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Yes. It's very possible that's where the leak is and the dealer couldn't diagnose it (meaning, didn't do the job correctly) because it's buried under the dash and they were lazy. Every time you've brought it back, they refilled the refrigerant which is why it worked for a while and then stopped working once the refrigerant all leaked out. The other components in the system are more easily accessible and therefore easier to test.
I wonder if your indy guy found the dye at the evaporator that the dealer didn't bother looking for.
Bumping this after searching and not finding the answer to what I am looking for....
So recently I have been having an issue with my AC. I took it to the dealer and had them do a diagnostic. They said: low freon, put dye in the system and could not find the leak. Recharged it with R134 or whatever they are using for the TL. They also said all the major components like the compressor and condenser were fine.
Fast forward 30 days, same AC issue. Not blowing cold air, can see the air flowing through the vent and the like. Took it back to the dealer. They said there is no freon leak so they suggested to change the AC relay under the hood. I said go ahead. Left the dealer and it seemed ok at first. Then it reverted back to the same old same old.
I didn't want to take it back to the dealer based on my conversation with the tech and the service advisor and contrasting that with what I have read on various threads here on AcuraZine (honestly I don't think they know how to properly diagnose the issue) so I decided to take it to an indy mechanic that I recently stumbled upon and came highly recommended.
Indy mechanic diagnoses it and says low freon and the evaporator core is bad. Tech seemed knowledgeable based on my conversation with him (again contrasting and comparing what he said with what I have learned here on AzuraZine from prior threads) and troubleshooting. I told him I changed the relay. He checked the clutch and compressor and said they are fine.
So here is my question as I have not seen a thread here in the last 9 years I have been on AcuraZine- does a bad Evaporator sound like a logical reason why the AC is not blowing cold?
Absolutely possible. When they say bad evap, do they mean clogged?
The evaporator is what's in the cabin getting air blown through so it cools you. It plays a critical role in the exchange of heat. Does your AC/heating smell musty? The TL evap core is position and located in such a way that often mold grows around it leading to smelling + decreased efficiency. It seems to happen quite often too that the drain tube for the evap core gets clogged with debris sometimes causing water to enter the cabin.
This is a decent diagram of how AC works whether in a car or other systems:
Imagine you're sitting in front of the arrow at 8-9. Obviously if the evaporator isn't working properly for whichever reason you'll never get cool air.
As vlad said too, if the refrigerant is low THERE IS A LEAK. The AC is a closed loop system, nothing should magically disappear!
Yes. It's very possible that's where the leak is and the dealer couldn't diagnose it (meaning, didn't do the job correctly) because it's buried under the dash and they were lazy. Every time you've brought it back, they refilled the refrigerant which is why it worked for a while and then stopped working once the refrigerant all leaked out. The other components in the system are more easily accessible and therefore easier to test.
I wonder if your indy guy found the dye at the evaporator that the dealer didn't bother looking for.
Thanks Vlad. You're correct. The tech at the Indy shop pulled the carpet down in the passenger wheel well and showed me where the dye was on the hose to/from the Evaporator. I agree with you....I sincerely doubt the tech at the dealer checked the Evaporator much less knew to even check there as he didn't even mention it in our discussion.
Originally Posted by polobunny
Absolutely possible. When they say bad evap, do they mean clogged?
The evaporator is what's in the cabin getting air blown through so it cools you. It plays a critical role in the exchange of heat. Does your AC/heating smell musty? The TL evap core is position and located in such a way that often mold grows around it leading to smelling + decreased efficiency. It seems to happen quite often too that the drain tube for the evap core gets clogged with debris sometimes causing water to enter the cabin.
This is a decent diagram of how AC works whether in a car or other systems:
Imagine you're sitting in front of the arrow at 8-9. Obviously if the evaporator isn't working properly for whichever reason you'll never get cool air.
