Hello all,

I’ve got a 1994 Honda Accord EX with an AC that blows hot. We did a dye test and all signs pointed to the leak being somewhere within the evaporator. So I went ahead and pulled the evaporator (pretty easy on my particular Honda). When I got the evaporator out, I removed the core from the black plastic case and was pretty shocked at what I found.

Basically, I found a mess under the evaporator core, weeds and sticks and leaves and a half shell of white Styrofoam (some sort of casing to hold the core?) But I also found some sort of dried up substance that is shiny and smooth and a bit sticky. I’ve attached some photos so you can see what I’m talking about.

Keep in mind, I haven’t had AC in about a year, so this isn’t a recent leak. It leaked last year too, so we filled it up with R134A and it lasted for about three weeks. Then it blew hot again. So this year, I decided to dig in and figure out where the leak is and fix/replace the defective component and get back in the “cool” again.

Back to the shiny smooth substance. What the heck is it? Is it some sort of glue that was designed to hold the evaporator core in place? Or is it oil residue from a leak in the evaporator? There’s also numerous stains on the evaporator itself. And the Styrofoam is somewhat eaten away. Again, see the photos for a better explanation.

If any of you Honda experts can eyeball my evaporator core photos and give me your opinion on the broken-up pieces of Styrofoam, the dried-up glossy goo looking stuff, and the stains on the evaporator core, I would appreciate it. In a nutshell, I guess what I’m really asking is…did I find the leak?

 

I am going to guess it is what the Styrofoam turned into from the animal that was living in there.

 

So you're saying that I had some sort of animal living in my evaporator box and whatever it was ate the Styrofoam? Or are you saying the Styrofoam melted and the gooey stuff is what's left of it? Here's another photo a bit closer up. Could all that gooey stuff be what happened to the Styrofoam casing? This has really got me baffled. I don't know if I should clean up the current evap and reinstall, or just buy a new one.

 

Does the evaporator leak? It almost looks like the refrigerant that leaked out might have softened or dissolved part of the styrofoam thing. That styrofoam is probably insulation or packing to keep the evaporator from rattling around in the box.

 

I am saying the gooey stuff is what happened to the Styrofoam. Kidding about the animal

 

There is no cabin filter, so a bunch of crap can get into the evaporator. The gooey stuff is probably a mix of a/c oil and dirt.

Clean out all of that crud. Inspect any of the metal for signs of corrosion that could cause a leak. I would buy new Styrofoam from honda dealership to insulate the evaporator. With the Styrofoam you won't get condensation forming on the outside of the evap and it won't drip inside of the car. Also replace all of the o-rings in there. I would use Nylog or an equivalent to lubricate the o-rings and help prevent them from rotting out.

 

Thanks PAHonda,

I plan on stopping by the Honda dealership tomorrow and picking up some new Styrofoam. I can't imagine that it will be very expensive, but with dealer prices, you never know.

I'm also going to purchase a new evaporator at an AC place here in Dallas. A place that specializes in evaporators, condensers, compressors, etc. It's at acpartshouse.com. Check it out if you have time.

Once I round up all the o-rings you said I'm going to need and the Nylog, I'm going to throw it all back together, vacuum the system, and charge it all back up. I'm about 95% sure the leak is in the evaporator (I can see corrosion around several seams, and some sort of dried up oil running down from the seams), so I'm hoping I'm on the right track to seal my AC system up and get some cool air flowing again. Wish me luck.

Thanks again for your help...

 

Sorry for the delayed reply. I just had my forum access restored. I could not reply to your PM w/o access or your email address.

The sticky substance is dissolved styrofoam from the PAG chemically melting the styrofoam. Most likely leak source are the Orings. I did this repair a few years back on my 94EX and also replaced the evaporator also. I did purchase a used evaporator from a local salvage yard. You may not need a new evaporator, but you don't want to have to go back in because you missed a leak. If you can find a shop that will test the evaporator, you might save a few bucks. I looked at trying to rig up to perform a leak test on the evaporator (after removal), but decided this was too much trouble and I would spend about what I spent on a used evaporator.

I hope you have all the correct tools to charge; manifold gauge set, vacuum pump, and charge kit. autoacforum.com is a good resource for diy AC work. Recharge by weight as accurately as possible. I use an electronic scale, but individual cans can get pretty close.

regards