Red Angel. AC stop leak.
Jessica Hill
NAPA store recommended I try Red Angel ac stop leak. $38. per can.
Money back guarantee. I tried it. 24 hours later the gas had leaked out
of the system again. Anyone else tried this product? Did it work or
not?
m6onz5a
I've sold a few of them before. The customers never complained so I
assume it worked.
It could be your leak is too big for Red Angel to seal.
Steve B.
> My ac system started leaking, but no signs of oil could be found. So the
> NAPA store recommended I try Red Angel ac stop leak. $38. per can.
> Money back guarantee. I tried it. 24 hours later the gas had leaked out
> of the system again. Anyone else tried this product? Did it work or
> not?
If it leaked out in a day the leak is way bigger than stop leak can
fix. Find someone with a refrigerant snuffer to see where the leak
is.
Steve B.
bob u
When you have a large leak that sucks it down to zero PSI overnight or
less, a million dollar a can stop leak is NOT going to help you.
If the system is empty and you don't have access to a vacuum pump,
your pissing in the wind and should stop right there.
If you do..
what i would do is get a compression fitting removal tool if you
don't have one. Break the fittings from the condenser and accumulator.
Replace all the orings. look for damage or deterioration . replace all
of them. Orings are cheap.
Look closely at the condenser in front of the radiator. Look for big
dings in the front of it from object imacts. Look for any area that
looks oily or has accumulated debris. I just did a 95 LHS that i had to
pump down and refill 3 times. The condensor turned out to be leaking in
the lower drivers side corner. You could see where it was oily in
that area and gunk was stuck to it.
Buy a UV flashlight and goggles from the auto-parts store. When you
refill it, put UV Dye into the systems, charge it up and run it for
1/2 hours or so if you can. Then let it cool down and get the UV
flashlight out and look for telltale signs of a leak. It illuminates
leaks like a blacklight poster. Its easeir to see at night or in lower
light if you don't have a large leak.
Harbor freight frequently has R134 gauge sets on sale for a reasonable
cost. It aint snap on or robinaire, but it will do for the home mechanic.
bob
Scott Dorsey
I have never had any luck with any of the stop leak products for AC systems.
I'm not sure what mechanism would ever make them work.
There's unfortunately no substitute for finding the leak and fixing it. Put
the dye pack in there, pressurize the system again, clean the whole engine
compartment with engine cleaner, then start the thing up again and use the
UV light in the dark to look for leaking tracer dye.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Hal
I used one that cost about $29 3-4 years ago on a friend's caravan. It
worked at the time I did the recharge, and she sold the car a few
months later. I don't know how long it held up.
It's been my experience that anything that says "stop leak" that comes
in a can or a bottle is usually just a temporary fix, if it fixes the
problem at all. It's usually better to find the problem and repair the
broken parts instead.
Good luck with it,
hls
"Scott Dorsey" <klu...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:i55sah$i7f$1...@panix2.panix.com...
>
> I have never had any luck with any of the stop leak products for AC
> systems.
> I'm not sure what mechanism would ever make them work.
>
> There's unfortunately no substitute for finding the leak and fixing it.
> Put
> the dye pack in there, pressurize the system again, clean the whole engine
> compartment with engine cleaner, then start the thing up again and use the
> UV light in the dark to look for leaking tracer dye.
> --scott
Sometimes they will work for a while, Scott. They may get you through a
summer,
or even longer, but in other cases like this one, they dont hold overnight.
It would have been good to know what unit the OP was talking about. As you
know, some of the older GM compressors would start leaking at the shaft and
there was nothing to do but change it out, or sweat.
If you have a hole in an evaporator core, nothing but changeout is going to
stop
that
I havent had any luck at all with dye in HVAC systems. Neither was I able
to
see the change in the old propane Freon sniffer systems. With the new
electronic
sniffers, you could find one honest politician in a nominating convention
(if there were one)
Scott Dorsey
>I havent had any luck at all with dye in HVAC systems. Neither was I able
>to
>see the change in the old propane Freon sniffer systems. With the new
>electronic
>sniffers, you could find one honest politician in a nominating convention
>(if there were one)
The dye seems to work okay IF you clean the inside of the engine compartment
enough that the dye isn't obscured by all the fluorescent crap from old
coolant leaks and power steering fluid leaks under there. Steam cleaning
will do.
The old propane jet seems to work well if there is an enormous leak, but
if there was that severe a leak you probably wouldn't need it anyway.
As a shadetree guy, I don't like AC enough to pony up for one of the fancy
sniffers. I finally installed AC into the 2002 after twenty-odd years just
because my wife was yelling about it.
