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FL Mark 03-16-2013 12:32:29 67.233.176.141 Report to Moderator	My wife"s 2001 Mazda Tribute with 200,000 miles has leak in hose coming off compressor. We are hoping the transmission holds up a few more years and we want to keep this car as long as possible. I will replace the accumulator while I am at it. Should I replace compressor while I have the AC opened up? What else should be replaced on AC system? Should all hoses, orifice tube, and condensor be replaced? Local parts store lets customers use a vaccum pump to get all of the moisture out of the system when finished. Is vacumming the system necessary? This car is the same as a Ford Escape if any of you have experience with those. Thanks for any information you can give me. [Reply]   [No Email]
bjb in Tx from Ne 03-18-2013 05:45:32 147.1.234.165 Report to Moderator	Re: OT Mazda Tribute AC in reply to FL Mark, 03-16-2013 12:32:29   Be careful, when I tried to replace my compressor and one line last fall, the all the aluminum fittings were seized and striped. I ended up replacing the WHOLE system. You might want to have a professional shop work on it so they can replace the fittings if necessary.   [Reply]  [No Email]
FL Mark 03-16-2013 17:53:16 67.233.176.141 Report to Moderator	Re: OT Mazda Tribute AC in reply to FL Mark, 03-16-2013 12:32:29   Thanks for the replies. I am going to replace the hose assembly with the leak, accumulator and orifice tube. Does oil need to be added to the system? I saw online to add about 3 ounces of PAG oil. Does the oil come in an aerosol can like the R134a? How else does the oil get added if not the same way as refrigerant? I also need to get a spring lock tool to disconnect the lines. If I buy the parts online, I may get a vaccum pump from Harbor Freight and hope it works ok.   [Reply]  [No Email]
evilboweivel 03-16-2013 15:16:18 75.185.40.180 Report to Moderator	Re: OT Mazda Tribute AC in reply to FL Mark, 03-16-2013 12:32:29   orfice tube dryer vacumn down and hold for 1 hour good luck   [Reply]  [No Email]
glennster 03-16-2013 14:24:18 99.90.9.201 Report to Moderator	Re: OT Mazda Tribute AC in reply to FL Mark, 03-16-2013 12:32:29   considering the mileage, i would just replace the leaking line. a/c parts get spendy, and its a roll of the dice how long any of the components will last. after you have the system open, i generally pull a vaccuum on them for about 45 min to an hour. then hold the vaccuum for another half hour or so to check for leaks before re-charging. you may want to shoot a little leak detector dye in there when you charge it, in case there is a leak. napa sells the kit for about 20 dollars, has the dye shot, a pair of yellow glasses and a u/v pen flashlite to check for leaks.   [Reply]  [No Email]
rabbit 03-16-2013 13:26:44 207.241.137.116 Report to Moderator	Re: OT Mazda Tribute AC in reply to FL Mark, 03-16-2013 12:32:29   Anytime you have a system open, it is absolutely necessary to vacuum it down before adding freon.   [Reply]  [No Email]