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AC leak detection and repair

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by red04prius, Jul 20, 2017.

  1. red04prius

    red04prius Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
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    N/A
    Hello everyone,

    My 2004 Prius recently started blowing warm air. As a first step, I put in freon (with ND-11). That got the compressor going and the AC blew cold air for an hour until all the freon leaked out. Clearly there is a leak. I later found out that is not a good way to detect if there is a leak or not. Apologies for the refrigerant leaking into the atmosphere and damaging it.

    I have read several threads here and elsewhere on the internet and I cannot find out how to detect where the leak is. It seems like adding dye is inappropriate for hybrids like Prius. Also while I did find R-134 with ND-11 for the Prius, I couldn't find R-134 with dye that has ND-11 in it. Anyone knows?

    Finally, if someone can recommend a mechanic in the Atlanta area who deals with Prius ACs, I will appreciate it. Thanks.
     
    #1 red04prius, Jul 20, 2017
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    If you visually inspect the AC system in the engine compartment, you may be able to see an oil stain at a joint in the plumbing, or perhaps on the condenser near the radiator. The leak must be pretty bad if the recharge only lasted one hour.

    Another recent poster mentioned a leak where the plumbing connects to the evaporator, which was visible when the tray which houses the windshield wiper motor is removed from the firewall.

    If your visual inspection does not reveal a stain then you might need to visit a local Toyota dealer for assistance.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Jul 21, 2017
  3. Aaron Nutter

    Aaron Nutter New Member

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    2012 Aqua
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    I agree with Patrick. If you feel comfortable, then you can repair it by your own or else can go with some professional contractor's advice. A friend of mine has also faced the same issue last month. As he lives in New Jersey, he has hired hvac company NJ team and got his all issues solved in less time. I will advise you to have a look for licensed contractors in your area to get your AC leak repaired soon.
     
    #3 Aaron Nutter, Jan 19, 2018
  4. staf4d

    staf4d New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2018
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    Location:
    Atlanta, Ga
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Did you find a repair service in Atlanta? I have same issue
     
    #4 staf4d, Oct 11, 2018
  5. Proud Fijian

    Proud Fijian New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2019
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    Location:
    Fiji
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Same. Local Toyota Dealer filled with oil and refrigerant after vacuuming. Worked fine for a bit. Next morning started up, and same as before charging system, DTC 23, Compressor not turning on, assumed leak took back to dealership. They confirmed there was no refrigerant left so they vacuumed and rechecked but they couldn't find any leaks saying it could be the evaporator but they also said there was no smell so it couldn't be the evaporator and what not.
    I went to a mechanic, says the leak is internal and could be most likely the evaporator and taking the whole dash and instrument cluster apart is going to cost alot of labour charges.
    1. Is the leak likely the evaporator or whatever seals involved?
    2. Is it worth a try changing the evaporator taken the cost of extra labour for getting to it?
    I have DTC output via checking the recirc and ac auto button of 23, 33, 42. 33 and 42 are minor damper positions so I'm not too worried since they seem to work fine physically.
    Any help would be appreciated.
     
    #5 Proud Fijian, Dec 3, 2019
  6. red04prius

    red04prius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2016
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    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hello staf4d, I took it to Atlanta Hybrid Repair (Atlanta Hybrid Service and Repair - Atlanta Hybrids by ToyoTechs) and they lifted the car up and found the leak was in the lower AC hose. The previous owner (or his dealer or mechanic) had used a zip tie to tie up the plastic undercover to the hose and over time the friction caused the leak.

    Atlanta Hybrid Repair charged me more than $100 for diagnostics and quoted around $700 to replace the hose (parts and labor). I bought the hose online and took it to my own mechanic and got the job done for under $100 I think.

    In hindsight, the leak was nothing specific to hybrid vehicles and I need not have taken it to Atlanta Hybrid Repair. If you can go under your car and check for obvious leaks in the AC hoses, that may save you some money.
     
    #6 red04prius, Dec 21, 2019
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