If your evap is leaking freon, you would likely smell it inside the car. If no smell inside the car when A/C is on, then you may have to look elsewhere for the source of the leak.

There are many ways to try and trace an A/C leak, but for the novice, dye is probably the best way. As old as your car is, you could be looking at any number of different reasons:

- dryed/cracked seals/O-rings
- bad seals on compressor
- pending compressor failure if original
- worn/cracked hoses/tubes
- bad seal at schrader valves
- damaged/cracked condensor
- etc.

See why I suggest you have it tested or test yourself (if you have equipment or a friend with same)? Some people go cheap test and get a bottle of R134A w/dye and cheap guage on it and fill with that first to see where leaks are. Others spend the big $$ for professional testing. Your option.

I will probably rebuild the entire system myself, (new seals, etc) and then take it to a shop for a recharge. Unfortunatly, I live in Canada, where R12 is illegal, and 134A is so damn heavily regulated to the point where you'd be better off buying a whole new car than to have to deal with the a/c mess. I might just plug isobutane r12/134 equivalent just to test the system before recharging(with a dye) to see if there are any leaks in the system.

A/c is very finicky to work with. Most shops won't try to service and convert old cars with r-12 all gone due to liability issues and whatnot because of the strict regulations set by the government. The system cannot have moisture or dirt, or anything other than the proper refrigerant and oil to keep the compressor from siezing up prematurly. In other words, the system should be purged, the drier, and filters changed. Yes, its tricky stuff to work with, and you really should invest in a set of a/c guages and equipment to do the job right.

Wow. Down here, I can get a simple kit at the auto parts store to convert from R12 to R134a and R134a is pretty inexpensive now. For a while there it was difficult to get and fairly expensive.

But it'* true that you have to either replace your dryer or pull a vacuum for 24 hrs to get the lines completly clean and dry before proceeding with a recharge of any kind. Also, don't neglect to check and/or replace your orifice filter while you are at it. It'* a fairly inexpensive part and will cause problems if it is clogged.

When you get around to it in the spring, keep us updated on your progress.

Had my bro in law sniff out the whole system and he could not find a leak.
Dealer said to look at the evap core and if its oily its leaking. said 7 hr labor involved.
Thats why I never messed with it. Everytime I look at the cramped area on the firewall to work on it I just close the hood.