Hello folks! I hope someone can give me some great advice on finding this leak! I am working on a 88 Fiero GT. The A/C was running warm and the compressor was not coming on! Being an A/C tech for houses and recently getting my ASE certificate for automotive, I begain to solve this problem. I put my old R-12 guages on the lines and found about 20 psi on both high and low with the engine cold and off! I by- passed the low pressure switch and tried the compressor, it came on and pulled the low side into a vac! I shut everything off and added enough pressure to get the lines up to 100 psi. After 10 mins, the pressure was at 80. 10 mins more, it was at 70. 10 mins more, around 60, get the point! I next added some UV dye and a little R12a es refrig. and cycled the system for a few mins. For the last 3 days I have been going over the entire system with a UV phaser and I have found everything from tiny 1mm or smaller splatter specks to light dust fogged areas on about everything! I mean in the interior vents, on the fire wall insulation (inside and out), on the connects, on fitting joints, on both lines, various places of the condenser coil, to the fan blade, radiator hoses, heck even the bug guts on the front end was glowing green! Now I am in doubt that the entire system needs replaced. What suggestions do you folks have? Thank you!

 

replace everything try looking at the condenser first..