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holds vacuum but not pressure

tybee on Thu September 11, 2008 5:04 PM User is offline

Year: 1997
Make: buick
Model: park ave
Engine Size: 3.9L
Refrigerant Type: 134a
Country of Origin: United States

I recently lost the ac on my 1997 buick park ave. One it worked next day it didn't. I checked pressure and noted that it had no refrigerant so I set about to recharge it. I pulled a vacuum and held it good so I went ahead and charged. After charging it worked fine... until the next day. I rechecked the vacuum and it still looked rock solid after a more than an hour so again I recharged it (sadly) and it all leaked out again within 2 days. I'm thinking its probably a loose seal(?) but wondering if this is indicative of something specific that a more experienced tech could explain to me.

mk378 on Thu September 11, 2008 6:21 PM User is offline

Did you put UV dye into it? That will help finding the leak. Otherwise look for oil.

GM compressors often leak at the shaft seal or the joints in the case. You might see evidence of oil slinging out from under the clutch plate, or oil on the bottom of the case respectively.

GM Tech on Thu September 11, 2008 10:31 PM User is offline

my money is on the shaft seal- turn the clutch by hand when it is charged- you may hear it hiss as it rotates...

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The number one A/C diagnostic tool there is- is to know how much refrigerant is in the system- this can only be done by recovering and weighing the refrigerant!!
Just a thought.... 65% of A/C failures in my 3200 car diagnostic database (GM vehicles) are due to loss of refrigerant due to a leak......

tybee on Fri September 12, 2008 8:08 AM User is offline

tybee on Fri September 12, 2008 8:23 AM User is offline

Thanks for the quick reply. If I find that the shaft seal is leaking can I replace the seal or do I need to replace the compressor?

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