We use multiple methods to quickly pinpoint even the tiniest of air conditioning leaks quickly.
Large leaks can sometimes be found using a straight forward pressure test but smaller leaks usually require testing with a tracer gas.
We have multiple methods for leak testing. Please get in touch for some free advice on which one suits your situation.
To find small leaks we use a special 'tracer gas' that contains a small amount of very detectable hydro-carbon. We then use a device that can detect very small amounts of the tracer gas. This helps us to pin point the smallest of leaks accurately. Generally this is a quick is process and can be completed in under an hour but some vehicle manufacturers love to hide components, requiring some disassembly of the vehicle in question. Obviously this can add time to the process.
For more advice please get in touch on 01386 765168.
To find larger leaks, pressure testing with nitrogen can be all that is needed. We use an inert gas (Oxygen Free Nitrogen - OFN) to safely pressurise the AC system. It's then a matter of listening for the hiss or using a bubble spray to pinpoint the leak. It's quick and cheap if you have a larger air con leak but will struggle to find tiny AC leaks.
Pressure testing with compressed air should never be performed. Moisture will be introduced to the AC system which can have severe consequences and in some situations can actually become explosive!
For more advice on which pressure test is suitable for your vehicle, please get in touch on 01386 765168.
UV dye testing can be a very good way to trace small AC leaks. However, there are a few things to bear in mind.
For UV dye testing to work, the dye is injected into the AC system along with the refrigerant. The refrigerant then carries the dye around the system and anywhere a leak occurs, the dye can be seen under a UV light.
The problem is that it is illegal to put refrigerant into a system that has a leak. This makes it impossible to use UV dye once the refrigerant has leaked out.
At Motorvation, we install UV dye whenever we re-gas an AC stem so that should a leak occur in the future, it is easy to find.
For more advice on UV Dye for your vehicle, please get in touch on 01386 765168.
We add ultra-violet dye with every re-gas so that should your AC system develop a future leak, diagnosis is a very quick and simple matter.
You can of course opt out of this service but we highly recommend UV dye when re-gassing a vehicle.
Simply select any items of interest and we'll send you an up to date estimate. It's free and there's absolutely no obligation.
If you are needing a re-gas more than once every three to four years you most likely have a leak.
It's an offence to put refrigerant into a vehicle that has a suspected leak. This is because refrigerant is incredibly damaging to the environment. Secondly refrigerant, whether it's r134a or r1234yf, has become very expensive. It's well worth making sure system is gas tight before wasting money.
It varies form job to job. Some leaks can be very well hidden and take a while to fix bur normally we will need the vehicle for 2-4 hours to do a thorough test.
Vacuuming AC systems is not intended to be a leak test. Why would you apply a vacuum to something in order to check that it can hold pressure? they're polar opposites. Vacuuming AC systems is done to remove any moisture from the system.
It depends on the situation but Leak Trace testing is generally the best all rounder. UV dye can only be added to a system that doesn't have a leak because it needs to be in a working system with refrigerant and it's very hard to find small leaks with Nitrogen pressure testing.
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