Steve Tanner
Member
On my 2017 XLT EL about a month ago, I noticed that I could hear refrigerant moving through the rear AC expansion valve pretty loudly, like it was wide-open. This seemed unusual since it was pretty cool outside (Phoenix AZ, it's never really "cold") and you don't typically hear refrigerant like that even in the summer. A few weeks later we had a warmer weekend, and my wife mentioned the AC wasn't cooling very well. I drove it and now the front TXV was wide-open too and it was barely cooling (5 degree temperature drop, if that).
Got out my gauges and the low side was like 5 PSI, so clearly low on refrigerant. It took 22oz to get it back to spec. I checked all over the condenser and lines under the hood with my leak detector, but found nothing. As soon as I opened an interior door the leak detector went nuts (it's pretty sensitive). I had to open all the doors and back to clear the cabin before tracking it down.
The leak is coming from the front system, detected strongest at the registers. I don't detect anything from the rear. The service manual says that the system is charged with dye at the factory, and I can see UV dye leaking out of the bottom of the front AC "box" (see picture - this is right behind the glovebox in the front passenger footwell).
I found the evaporator coil itself (OEM or aftermarket) for < $100 on a few sites. The whole OEM air box with new blend doors, actuators, evaporator, and heater core runs about $450. In AZ the blend door actuator plastic falls apart after 7-10 years in the dry heat, so it may be worth swapping the whole thing.
However, all the videos and how-to guides say that you have to remove the shift mechanism, center console, steering wheel, and entire dashboard to remove the evaporator! This seems absurd.
Has anyone done this (or had it done) on a 15-17? Is there a way to swap out the evaporator coil without taking the whole interior front-end of the car apart?
I like to DIY and have the tools to service R134a properly, but I know my limits too. This is my wife's car and the vehicle we take our whole family on trips in. Messing with the steering system and all the air-bag / safety components in the dash is something I'll save up and pay a professional for if that's required to fix this.
It loses about 2oz of refrigerant per week right now, so (other than the environmental impact) I can top it off as long as it doesn't get worse while I save up to get it fixed.
If there's a way to do it without disassembling all that, I'll give it a shot.
Has anyone else tried this?
Got out my gauges and the low side was like 5 PSI, so clearly low on refrigerant. It took 22oz to get it back to spec. I checked all over the condenser and lines under the hood with my leak detector, but found nothing. As soon as I opened an interior door the leak detector went nuts (it's pretty sensitive). I had to open all the doors and back to clear the cabin before tracking it down.
The leak is coming from the front system, detected strongest at the registers. I don't detect anything from the rear. The service manual says that the system is charged with dye at the factory, and I can see UV dye leaking out of the bottom of the front AC "box" (see picture - this is right behind the glovebox in the front passenger footwell).
I found the evaporator coil itself (OEM or aftermarket) for < $100 on a few sites. The whole OEM air box with new blend doors, actuators, evaporator, and heater core runs about $450. In AZ the blend door actuator plastic falls apart after 7-10 years in the dry heat, so it may be worth swapping the whole thing.
However, all the videos and how-to guides say that you have to remove the shift mechanism, center console, steering wheel, and entire dashboard to remove the evaporator! This seems absurd.
Has anyone done this (or had it done) on a 15-17? Is there a way to swap out the evaporator coil without taking the whole interior front-end of the car apart?
I like to DIY and have the tools to service R134a properly, but I know my limits too. This is my wife's car and the vehicle we take our whole family on trips in. Messing with the steering system and all the air-bag / safety components in the dash is something I'll save up and pay a professional for if that's required to fix this.
It loses about 2oz of refrigerant per week right now, so (other than the environmental impact) I can top it off as long as it doesn't get worse while I save up to get it fixed.
If there's a way to do it without disassembling all that, I'll give it a shot.
Has anyone else tried this?