What Variables Affect Rate at Which Refrigerant Escapes System? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vstech · #1 03-04-2011, 11:37 AM

ultrasonic microphone. the detector listens for the high frequency of escaping refrigerant. REALLY zero's in on the leak. and it'll test nitrogen, air, R12, R134 anything...

leathermang · #2 03-04-2011, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

ultrasonic microphone. the detector listens for the high frequency of escaping refrigerant. REALLY zero's in on the leak. and it'll test nitrogen, air, R12, R134 anything...

Sorry, not buying that that would be effective on a small leak on the back of the evaporator... a leak easily found with a good sniffer pointed at the center vent....
Think about it.... the car is running... the blower motor is running.. the evaporator itself is insulated and the air has curves to go through to get to the vents....and you are trying to detect a high frequency through all that background junk ?

vstech · #3 03-04-2011, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathermang

Sorry, not buying that that would be effective on a small leak on the back of the evaporator... a leak easily found with a good sniffer pointed at the center vent....
Think about it.... the car is running... the blower motor is running.. the evaporator itself is insulated and the air has curves to go through to get to the vents....and you are trying to detect a high frequency through all that background junk ?

this is true. for an evap leak, the halide sniffers work to give you a general location of the leak, and would "smell" the leak through the vents, but it would also smell a leak if the txv was in the system, or if the connection o-ring was leaking feeding the evap.

leathermang · #4 03-04-2011, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

this is true. for an evap leak, the halide sniffers work to give you a general location of the leak, and would "smell" the leak through the vents, but it would also smell a leak if the txv was in the system, or if the connection o-ring was leaking feeding the evap.

My 1981 wagon had a leak in the evaporator ( in addition to the big line across the engine )... just sticking the sensor into the vent lit it up like a xmass tree and beeped for good measure....
This is why I recommend sniffers.... since finding hidden leaks with soap bubbles or other means have more (potentially diagnostically fatal ) limitations. You sure do not want to go to the trouble/expense of doing a flush, refill, charge and THEN find you have a leak....