Kiavoh

A couple of months ago I was driving home from a friend's house when a white vapor started coming out of my middle air vent closest to the steering wheel. I think it was the refrigerant leaking out all at once. Since then, my A/C has not been able to blow cold air. Today, I removed my dash to hopefully see the A/C system and see if a seal blew or something, but I don't really know what I'm looking at. I haven't been able to find a whole lot of info on this subject. Could anyone help me out?

Thanks.

drizzoh

A/C's aren't something you should just randomly attempt to do on your own. They have to be specially pressurized and oiled and need a vacuum to be charged properly. Also usually technicians add dye to the system to find leaks - they don't just go ripping things apart. Your dash might need to come out, but should get it inspected first at least.

Kiavoh

This isn't just a random attempt where I am "ripping things apart." I've been trying to figure this out for a while now but I cannot find any diagrams or anything to help me figure out where the A/C lines are and what they look like. I just need to know where it is so I can get in there and replace whatever seal is broken or at least figure out what went wrong. I also don't want to waste money on a can of refrigerant with dye if I don't need it. I have a pretty large leak so I'm trying to see if there is any residue anywhere on the system. From what I've been able to gather so far, it seems like I can do this fix on my own without the help of a shop, but then again, there isn't a whole lot of information on this subject. Thank you though, drizzoh.

DannoXYZ

1. R134a refrigerant under atmospheric pressure is gas
2. Your system is empty of R134a

When you've torn out your dash and see where AC lines are, how will you know where leak was? There's no residue or liquid at site of leak like coolant or oil leak.

JakeAut0

To start with, your going to need to do a full recovery on your A/C system first. This means pulling whatever refrigerant is left from the system if there is any at all. After this, you want to pull a vacuum on the system and see if the gauges drop into the negative and hold if they slowly creep up or don't hold, it is leaking. Assuming it's leaking by what you said, you will want to see if you can hear the leak, air being sucked in. If you can't find it, you would then recharge the system with the dye, run the system, then look for leaks. you could also use a sniffer tool to find refrigerant leaks as well.

My best guess on where the leak is would be the evaporator or possibly somewhere on the high-pressure side. If you do end up replacing the evaporator, you're going to need to pull a vacuum on the system for about 30 mins to get all of the air and moisture that will get in out, then you can recharge the system.

In my shop, we have a machine that we use to do A/C and it makes doing A/C work pretty easy, only thing is the machine cost about $4k.

This may help. This website has free manuals, just uses ads: https://workshop-manuals.com/scion/t...air/page_4539/

62Fender

With all due respect, it's pretty good advice to leave this up to a professional. A/C work takes specialized equipment and tools. It's one thing to add a bottle of refrigerant but it's another to get just the right amount. Not too much. Not too little.

Not trying to tell you what to do but a free estimate might indicate something you're willing to fix. Or not. Another thing to consider is whether you or a pro will evacuate/ refill your refrigerant, if and when you choose to do the repair.

JakeAut0

I'm going to have to agree with 62Fender. It would probably be best to have it checked out at a shop unless you feel confident doing it yourself with a vacuum pump and gauges for both sides. The tools needed for the repair would potentially cost more than if you were to have a shop do it.

I forgot to mention that most of the A/C system in the engine bay. The only parts under that dash are the Evaporator, bendoors, Ventilation system, blower motor, and refrigerant lines going to and from the evaporator.