Hey guys, any specific spots to check for leaks on this car, MY07? I'm not usually too bothered by no ac but its now like 90 and raining out so top is up. It definitely blows cooler air with the a/c on than turned off which in my mind says everything is working correctly and it needs a recharge, but since it does need a recharge I'm guessing there's a leak somewhere. Any help is appreciated.

 

No A/C system is perfectly sealed, so you will always lose some refrigerant. Don't just dump more refrigerant in, you also need to add a small amount of oil as the oil and refrigerant are mixed, so if you lose one you lose the other. The most common places for leaks are in the high pressure line going to the condenser, and the compressor shaft seal. If the shaft seal is bad you will see an oil/refrigerant mixture stain on the subframe. As for the high pressure line, check the fitting at the condenser, and along the line itself, if you feel any wetness whatsoever, you know you have a leak, it's pretty easy to spot. The manifold gauge fittings can also cause a leak(but far less than on other makes because Honda is the best ever), and obviously if you hit something with the condenser. Do not attempt to work on the A/C system on this car unless you have a vacuum pump, a manifold gauge set, a service line, and a refrigerant tank, or can get a shop to drain, evacuate, and recharge the system.

Moisture is the enemy of the A/C system, and the drier is the only thing stopping the moisture. If you live in a place that has high humidity after 10+ years that drier won't work as well, and once moisture starts getting in the system you start having problems. For example the expansion valve starts freezing over at the evaporator inlet, and even worse, the moisture mixes with the refrigerant and oil and becomes a corrosive acid. A good way to keep the A/C from leaking is to use it every now and then to keep the o-rings lubed.

The good news is the parts are very reliable and stout, and all the tools you need to service an A/C come out to less than $250. That includes o-rings, oil, refrigerant, a tank, vaccum pump, and manifold gauge set. Everything else can be done with standard hand tools.

 

I had a small leak as well. An A/C specialty shop diagnosed leaking Schrader valves due to not keeping those blue caps on them. $80 for two new valves and a recharge. I felt very lucky.

 

Going through this myself. PO of my car replaced much of the A/C system due to the compressor locking up. Cost him $2500 to replace various things and guess now I have to fix it. It is helpful to have some pressure gauges to read the low / high side gauges to see if you're just low on coolant or if some other component may be failing. Based on the gauge readings, with mine I put a bottle of R134a with stop leak with naive hopes it would fix the problem. I also bought a leak detector off Amazon so when the stop leak doesn't work I can hopefully find the leak.

 

Any refrigerant with stop leak or other elixers are evil in a.c. system. It's your car but I wouldn't use them. R134a and uv dye is standard procedure.

 

Yeah, I'm going to take it somewhere and get it done right. Haven't messed with it yet though, not very high on my priority list.

 

I was afraid someone would call me out on this...well deserved. I am usually a big stickler for doing things right, I don't know why I was weak and fell for this.

 

Can anyone recommend a particular brand/model of pressure gauges? Thanks.

 

Depends how much you're looking to spend?

If you don't plan on doing it professionally for dozens of cars you can just get a harbor freight kit, which includes the gauge and a small vacuum pump.

After that all you need is a refrigerant tank, or get a shop to remove it. Or do the unspeakable.

 

Thanks. Nothing professional here--just for checking my cars occasionally. But I do want a tool I can trust, which usually puts HF out of the running. I'd spend more for a good tool.