xantia AC leak

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 30 Jun 2010, 11:32

hi all, sorry if this has sort of been asked before

I have put my first ever car into kwikfit for an AC test (the other half did really).. it leaks, unknown source

I have never worked on AC ..

I can say that during my engine out/in summer 2008 I would have disconnected the compressor, and also due to a slight altercation later that year, I had to change the AC radiator with a used one.. on neither occasion did any pressure or fluid come out..

the question is : can i check, replace any cheap / easy to get to parts, to see if i can seal the system a little better, then submit the car for a retest?

thanks
John

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 30 Jun 2010, 11:57

ok having read through some posts further down, by double chevron, kowalski and others, I now realise what a black art AC testing is..

test gauges, vacumn sources, cans of refridge, compressors that have never been exposed to the atmosphere, new driers and some thowing of cash are all in there I think..

I may submit the V6 for a test and try to ignore the xantia now

KP · Unread post by KP » 30 Jun 2010, 11:58

The only way is to have it pressure tested and filled with some fuild that will leak and leave a color behind easy to spot. Orange is bet on citroens with green bold and so one

Double check all of your joins and is it a massive leak or a tiny one?

Unread post by **Paul-R** » 30 Jun 2010, 12:54

If you have a UV lamp try wavinng that around the pipes. I've been told that the dye luminesces.

vanny · Unread post by **vanny** » 21 Jul 2010, 21:43

Air con systems are not normally injected with UV die in the factory, so its unlikely there is any UV die in the system unless the car has previously had a fault. And if it has had a fault then it's likely there will be UV die on the car from the original leak as it is very hard to remove.

The correct way to check for leaks is with oxygen free nitrogen and a pressure regulator.

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 22 Jul 2010, 08:03

If you are in the area of these guys, I used them a few years ago for what could have been a very expensive job (recomissioning the A/C on my E-type which had not been used for 20 years). Their pricing was transparent and reasonable. They were simply very good to deal with.