A/C Leak :(
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A/C Leak :(
Hey Guys-
I own a '95 C36, it has been in my possession for nearly 6-7 yrs now and i absolutely love it till this day! The A/C system has not blown cold ever since i purchased it. A few years back i paid a shop to refill the A/C and the freon leaked out in a 2-3 day period. I plan on taking it to MB and paying them $160 to uncover where the leak is at. My fear is the evaporator leaking which looks to be a very extensive job.
I was hoping to find out if there is a common part that leaks on the car and how often the evaporator is the culprit part?? Any insight would be very much appreciated!!!
Thanks,
-Rob
I own a '95 C36, it has been in my possession for nearly 6-7 yrs now and i absolutely love it till this day! The A/C system has not blown cold ever since i purchased it. A few years back i paid a shop to refill the A/C and the freon leaked out in a 2-3 day period. I plan on taking it to MB and paying them $160 to uncover where the leak is at. My fear is the evaporator leaking which looks to be a very extensive job.
I was hoping to find out if there is a common part that leaks on the car and how often the evaporator is the culprit part?? Any insight would be very much appreciated!!!
Thanks,
-Rob
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From: America
1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
If it was over filled, then you almost certainly blew the evaporator as it is the weak point in the system. If you are very lucky it is the condenser or compressor which are much cheaper jobs
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From: Land of mountains, cheese, chocolate and watches
12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG + Ultima Can-Am sold)
The A/C in my old C240T gave up the cold and the dealer replaced the compressor and a whole lot of other parts. It was expensive but the renewed A/C worked perfectly for many years after. It probably still works today but I moved the vehicle on to a friend.
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From: Land of mountains, cheese, chocolate and watches
12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG + Ultima Can-Am sold)
My 43 needs a refill every year, so I guess the compressor could have a leak. It does have an UV dye but I don't how they check that out... 
In the darkness and a special light I suppose 
In the darkness and a special light I suppose
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Thanks guys, i wanted to get a general idea of how many people had to replace the evaporator. I have a remanufactured compressor on the way, i will most likely have the shop retest it for leaks first and then have them install the compressor if it's the culprit part. I had it tested many years ago and i definitely remember him saying the compressor was faulty. I cannot remember if there was anything else. I'm almost certain he did not make any mention of the evaporator or i really hope this is the case. 
I plan to take it in next week and will post back with the results. It's nice to see this part of the forum is still very active. A true testament to the quality of our badass cars. Thanks again! You guys have always been very helpful and responsive!!!
Best.
I plan to take it in next week and will post back with the results. It's nice to see this part of the forum is still very active. A true testament to the quality of our badass cars. Thanks again! You guys have always been very helpful and responsive!!!
Best.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: Land of mountains, cheese, chocolate and watches
12' W204 C63 AMG coupe "T-Rex", 12' W451 Smart Fortwo Pulse (99' W202 C43 AMG + Ultima Can-Am sold)
Interesting, so the MB star tool can determine where the leak is at? The girl i scheduled the appt with did say they plug it into a computer. Surely they have to inject dye throughout the system to find a leak. I did not think the Star tool would be capable of something like this.
Thanks.
Thanks.
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From: Henrico, Virginia
2014 ML350 4Matic
I have an inexpensive UV lamp I bought at AutoZone for checking for leaks. The dye will glow bright green under the UV lamp. It doesn't need to be in the dark, just a shaded area is fine. To check the evaporator you can charge the system with just enough refrigerant (cans containing refrigerant with dye are easily available) to get the system running, then check the condensate coming from the evaporator drains for traces of the dye. Same for the area at the front of the compressor (the seal area). To check the condenser the auxiliary fan unit needs to be removed. Another tell tale for leaks on the visible parts of the system is dirt collecting at oil leaks. Since the oil is in constant circulation throughout a refrigeration system oil is a sure sign of a leak. Switches, joints, etc. are candidates.