As vlad said too, if the refrigerant is low THERE IS A LEAK. The AC is a closed loop system, nothing should magically disappear!
Thanks PB. As it was told to me, he said it was leaking and not clogged. Yes, it does smell musty. However, I don't have water in the cabin.
Thanks Vlad. You're correct. The tech at the Indy shop pulled the carpet down in the passenger wheel well and showed me where the dye was on the hose to/from the Evaporator. I agree with you....I sincerely doubt the tech at the dealer checked the Evaporator much less knew to even check there as he didn't even mention it in our discussion.
Haha bingo! Mystery solved. Not sure if you care enough to go back to the dealer and argue for getting some of your money back. This is textbook incompetence.
Forgot to mention, they suggested I replace the expansion valve also and I agreed to that as well. I've got to live with no AC until Saturday as they had to order the parts (I requested Honda only) .
I got a chemical sniffer, and a UV detection kit. were they sure it was the evap core and not the seal to the evap? Seals are notorious for leaking and so are Schroeder valves. Chemical sniffers run about $40 and a UV light runs about $12. I would definitely verify Evap leak before you drop LARGE change to fix that...
BTW automotive A/C is not in the double digit tonnage range. The amount of refrigerant used by the system is a very good indicator of that. Most Automotive A/C are in the 1 ton range larger vehicles are in the 2-3 ton range for a split unit... Most home AC takes about 4-6lbs of refrigerant while an automotive system might take 2 and a half. Older cars may have been as 4lbs of R12 would COMPLETLELY OWN 2 pounds of R134a...
Last edited by YeuEmMaiMai; 07-31-2015 at 01:13 AM.
Including the initial (incompetent) dealer diagnostic (175) plus 25 for the relay and the costs of the evaporator and expansion valve I'm in for a total of $840.00.
I was told by the tech at the Indy shop that the green on the Evaporator is the dye that was leaking from it.
Including the initial (incompetent) dealer diagnostic (175) plus 25 for the relay and the costs of the evaporator and expansion valve I'm in for a total of $840.00.
I was told by the tech at the Indy shop that the green on the Evaporator is the dye that was leaking from it.
That's not bad at all, spent $850 at the local honda dealer pricing matching Delray Acura for parts and labor on getting the field coil replaced along with a new drier, expansion valve and freon. MSRP before match was $1200
With having an 11 year old car, it's bound to happen and a small price to pay for a wonderful machine. I like your shoes and suit pants
This isn't a solution directly related to A/C systems but it did help mine out a bit.
I didn't like how my A/C and engine ran once my car got heat soaked on 90+ summer days in stop and go traffic. So one of the modifications I made was splicing in an adjustable fan thermostat for the main engine fan. I think the default range was 10 degrees over normal operating temps (I can't remember 100%). I wanted to keep it lower. This also allows me set the on/off temp to back to the 'normal' range on colder days. I set it to turn on as soon as the engine reached a few degrees over full operating temp. Yes it remained on the entire time in traffic but once I got moving on the highway it would turn off.
This alone helped my A/C in traffic and reduced the heat soak a bit. It wasn't night and day but it was definitely cooling better, especially when I wasn't moving.
I also removed the plastics under the hood and the hood liner. It may not have made a difference where I live but why trap heat around the engine, especially in AZ.
Including the initial (incompetent) dealer diagnostic (175) plus 25 for the relay and the costs of the evaporator and expansion valve I'm in for a total of $840.00....
That's not bad IMO, especially since it includes the $175 diag charge.
I sure would have been interested to see if the A/C Pro would have worked. Oh well, glad it's working once again
Originally Posted by ggesq
...I was told by the tech at the Indy shop that the green on the Evaporator is the dye that was leaking from it.
AFAIK, the dye requires UV light to see it.
Originally Posted by YeuEmMaiMai
let me ask you a question, Did they pressure test the evaporator? that green stuff looks like algae or coolant
07-30-2015, 11:17 AM