Bob Cooper
Dye works fine.
And I've never seen any other fluid "residue" fluoresce, so I don't even
know what you're talking about there.
Goes without saying that if your engine is all grunged up you better
take care of what's causing that.
There's a few things to make dye detection work. It' ain't magic.
This is what has ALWAYS worked for me.
First off, I use a dedicated dye kit.
http://www.unbeatablesale.com/doba6945.html?srccode=cii_11138&cpncode=
23-104792442-2
You might find it somewhere else. That link is just to show what I use.
I got a can for less than $10 somewhere I can't remember last time I
bought it.
First time I used it Oreilly's had it in kit form and it came with a UV
penlight. But they don't carry that kit any more.
There's other dye kits, most for injecting through a gage manifold, but
I never used them.
First get the car in the dark and make sure no old dye shows up with the
light. If it does wipe it off.
I've never found that dye to stick around more than a couple month.
Might last longer in real dry climates.
Shoot in the dye charge for a couple seconds per instructions, THEN
charge up the system with 134.
Use the light to find and wipe off any dye that might have sprayed
around the shrader valve.
If the leak is a slow one, you want to wait a few days before putting a
light on it to find the leak.
Don't be driving in the rain before you put the light on it.
Be in the dark when you put the light on it.
The penlight that came with the kit is weak, but usually works to find
the leak.
A strong UV light works a lot better. They're cheap. Maybe $10.
Start at the shraders, follow hoses, check the compressor fittings,
shaft, dryer fittings etc.
For the condensor you may have to remove shrouding to see everything,
and you should crawl under the car with the light to see under
everything to get a good look.
If you find a leak, don't stop. May be another.
Only bother going to the evap if you haven't found a leak.
Works every time.
hls
>
> Dye works fine.
> And I've never seen any other fluid "residue" fluoresce, so I don't even
> know what you're talking about there.
Dye may work fine if the engine is clean and the leak is in a place where
the residues can be seen.mm
Sometimes this isnt the case.
A LOT of other liquids fluoresce.....in particular, molecules with aromatic
nuclei or fused aromatic rings, which are common in used motor oil.
Bob Cooper
h...@nospam.nix says...
Like I said, there's no pill to give common sense.
The A/C dye I use shows brightly on the A/C part that's leaking.
If you shine your UV light on a rear tire or the oil pan,
you won't find the A/C leak. Never.
Same for shining it on the alternator, valve covers or steering pump.
That just won't work.
Shine the light around the A/C parts before you inject the dye.
In a dark place. Where direct sunlight doesn't overpower the UV light.
Close the garage door. Turn off the lights. Whatever.
Talk all the chemistry you want.
Even with normally dirty engines before injecting the dye I NEVER saw
any fluorescence that looked anything like a leak source.
Not - even - close.
After the dye leaks out of the source it sticks out like a sore thumb.
It's obvious as hell. EVERY time I've ever done it.
But you can't let rain wash it away before you get the light on it.
And you have to get the light on the leak.
I covered the instructions already. Done it 7-8 times without fail.
With the dye I mentioned. I won't vouch for other dyes.
This one shows bright yellow/green to me.
My color vision is partially off on red/green.
But others with me saw the same leaks as I did.
Used the kit UV penlight until the batteries died, then a 4' black
light. Both worked. "Clean" engine, "dirty" engine.
Didn't need the goggles that came with the kit. Threw them away.
But I never tried it on a system that had half an inch of grunge all
over the A/C parts. If I had the opportunity to do that I would have
cleaned the grunge off the A/C parts before I tried it.
That's just common sense.
Found compressor shaft leaks, schrader leaks, dryer connection leaks and
condensor leaks. Some were slow leaks, some fast.
All leaks were found within a minute of switching on the UV, except
for a bottom backside condensor leak.
Had to crawl under the car and push away the fan cowling before I found
that one.
All were unmistakable for anything but an A/C leak of the dye.
Don't go shining the UV light on the wiper stalk or radio buttons
either. That just won't work.
You have to get the light on all A/C parts until you find the leak.
Simple as that. No rocket science or chemistry at all.
Anybody who can't manage doing what I've said should just take it to an
A/C shop.
Most here would have no problem with it, which is why I've gone into
some detail.
I don't want you scaring them off saying A/C dye is hard to see because
of "aromatic nuclei or fused aromatic rings."
That's just bullshit for "I fucked up with the dye."
If you wrench A/C enough that justifies buying a decent gage set and
evac pump. The gear is about $200, and gets paid for the first time you
fix a problem.
But first thing you have to know is how to find the leak.
Dye kits are cheap. You don't need expensive sniffers.
