Thanks a lot. This is all very helpful.
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Originally Posted by jdmccright
If the evaporator was leaking, you would be able to smell the refrigerant in the air. You can confirm it my shining the UV light onto the water that drips out of the drain tube from the A/C box under the car. I don't know if the dye used is water soluble, so the puddle may have a faint glow, or it may fluoresce as tiny blobs of oil on top or the edges.
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On a related note, I initially freaked out at the thought that it might be the evaporator, since these apparently tend to require disassembly of the entire dashboard and are beyond the ability of DIYers and cost a thousand dollars at the mechanic. But I looked at my trusty Haynes book for this car specifically, and they say that it only requires removal of the glove compartment (plus some doorsill trim, since that covers one of the screws to the glove compartment). I can get a new evaporator for about $80, so it now looks like no big deal. Could Haynes be wrong?
The other hard part is draining the system first. They say this needs to be done by a professional, with special equipment. Do regular mechanics commonly do this as a service (IOW, when they're not doing any other work on the car) & how much should I expect to pay for this?
I was also wondering if I even need to do this altogether, since they may be no freon left in the system altogether. Is this likely, and how would I know?
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Another common leak area are the high and low pressure connection valves covered by the service caps. If you hear a light hiss when you unscrew them, the valve is leaking. You can hold your finger over the connection and feel for building pressure.
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Would leaks continue to show in this manner after the freon all leaks out?
It does. Thanks again.