What the customer told us
A/C would blow cold for a few weeks after a recharge, then go warm again. He had been buying cans at the parts store all summer.
What we found
System was down to about 30 percent charge. We evacuated, pulled a vacuum, and it would not hold, which confirmed a real leak. Added UV dye, ran it, and found dye tracking at the compressor front shaft seal. The clutch was also showing excessive gap and slipping under load.
What we did
Replaced the compressor, accumulator and orifice tube as a set, flushed the lines, replaced the O-rings, pulled a deep vacuum for 45 minutes to boil out moisture, and recharged to factory weight.
How it came out
Vent temperature at 41 degrees on a 94-degree afternoon. Held vacuum before the recharge and has not needed a top-off since.
Parts fitted
- A/C compressor
- Accumulator and drier
- Orifice tube
- O-ring kit
- R-134a
Photos to add: UV dye showing the leak at the shaft seal; Old compressor out; Deep vacuum pulled before recharge; Vent temp at 41F on a 94F day.