Some might not want to deal with it and just take it a pro even if they
could handle it. That's fine too.
Scott Dorsey
>Talk all the chemistry you want.
>Even with normally dirty engines before injecting the dye I NEVER saw
>any fluorescence that looked anything like a leak source.
>Not - even - close.
>After the dye leaks out of the source it sticks out like a sore thumb.
>It's obvious as hell. EVERY time I've ever done it.
>But you can't let rain wash it away before you get the light on it.
>And you have to get the light on the leak.
Clearly the dye packages you're using are better than the ones I am using,
which don't make it obvious as hell, especially with slow leaks and
compressor seals.
>But I never tried it on a system that had half an inch of grunge all
>over the A/C parts. If I had the opportunity to do that I would have
>cleaned the grunge off the A/C parts before I tried it.
>That's just common sense.
Yes. I'd clean the whole engine personally, if there is a lot of gunk under
there, which there always is on older cars.
>I don't want you scaring them off saying A/C dye is hard to see because
>of "aromatic nuclei or fused aromatic rings."
>That's just bullshit for "I fucked up with the dye."
>If you wrench A/C enough that justifies buying a decent gage set and
>evac pump. The gear is about $200, and gets paid for the first time you
>fix a problem.
>But first thing you have to know is how to find the leak.
>Dye kits are cheap. You don't need expensive sniffers.
>Some might not want to deal with it and just take it a pro even if they
>could handle it. That's fine too.
What exact dye kits are you using? I'd like to give them a try.
hls
"Bob Cooper" <b...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.26e0eb07...@news.eternal-
> But first thing you have to know is how to find the leak.
> Dye kits are cheap. You don't need expensive sniffers.
> Some might not want to deal with it and just take it a pro even if they
> could handle it. That's fine too.
You had better luck than I did, or better dye kits.
I think that another thing is where the leak is occuring. If it is down in
the evaporator core area, it is not always easy to see in there.
The electronic sniffer CAN normally be pushed into that area.
bob u
Its pretty simple. You can get a can of 134 charge with UV dye in it.
charge like a regular can of 134. The only caveat is some of them
have cheap valves on them and you might get some dye residue at the
low side charge fitting.
You really need to run the AC and let it cycle for the dye to be
effective. You cannot just put it in, not run the AC, and expect it
to work. If the gas is running out that fast, a mechanics stethoscope
can be helpful to listen for the leak and isolate its location.
The UV flashlights most kits have are not exactly powerful pro units
for small leaks, do it at night in a relatively dark area. That will
bring the contrast way up to detect the dye. I had a S10 i had to do
that way. I lasted about a month before it was too low to run.
had dye in it, looked in the usual obvious places.
Turned out the V5 compressor sometimes has its center clam-shell case
seal go bad. So looking with the small UV flashlight at night,
i finally saw the residue on the bottom center of the compressor.
A new compressor solved that issue.
bob
hls
"bob u" <so...@inetnebr.com> wrote in message news:i594rs$bo8
>
> Its pretty simple.
Yes, I know it is simple. I have tried them before, and used them according
to instructions, and then some. They just didnt work out well for me.
Bob Cooper
>
> Clearly the dye packages you're using are better than the ones I am using,
> which don't make it obvious as hell, especially with slow leaks and
> compressor seals.
>
Only reason compressor seal leaks aren't as obvious is because it's
harder to get the light on them.
And I should say if you have weak eyes it'll be harder to see.
Strong eyes can use a penlight, weak eyes should use a stronger light.
I'm not saying you'll get blinded by the light when I say "obvious."
You have be attentive and methodical.
It's when you find the leak that it becomes "obvious."
Impossible to mistake it for anything else.
Full disclosure. I never used it for what some may call "slow" leaks.
If the A/C lasts a full season or more I don't bother looking for a
leak. I just charge it.
Slowest leak I've dyed was one that depleted in a couple months of
driving use.
No problem seeing the dye after a week of use.
> >But I never tried it on a system that had half an inch of grunge all
> >over the A/C parts. If I had the opportunity to do that I would have
> >cleaned the grunge off the A/C parts before I tried it.
> >That's just common sense.
>
> Yes. I'd clean the whole engine personally, if there is a lot of gunk under
> there, which there always is on older cars.
>
Most old cars I deal with have very little gunk on them, outside block
to accessory crevices and spots that are normally inaccessible.
The area around a low-mounted compressor usually qualifies as gunked.
But the shaft seal leaks have always been obvious without first wiping
away any gunk down there. Every shaft seal leak I've seen has been a
"fast" leak, so probably more dye comes out there.
