been boosted twice and lost oil and charge 3 times, and knows the correct procedure to restore the oil and refrigerant as well as stop the leak.
As I said before, when I 1st saw the pic's it looked like it could be wet with oil, but when blown up and the fact the pipe in question is on the suction side of the system, I may just be seeing condensation forming on the outside of the piping.
Even on a conventional system, A/C work is not cheap, and the learning curve can be an expensive one when you don't get it right the 1st time.
Again, I don't own a shop and have nothing to gain from telling you that I think you need to take it somewhere with EV experience, the cost to repair if not done correctly is very high.
Next, since you have "boosted" it twice, and it has leaked you have no idea how much oil is in the system. This is where it gets dicey: Compressor alone is several thousand dollars and takes a fair bit of labor to change. It is also connected to the HV system so a failure may lock the car down. In most cases in the recent years, if the compressor lets go, it send metal into all the small passages in the condenser and down stream valves, requiring a complete replacement for the HVAC components.
In a normal service of an A/C system the refrigerant and some of the oil is drawn out, oil separated from the refrigerant and the same amount put back in. In your case the refrigerant has leaked out 3 times with no oil being put back in, so it becomes very hard to tell how much is still in the system and there for how much to add.
With refrigerant oil a little too much is preferable to too little. A slight over charge of oil will reduce the heat transfer in the coils. Way too much can "slog" the compressor with liquid it can't compress and damage it. A small amount to little can't lube and remove heat from the compressor which will damage it over time. and a lot too little will cause it to seize up. Getting it just right is worth the effort.
So to mis quote "dirty Harry", "Do you feel lucky punk"?
The refrigerant oil has to be the correct stuff for a hermetically sealed electric compressor that runs on 360 volts +/-. this is NOT the same oil belt driven automotive A/C uses.
With a leak as large as yours UV dye charge should show up fairly well, however it will not be as good at detecting other smaller leaks that may also be present.
At this point I don't think you have done any permanent damage, but the continued boosting and leaking is removing oil every time. I think it is time to either live without the system or to put some money into having it fixed correctly by someone who is aware that it has been boosted twice and lost oil and charge 3 times, and knows the correct procedure to restore the oil and refrigerant as well as stop the leak.
As I said before, when I 1st saw the pic's it looked like it could be wet with oil, but when blown up and the fact the pipe in question is on the suction side of the system, I may just be seeing condensation forming on the outside of the piping.
Even on a conventional system, A/C work is not cheap, and the learning curve can be an expensive one when you don't get it right the 1st time.
Again, I don't own a shop and have nothing to gain from telling you that I think you need to take it somewhere with EV experience, the cost to repair if not done correctly is very high.
BillAinCT
Well-known member
Sometimes you just can't get the point across.
If that is oil then your AC is in trouble! You need to get the system vacumated after removing the oil and coolant for getting moisture out of the system and then let it be filled with fresh coolant and additional quantity of oil according to the service manual. That is the proper procedure. it will normally cost you about 100 euros /dollars. But then it is done like a pro would do it. Dont try to save money it is not worth the effort.
So true, but I hate to see a good car get a bad reputation from users who don't understand the complexities of the problem.Sometimes you just can't get the point across.
Boosting with the "kits" in the retail stores are a bad idea from the get go, but some can have limited success and they keep getting sold.
In the early days, the GM (Harrison) Ford (York) and Chry RV-2 compressors all had a way to check the oil, had large sumps for "extra" oil, and were quite expensive (relative to other parts in that timeframe). For a while Sanden and clones had a port and a dip-stick you could use to check the oil, but as the price of compressor came down (again relative price) they became "throw a way" and are not nearly as well made. Now very few if any have a dip stick or other way to see how much oil is in the system short of draining and comparing to the spec on what is supposed to be in there.
In theory it shouldn't ever leak out and never needs to be changed. In practice it does, and if like the poster here, has been "boosted" back up multiple times without any oil.
