# A/C Evap problem



## heather_leigh (Mar 17, 2005)

I have a 1999 Nissan Altima GXE. At about 30k miles the A/C system wouldn't hold a charge for more than a day. I had a diagnostic done with dye injection, and found that it is "possibly" the evaporator, and "slightly possible" that the high pressure hose is leaking as well. To me, 30k miles sounds very early to have a problem like this. This was a couple of years ago that it was diagnosed (if you can call it that) and now I have the funds to get this fixed. I'm told that a new diagnostic will be ran, and that I will have to pay to have freon placed in it again for the diagnostic, separate from the labor rates for the diagnostic. If the freon leaks, then I'll have to pay to have it recharged again once it is serviced. This seems strange to me....I'm considering just having an evaporator installed, since the high pressure hose is not as likely to be the culprit. Has anyone had any experience with an a/c problem and has some information I may find useful? Thanks in advance


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

heres a problem they didnt bring up to you. your system having this leak for a couple years now, if it doesnt hold a vacuum when they apply one - its going to need a new drier along with that evaporator. a leak in the system if its allowed to go all the way down, will allow moisture into the system. youll need a flush, new refrigerant(not freon, its actually r-134a which is not Freon which is actually r-12) plus parts if any are needed. if it had moisture in there for any amount of time then there might even be corrosion in there, necessitating the need for more parts. remember, this is worst-case scenario though. it may be no where near that bad. why dont you do it yourself and save yourself an assload of money? r134a is only about 5 bucks a can and the recharge kit is about 17 or so... i can even walk you thru it if you decide to go this route.


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## heather_leigh (Mar 17, 2005)

Oh wow! What a pain this is becoming! Now, your suggestion of do-it-yourself recharging is after the repairs, correct? I guess it would have to be, because it would be pointless if it won't hold a charge. Just makes me sick to have problems on a car that isn't all that old. Well, I am a do-it-yourself kinda gal, so I'm game to charge it myself


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

The place servicing your car are idiots and if I had someplace tell me that it maybe this or it maybe that. They are injecting the dye in the system, so it becomes obvious where the leak is occurring, therefore the leak is at both or one or the other location. If they don't fix anything why do you have to pay more for diagnostics. I agree with Asleep do it yourself and use one of the leak detector kits available. After you find it then get it fixed somewhere else or get the parts and do it yourself then have it evac and recharged. The drier would not necessarily need to be replaced because the system is not open just a slow leak, although I can't make the final diagnosis.
If you are able to diagnose the leak and have someplace do the work you will know what part they should be replacing instead of it could be this or it could be that and besides R-134A freon is really cheap.

Troy


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