Doing the AC dye thing?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 931
Likes: 35
From: Rowlett, Texas
Doing the AC dye thing?
I probably have the dreaded AC mid-compressor leak.
But, want to be sure, it's pretty hard to get up in there and isolate where the small amount of oil is coming from.
I will shoot in a can of dye, and see if I can track it down.
- How well does the dye trick work - that's one AC thing I've never done?
- Where to get a black light that will do the job for a retiree price?
Tks,
DG
But, want to be sure, it's pretty hard to get up in there and isolate where the small amount of oil is coming from.
I will shoot in a can of dye, and see if I can track it down.
- How well does the dye trick work - that's one AC thing I've never done?
- Where to get a black light that will do the job for a retiree price?
Tks,
DG
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,843
Likes: 16
From: Howell Michigan
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Any of the auto supply places have low cost battery powered u/v LED lights that will work. You need to have things clean before running your test or the source can be harder to ID. Check with the black light first to make sure there isn't dye allready there.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 931
Likes: 35
From: Rowlett, Texas
Eric, thanks.
Got her all cleaned up as much as I could.
Shouldn't be dye in the system, it's virgin (unless GM put it in?).
But I'll get the light first and look around.
I keep wishing that it's old semi-dry coolant, cause I smell a little antifreeze sometines after a spirited drive - but not very likely I'm afraid.
DG
Got her all cleaned up as much as I could.
Shouldn't be dye in the system, it's virgin (unless GM put it in?).
But I'll get the light first and look around.
I keep wishing that it's old semi-dry coolant, cause I smell a little antifreeze sometines after a spirited drive - but not very likely I'm afraid.
DG
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,383
Likes: 13
From: Kinston North Carolina
From the '02 Service Manual:
-------------------------------------------
Refrigerant Leak Testing
Important
General Motors vehicles are now manufactured with fluorescent dye installed directly into the A/C system.
The fluorescent dye mixes and flows with the PAG oil throughout the refrigerant system.
Verifying some passive leaks may require using the J 39400-A , even though the A/C system contains fluorescent dye.
The only time that adding additional fluorescent dye is required is after flushing the A/C system.
-------------------------------------------
Refrigerant Leak Testing
Important
General Motors vehicles are now manufactured with fluorescent dye installed directly into the A/C system.
The fluorescent dye mixes and flows with the PAG oil throughout the refrigerant system.
Verifying some passive leaks may require using the J 39400-A , even though the A/C system contains fluorescent dye.
The only time that adding additional fluorescent dye is required is after flushing the A/C system.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 931
Likes: 35
From: Rowlett, Texas
Wow, glad I came back and read your post; I was just about ready to pull the trigger on the dye injection thing.
Mine is a 2000, so it might be different. Didn't come across anything about dye when I scanned the AC section of my 2000 manuals, but I'll check again.
I did receive my UV light in the mail today, and ran out and shined it all over the "oil" stain below the compressor - no flourescence observed.
I'm still chasing the dream that it's not PAG oil I'm seeing, cause the AC still works great. But it's just about gotta be.
DG
Mine is a 2000, so it might be different. Didn't come across anything about dye when I scanned the AC section of my 2000 manuals, but I'll check again.
I did receive my UV light in the mail today, and ran out and shined it all over the "oil" stain below the compressor - no flourescence observed.
I'm still chasing the dream that it's not PAG oil I'm seeing, cause the AC still works great. But it's just about gotta be.
DG
Instructor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 169
Likes: 36
From: China Spring TX
The cheap little LED flashlights that HF gives away free works as good or better than some high dollar UV lights. I did the compressor changeout a few weeks ago and found 2 different colors of dye around the compressor halves. The UV light only showed one very faint color.