Cleaning the gunk comes when swapping the compressor.
Never seen schraders, hoses, dryers, condensers gunked.
> >I don't want you scaring them off saying A/C dye is hard to see because
> >of "aromatic nuclei or fused aromatic rings."
> >That's just bullshit for "I fucked up with the dye."
> >If you wrench A/C enough that justifies buying a decent gage set and
> >evac pump. The gear is about $200, and gets paid for the first time you
> >fix a problem.
> >But first thing you have to know is how to find the leak.
> >Dye kits are cheap. You don't need expensive sniffers.
> >Some might not want to deal with it and just take it a pro even if they
> >could handle it. That's fine too.
>
> What exact dye kits are you using? I'd like to give them a try.
Interdynamics UVD-1 Multi-Shot. No injector needed. Can goes on the
valve. I get about 3 uses a can.
But I haven't seen anything to make me believe this dye is any better
than others.
Might be. I shoot in about 3 seconds worth instead of the 2 seconds it
says to use.
Have seen some dyes claim to be the "brightest."
And I know this one decays to almost nothing after a year, because I've
seen it disappear from a "dry" spot on the engine.
I don't wait around looking for the leak after it should show up.
I really think the problem people have using dye successfully is the
process they use and their mentality.
The process is simple but important.
Simply put, you have to operate the system long enough after dye
injection for the dye to show up at the leak site.
An easy rule for that is 2 weeks or loss of cooling, whichever comes
first.
No driving in the rain before checking. Rain can wash the dye off.
You have to believe you'll find the leak.
My partner gave up after "carefully" checking for 15 minutes in the
engine bay and under the car, and said the dye I injected didn't work.
This car had lost its charge in 4 days, and hadn't been in the rain.
But I had faith in the dye.
I found the leak on the condenser after moving the fan cowl aside.
It was "obvious" - after I found it.
You have to keep the faith.
Bob Cooper
h...@nospam.nix says...
True enough. Never had an evap leak. But if I couldn't find the leak
outside using the dye, I'd be confident to pull the evap and find the
leak there if the effort was worth it to fix the A/C.
A good A/C pro would want to confirm with a sniffer before giving an
estimate for the job.
I'm not a pro or particularly good, so I don't have those constraints.
Tell the truth, if I couldn't find the leak with dye, I'd probably buy a
sniffer to check before going after the evap, because I sure like tools.
Haven't had to.
I'm just telling what has worked for me.
hls
> In article <mLqdneyKboBBW-rR...@giganews.com>,
> h...@nospam.nix says...
>>
>> "Bob Cooper" <b...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
>> news:MPG.26e0eb07...@news.eternal-
>> > But first thing you have to know is how to find the leak.
>> > Dye kits are cheap. You don't need expensive sniffers.
>> > Some might not want to deal with it and just take it a pro even if they
>> > could handle it. That's fine too.
>>
>> You had better luck than I did, or better dye kits.
>> I think that another thing is where the leak is occuring. If it is down
>> in
>> the evaporator core area, it is not always easy to see in there.
>> The electronic sniffer CAN normally be pushed into that area.
>
> True enough. Never had an evap leak.
I have seen a lot of evaporator core leaks in the past few years. I dont
do anything for pay anymore, but work on my cars, friends. Chrysler has
a lot of evaporator core problems, it seems.
It can take a lot of labor to dig in and replace an evap core. And the
core itself is not cheap, so it is important that one be pretty sure where
the
leak is before digging in.
Scott Dorsey
>Slowest leak I've dyed was one that depleted in a couple months of
>driving use.
>No problem seeing the dye after a week of use.
That's a pretty slow leak.... I have never waited a whole week in order
to look for the dye, though. Maybe I should....
>Never seen schraders, hoses, dryers, condensers gunked.
You don't have a lot of dirt roads out there, I gather.
>Interdynamics UVD-1 Multi-Shot. No injector needed. Can goes on the
>valve. I get about 3 uses a can.
>But I haven't seen anything to make me believe this dye is any better
>than others.
In fact I have also used the Interdynamics dye. So my guess is either
I'm not patient enough or your vision is a lot better than mine. And
my vision has never been all that great.
bob u
The 95 LHS i was working on had a bad condenser. went to the U-Pull to
find one. Most compatible units already had the part removed. Others
looked suspicious. Finally found one that still had gas pressure in
it and got lucky.
seems may mopar condensers are not much better as they age.
i had one of the spring locks on it corroded locked. sprayed it
and turned it almost to the point of twisting the pipe out of shape.
that was almost a deal killer.
on many older cars, an evap core failure is usually a death sentence to
the AC system.
bob