Slow Air Con Leak on 996 TTS Cab
Discussion
Hi,
Apologies if this is covered elsewhere, but I can't get the PH search to work at all.
I have a slow leak in the air conditioning on my 2005 996 Turbo S Cab. It went in to the OPC Mid-Sussex last year when I noticed the Air Con was not working. They had it for 2 days with no visible leaks (UV Dye tested) and no detectable pressure loss. 6 weeks later the Air Con was not working again.
I left it (due to crap British weather) until the service that was due a few days ago. Again it was re-gassed and checked for leaks, with more parts removed to expose the relevant components, but still nothing found. No charge from Mid-Sussex (thanks Peter) but I am fairly confident that within a few weeks it will not be working again.
The next option from the OPC is to do a major strip down (£££) to reveal everything. Before I commit to that I thought I would see if anyone else has had a similar problem and found the source of the leak.
Many thanks
Peter
Apologies if this is covered elsewhere, but I can't get the PH search to work at all.
I have a slow leak in the air conditioning on my 2005 996 Turbo S Cab. It went in to the OPC Mid-Sussex last year when I noticed the Air Con was not working. They had it for 2 days with no visible leaks (UV Dye tested) and no detectable pressure loss. 6 weeks later the Air Con was not working again.
I left it (due to crap British weather) until the service that was due a few days ago. Again it was re-gassed and checked for leaks, with more parts removed to expose the relevant components, but still nothing found. No charge from Mid-Sussex (thanks Peter) but I am fairly confident that within a few weeks it will not be working again.
The next option from the OPC is to do a major strip down (£££) to reveal everything. Before I commit to that I thought I would see if anyone else has had a similar problem and found the source of the leak.
Many thanks
Peter
..mine did this, I left it over the winter too, mine passed the regas machine vacuum test, but once pressurised, it went over night, mine turned out to be the front rads, you will see some green die somewhere if they look hard enough in the right places.. it's either the front rads, 'o' rings on the rads or pipes to pump, a pin prick hole in 1 of the lines which is harder to see as it could be under a clip somewhere, or the Denso pump.. worst case it's a £2K fix to change the lot, my front rads were a £1K fix with a regas..
When it's regassed, can you hear the solenoid click in and is the pump turning..?
there's a cut out on it if all the gas has escaped and the pump won't turn at all which is normal..
When it's regassed, can you hear the solenoid click in and is the pump turning..?
there's a cut out on it if all the gas has escaped and the pump won't turn at all which is normal..
Edited by RatBoy M3CSL on Wednesday 20th June 13:28
Thanks for the response RatBoy.
The OPC have done a test with dye and UV lamps twice now. Nothing found.
It all works fine when it is re-gassed. It is only after several weeks that it stops working, so I wouldn't know when the solonoid clicks in (or out).
Wherever the gas is escaping to it is not visible with the current level of "strip down" the OPC has done.
The OPC have done a test with dye and UV lamps twice now. Nothing found.
It all works fine when it is re-gassed. It is only after several weeks that it stops working, so I wouldn't know when the solonoid clicks in (or out).
Wherever the gas is escaping to it is not visible with the current level of "strip down" the OPC has done.
Two years ago I had major problems with mine.
Sequence of events over a few months went like this ...
Aircon not working, droning noise from system
front condensers visibly wet - replaced
Aircon fine for a day or two.
After a few days - aircon not working same drone noise.
Took it to a few places who didn't have a clue.
Indy found the pipe under the drivers side had a pin hole and was leaking.
Pipe obtained from OPC Indy fitted.
After a few days noticeable drone noise and no aircon.
Indy rechecked, the recently replaced pipe running under the drivers side had a slight oval shape at the olive joint and had a tiny leak at the joint.
OPC replaced pipe as defective part supplied and since then (two years ago) it has worked fine.
What I learnt was that it can be something big like the condensers or something small like a tiny hole making a leak (or both).
The pipe under the drivers side is exposed to the elements so it's prone to stone damage, salt damage etc and also near to where someone can unknowingly jack it up in the wrong place.
Sequence of events over a few months went like this ...
Aircon not working, droning noise from system
front condensers visibly wet - replaced
Aircon fine for a day or two.
After a few days - aircon not working same drone noise.
Took it to a few places who didn't have a clue.
Indy found the pipe under the drivers side had a pin hole and was leaking.
Pipe obtained from OPC Indy fitted.
After a few days noticeable drone noise and no aircon.
Indy rechecked, the recently replaced pipe running under the drivers side had a slight oval shape at the olive joint and had a tiny leak at the joint.
OPC replaced pipe as defective part supplied and since then (two years ago) it has worked fine.
What I learnt was that it can be something big like the condensers or something small like a tiny hole making a leak (or both).
The pipe under the drivers side is exposed to the elements so it's prone to stone damage, salt damage etc and also near to where someone can unknowingly jack it up in the wrong place.
