Leaking thru the hose or at an O-ring connection?

Replacement of hose is straightforward but(!) maybe have to remove stuff to get access.

Wait until next time it leaks down?
To be responsible, have a shop recover the refrigerant. Then change hose & you can evacuate & recharge. Helm bookshould have detailed instructions.

 

The second shop I took it to saw the fluorescent dye at the o-ring and supposedly at the hose as well. Not sure if they saw both or just was to get me on the parts. I call back the first dealership to complain about their poor diagnosis and they stated that the reason they thought the compressor was bad was that they have a "freon sniffing tool" that detected a leak at the front of the compressor where the flywheel sits. He said there is an internal seal in there that has gone bad. Personally I don’t trust a "freon sniffing tool”. I think its quite possible its picking up the leak from the hoses. The compressor has a film of grime over the whole thing so I don’t know how they can differentiate. Maybe while its on the tool could detect the vapor leak but I still do not consider this ground for a Honda quoted $1500 repair. What do you think?

 

Some sniffers are pretty sensitive & they CAN distinguish the location pretty well. IF it is used properly. How would you know? Maybe you have several places leaking?

Since the dye is already in there, see if you can get your hands on a blacklight? Clean everything really good & watch it often. You want to catch it before the grime & the fluorescent dyehas a chance to spread over a large area.

 

You generally don't need a sniffer to find a compressor rotating seal leak. Look at the plane of rotation around the compressor. If seal is leaking oil will be thrown out in a circle around the pulley and attract dirt creating a distinctive ring of dirt/oil. A light ring is OK as water is thrown off also in a rainshower.

The fluorescent dye should show the leaks.

good luck

 

Good points. I will get a blacklight and investigate for myself. Thanks Guys! I will let you know what I find.

 

Does anyone know how long it the fluorescent dye will remain active in the system? (before it degrades) I haven't gotten a hold of a black light yet and it’s been over a week. Any idea where i can get a cheap hand held one?

 

Just get an 18" blacklight from spencer. I think they're $20. The dye won't lose it's effectiveness, but it will spread so the mark doesn't tell you much after some time. The refrigerant in the system is a mix of R-134a and POE oil. The oil carries the dye, so as more oil leaks out and sprays all over stuff, so does the dye.

 

Ifthe leaking dyehas alreadyspread out too much, just clean it up real good & try again.

 

Lets assume it’s the discharge hose that is leaking and not the compressor (I will verify with my black light when it comes). The factory service manual gives a good description on how to replace the hose, but when it comes to charging it suggests using the dealers machine. Is there a method where I can charge the system myself?

A colleague suggestedI use his vacuum pump to purge the system then explained that I could buy a couple cans of 134a and use the compressor to charge the system while the motor is running and the ac set to max. He hasa set of valves and hoses that he said I would need. If I can do this myself I will attempt the repair but if I need to have a technician charge it I will prolly have a shop do it for me. Can anyone shed some light on how I would charge the system myself?

 

The basic thing is that machine will recover the old refrigerant instead of blowing it into the air.

When CHARGING, the trick is getting all the air out, and especially all the moisture. If your buddy has a vacuum pump, hook it up with a manifold or valves so you can shut it off & then put in the refrigerant without opening the systemAT ALL.

If your buddydoesnt need the pump for awhile, let it run a long LONG time. It takes a tremendous amount of time to remove moisture, much longer after the pressure gauge looks like its a good vacuum.