ac not working leak 2004 explorer - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

pberm1962 · 05-16-2009, 07:47

thanks for having me,

i have a 2004 explorer xlt , 4.0 liter with rear air

the air conditioning is not getting cold

we bought a refridgerant kit and refilled the system with two cans.I have noticed a leak after i added the cans , it is in a line behind the passenger side front tire. please see pictures.

it has a greenish color to it but seems more oily than antifreeze.

do you think this is the the newly added refridgerant leaking out or possibly antifreeze.?

is this the line that feeds the rear ac area?

we do not need the rear air or heat anymore so would it be possible to simply permanently plug off that line to fix the front air? this could avoid costly line replacement . thank you Paul

pberm1962 · 05-16-2009, 08:37

I slid the rubber clamp holding the line to the chassis and exposed 3 or 4 little leaks that were under the clamp. is it possible to buy some epoxy or glue that i could sand clean the area and apply to seal these small holes?

thefonz · 05-16-2009, 12:55

I don't think an epoxy would hold the pressure.

**360ci** · 05-17-2009, 09:21

No, epoxy won't hold the pressure. I had a similar problem on my Dodge Durango a couple months ago. The seal was shot. The tech attempted to heat it up so it could be bent and a new seal installed. However this wasn't the case with me. The line coming out of my compressor split into a 'Y', one line went to the front and one to the rear. The only way to fix this properly is to disconnect BOTH lines and install a FRONT AC line only. I asked if the line could be cut and an end cap put on, but again, the tech said it wouldn't handle the pressure for very long and by law, he couldn't do it.

I had a front A/C line installed for $125 plus a recharge of the system and it works GREAT. As it rarely gets above 30C or 85F in my area during peak summer weather, rear A/C isn't really needed. I've only used it 3 times in the 5 years I've owned the vehicle.

You'll have a feed line and a return line to the rear A/C. Generally it's the feed, or high pressure line that generally leaks. I don't recommend trying to clamp and epoxy an A/C leak as you can get in trouble for it. You could check with local state laws on the matter, but I'm certain if you try to temporarily fix your A/C line and recharge the system that it is against the law.

I also don't recommend charging the system with small cans of R134a that you can buy in store as you mentioned, unless you have a proper pressure gauge. Too much pressure can damage the system and cause leaks! If the pressure in the A/C system gets too low, the compressor will not run (so I've been told), as a safety measure.

Also, the green colour is mostly noticeable with a camera flash. I didn't notice any green colour up close under my Durango.

**jwko** · 05-17-2009, 09:41

Also after the system has been opened, it needs to be put on a vacuum pump for awhile, to remove any air & moisture that might have entered the system.

If the pressure gets too low, the low pressure switch will shut down the compressor to keep the system from freezing up. lower pressure = better cooling (to a point).

pberm1962 · 05-18-2009, 13:41

thanks for the replies, i think i will look into getting a front ac line only installed , sounds like the safest solution.

**360ci** · 05-18-2009, 17:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by pberm1962

thanks for the replies, i think i will look into getting a front ac line only installed , sounds like the safest solution.

It's not 'safe', but it's the easiest and most cost efficient way to go. If your vehicle is like my Durango, my rear line that had the leak goes straight up into the roof to the evaporator. To replace that whole system would easily cost $2-3K including labour for removing the plastic A,B &C pillar moulding, and then removing the roof liner to get at all the A/C components. I believe with labour, recharge and a new line it was a touch under $300.

I saved myself about $100 by having them just cut the old line and leaving it in tact so I can remove it myself from under the vehicle and just plug the ends with some brass caps that I can epoxy on myself when I feel like it. If I get a few days TO MYSELF I've been thinking of removing the whole evap/fan assembly in the roof and installing a DVD unit. Anyway.