..Yup, I've seen a pin prick hole hidden under a clip, so you really had to look for it by taking the clip tops off, the lines are £150/£175 per side resp.., finding it can be a real pain, but clearly it is leaking so they are not looking in the right places..!, it could equally be a dry 'o' ring on one end of the pipes.
As the pump is working, have your front rads ever been changed..?, 7 yrs old, it's a punt, but you could change them anyway, you get the front 'o' rings with them, then work backwards if it doesn't fix it, you're going to have to start somewhere, it might as well be the front that gets the most exposure to gravel etc.
On my -04- car, both the original front rads were shot.. they will fail sooner or later..
As the pump is working, have your front rads ever been changed..?, 7 yrs old, it's a punt, but you could change them anyway, you get the front 'o' rings with them, then work backwards if it doesn't fix it, you're going to have to start somewhere, it might as well be the front that gets the most exposure to gravel etc.
On my -04- car, both the original front rads were shot.. they will fail sooner or later..
Edited by RatBoy M3CSL on Wednesday 20th June 15:45
X-UFO said:
Two years ago I had major problems with mine.
Sequence of events over a few months went like this ...
Aircon not working, droning noise from system
front condensers visibly wet - replaced
Aircon fine for a day or two.
After a few days - aircon not working same drone noise.
Took it to a few places who didn't have a clue.
Indy found the pipe under the drivers side had a pin hole and was leaking.
Pipe obtained from OPC Indy fitted.
After a few days noticeable drone noise and no aircon.
Indy rechecked, the recently replaced pipe running under the drivers side had a slight oval shape at the olive joint and had a tiny leak at the joint.
OPC replaced pipe as defective part supplied and since then (two years ago) it has worked fine.
What I learnt was that it can be something big like the condensers or something small like a tiny hole making a leak (or both).
The pipe under the drivers side is exposed to the elements so it's prone to stone damage, salt damage etc and also near to where someone can unknowingly jack it up in the wrong place.
just where mine as failed drivers side very small pinhole close to clip opc only place to get these pipes ? Sequence of events over a few months went like this ...
Aircon not working, droning noise from system
front condensers visibly wet - replaced
Aircon fine for a day or two.
After a few days - aircon not working same drone noise.
Took it to a few places who didn't have a clue.
Indy found the pipe under the drivers side had a pin hole and was leaking.
Pipe obtained from OPC Indy fitted.
After a few days noticeable drone noise and no aircon.
Indy rechecked, the recently replaced pipe running under the drivers side had a slight oval shape at the olive joint and had a tiny leak at the joint.
OPC replaced pipe as defective part supplied and since then (two years ago) it has worked fine.
What I learnt was that it can be something big like the condensers or something small like a tiny hole making a leak (or both).
The pipe under the drivers side is exposed to the elements so it's prone to stone damage, salt damage etc and also near to where someone can unknowingly jack it up in the wrong place.
ninjacost said:
just where mine as failed drivers side very small pinhole close to clip opc only place to get these pipes ?
Same as mine, by the clip. I'm pretty sure the only place to get the pipe is OPC. About £80 from memory. Trouble is, each time you drain the system to fit something then there's a charge for (re-charging) that as well.
These pin prick holes that people are reporting - are they visible if you know where to look? Even if it is under a clip, surely if the gas is escaping then the UV light would pick up the dye?
I am struggling with why the OPC wouldn't have found it given that it seems to be a common place to fail and should be accessible to view with the UV light.
My gut feeling is that it must be leaking inside an enclosed space. I will have to se if I can get a good diagram of where the pipes run and where the major components are. Any ideas where I might find such a thing?
On the earlier posts about the condenser rads, I know they are vulnerable, I have had 3 replaced in the 5 years I have had the car!
I am struggling with why the OPC wouldn't have found it given that it seems to be a common place to fail and should be accessible to view with the UV light.
My gut feeling is that it must be leaking inside an enclosed space. I will have to se if I can get a good diagram of where the pipes run and where the major components are. Any ideas where I might find such a thing?
On the earlier posts about the condenser rads, I know they are vulnerable, I have had 3 replaced in the 5 years I have had the car!
..the pin prick holes are not clearly visible to the naked eye,the pipes are black, covered in crud.. but you should be able to see the dye tho' if the hole is body side of the pipe it will spray upwards and leave a dye stain, once you've found it, taken the pipe off, then wirebrushed the area on the pipe, you will see the hole, (if thats the leak)..!
You might be as well off biting the bullet, and changing both the lines anyway, they are the cheapest parts of the system, put new 'O' rings on both ends and try again, if it's a porous wall section of a pipe on a bend you will struggle to find it..
You might be as well off biting the bullet, and changing both the lines anyway, they are the cheapest parts of the system, put new 'O' rings on both ends and try again, if it's a porous wall section of a pipe on a bend you will struggle to find it..
Edited by RatBoy M3CSL on Thursday 21st June 11:51
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