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Evaporator leak using borescope visual inspection

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by lech auto air conditionin, Feb 4, 2021.

  1. lech auto air conditionin

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2011
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    Location:
    san francisco
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Sometimes evaporator leaks and other air conditioning leaks do not always leak constantly.
    Leaks could be intermittent.
    A leak can start when the component pressure is lowering and the temperature is getting cold and it only leaks at that time when you turn the system off and evaporator pressure rises and temperature rises the leak might stop.

    The exact opposite could happen you can have a leak that only leaks at a higher pressure when the system is off the pressure raises on the low side and the temperature of the aluminum metal and the evaporator expands instead of contracts and it only leaks at that time.

    Some leaks take vibration movement to get the components of leak at that one point.

    Which can be very frustrating for a technician using even the best electronic refrigerant leak detector because you cannot detect what is not there if that’s the time that you were testing it’s not leaking.

    And using UV fluorescent dyes in the air conditioning doesn’t help you in the evaporator because you cannot get a physical view with your eyes or push a borescope down one of the duct to enter the evaporator.

    But I have found what looks like a safe location to drill a hole on the driver side of the case just lower and to the right of one of the actuators.
    The hole can be drilled a borescope can be inserted and you can take a picture or record and physically see where the refrigerant oil has gathered and dust has accumulated causing a dark oily shadow on the face of the evaporator

     
    edthefox5 and SFO like this.