Let the CARNAGE begin!

Bob

Well-known Member
Got a flyer in the mail today from a local chain auto parts store offering an R-134/oil/sealant/"O" ring conditioner/dye consumer-grade AC recharge kit on sale.

To keep it on-topic, this is a farming community and I can guarantee a lot of it will be used to abuse tractors.

Oh, did I mention, (as an AC tech certified in mobile and stationary refrigeration) I HATE stop leak and dye?
 
I don't know much about A/C, I could understand the stop leak, as a metaphor, probably why tire guys hate fix a flat. I have to ask what the U.V. dye does to the system?
 
Don't think the uv and colored dye really hurts the system but more of over use of to much dye? I don't use the uv dye myself, most of the time you can see a little oil at a leak. On the hard to find leaks , like were the insulation is covering rusted out steel tube under the dash I have use red dye and works well for the really hard to find leaks.
 
Stop leak by nature fills small holes. The expansion valve is about as small as your gonna get expansion valve and recover drier get plugged up first then the evaporated in extreme case.
 
I was told it shows up on a person's face and fingers of the person is sniffing Freon with dye.
 
Stop leak is BAD. Dye is GOOD. Only problem with dye is it stays on the tech's fingers and anything else it touches. That's why tech's don't like it. Huffers don't like it for the nose ring it leaves.
 
So, what to do? I'm getting ready to list a '91 F150 with 29,000 original miles on eBay, BUT it has a persistent leak in the AC somewhere that technicians have not found. We put new seals into it and a year later it's low on freon again. Where else would it possibly leak? I was ready to have them put in a sealer, but this site seems to recommend against it.
 
(quoted from post at 10:05:28 05/01/14) So, what to do? I'm getting ready to list a '91 F150 with 29,000 original miles on eBay, BUT it has a persistent leak in the AC somewhere that technicians have not found. We put new seals into it and a year later it's low on freon again. Where else would it possibly leak? I was ready to have them put in a sealer, but this site seems to recommend against it.
here else could it leak? Everywhere is an opportunity. I have a barn full of Ford PU evaporators. They all look like this, where the leaking oil makes them a good filter/trash catcher!
 
Here"s this issue... somebody without a CLUE of how AC works will buy this stuff and figure "more is better".

ONE can of it probably doesn"t make much difference, but when you give BLEMS easy access to it and put it on SALE, they never know when to quit.

Likely, the system will keep leaking and the BLEMS will keep adding stopleak/dye to it "til the vehicle expires (for some other reason) and goes for scrap. ONE tiny application of dye should be quite enough!

If someone does try to repair it correctly before that happens, they are in for a messy job!
 
"Stop leak by nature fills small holes."

NOT sure if that applies to AC stopleak.

Originally, it was like "transmission mulcanic in a can" and swelled rubber parts (seals and "O" rings and hoses at the fittings) to stop leaks.

MAYBE some of the modern stop id more like radiator stopleak and plugs holes in the metal parts, IDK?
 
Bob,

Unfortunately I, too, had been a recipient of a failed AC system.

I did try it, but on new on a Dodge RAM 2001, when it was not even 4 years old.

I tried to keep things in compliance, but succumbed to the allure of snake-oil.

Turns out that single can of 134a with dye and sealant brought many years of un-bothered AC to that rotten truck.

I do NOT endorse any snake-oil remedy, just stating my findings..

D.
 
I have a 98 jeep Cherokee that would leak out enough to kick out on low pressure in three days .we where leaving for a week long trip in the middle of the summer and I didn't want to mess with putting more 134 in during the week . I put a little can of that stop leak in there , 4 years ago this month I have not added any since that time working just fine
 

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