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My daughter has a 2009 acura TL with 115000 miles. Her ac system starting only blowing warm air recently. The ac compressor clutch is engaging. I did some research on the internet and found a product call AC Pro that was very easy to use. It ha a system safe leak sealer that stops most common A/C leaks in hoses, gaskets and O-Rings. I attached the product to the low side of the ac system and found the pressure to be 10 psi (undercharged), so added refrigerant and so far everything is working fine. The company that makes AC Pro states that having a mechanic service the system is only needed if the ac system loses refrigerant within 2 weeks after using this product. Just asking fellow forum members if they have had any experience using this product?
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I have never used the product but was curious if it works.
keep us posted on the performance of the ac. 🙂I find the “loses refrigerant within 2 weeks” interesting. Looks like Safe Leak Sealer would also work well on slow leaks that take more than 2 weeks to notice – But hey, maybe the just want to sell you more stuff it takes 3-4 weeks 🙂
If the leak returns after 2 weeks, I will try ac pro super seal. I used the ac pro product on 30 June….so far so good
I’m not trying to sound snotty…
If it fails to hold a charge for at least a month? Use a recharge system that includes the UV leak detection. Car’s should hold the charge for many many years before needing a refill. The UV detection dye is great, and you can even get the UV flashlight from WalMart a LOT cheaper then they parts stores sell the ‘kit’. (that’s the most expensive pen light and safety glasses I’ve ever found)
S-
If it leaks out and you take it to a professional tell them what you have done because the stuff you used will contaminate their expensive equipment.
2 weeks later and AC system is still running fine….Will keep everyone informed as to the results of using this product.
We always checked the refrigerant with an identifier before we removed the refrigerant. I really don’t remember having customer pay A/C work, so I don’t remember having contamination issues.
I could only imagine what an independent shop has to put up with; the cost of repairing the equipment and if contaminated refrigerant enters in a customer’s vehicle. WOW
When I first got my current car, I had the same situation, compressor was coming on, but air was warm. I put sealer in it early in the summer, it worked fine all summer, UNTIL . . . I went on vacation to Florida. It blew 40 degrees the entire way from NY to FL . . .then it sat two weeks, and when I started it up to come home, it blew 125 degrees 🙁
Next spring, I paid a shop to fix it, they put sealer in it, even after I told them that I had already done that, and the leak was back, and I wanted them to fix the leak.
I paid $165 for that service, two weeks later . . well, you can guess right?
I learned a lot about A/C shortly after that. Recharged with UV dye, found my dye dripping out the condensate tube (exactly where I was expecting it lol) and then swapped out the Evaporator core, pulled a vacuum, recharged, and life was good for a year, before another part failure caused additional repairs.
Don’t expect that sealer to last all that long, don’t waste your time and money using additional sealers, they’ll just gunk up the inside of your system. Learn what you need to learn, find where the leak is, and fix it right, then charge the system properly.
Honestly I feel products like that are equivalent to putting guns in the hands of toddlers. If you don’t know how to use them, they can be dangerous. For instance, the sealer, the way an AC system works is on the principal of going from high pressure to low pressure through a small opening. Who’s to say the sealer can’t clog that opening thus shutting down the entire system?
They market those products to sell products. I don’t feel they give a flying fig if it actually is effective or not.
I say it a lot. I don’t feel AC work is for the DIY. It’s way more involved that most people expect and they can get over their heads real quick. Once that happens, things can get very expensive, not to mention harmful to the environment.
I will admit that most AC problems are the result of low refrigerant. Then again, in my experience AC work is not often ‘typical’. In addition, I feel that just topping off the system doesn’t address the issue of where the refrigerant leaked out in the first place. Anytime I ‘top off’ a system like that, I at least add die to the mix to identify any leaks the system might have for future reference.
I’m sorry if my response comes off as negative as that is not my intention. That said, I’ve done a full write up on AC issues here.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-hvac-problems
I just checked the AC Pro website for FAQ’s. Here are a few that address some of the concerns mentioned in this thread about this product: (By the way, I have NO financial interest in this product…just an interest in finding the least expensive, self satisfying and effective way of repairing my automotive AC)
1 – Will Super Seal clog any component of my AC system?
No. The chemical formulation remains in a liquid state inside the a/c system until it detects moisture at the leak point and self-seals. Super Seal contains a drying agent to prevent any sealing activity while in the system. Super Seal will be removed from the system with the refrigerant as it either leaks out or is removed.
2 – Has the chemical technology in Super Seal ever been used before?
Yes. The sealant technology in Super Seal has been used for decades in the underground gas transfer industry, sealing leaks in pipes, tanks, compressors, and other gas filled containers.
3 – How long will a Super Seal repair last?
Any leak fixed by Super Seal during a recharge will create a permanent bond that will not leak from that point again. In addition Super Seal will continue to flow through the A/C system as a lubricant and seal any new leaks that may develop which makes it great for preventative maintenance.
4 – I keep having to add refrigerant, where did it go?
If you are constantly adding refrigerant to your system you have a leak. If your car is over five years old then chances are the o-rings and gaskets have become brittle and inelastic causing small leaks throughout the system. Adding a refrigerant with a leak sealer and o-ring condition will help to correct this problem.
5 – Will IDQ leak sealers damage a mechanic’s A/C recovery and recycling equipment if refrigerant is removed later?
No, IDQ leak sealers are system safe and will not damage A/C systems or recovery equipment, as they are discarded with the waste oil. The leak sealers in IDQ All-in-One products recondition and rejuvenate rubber components in the air conditioning system. They do not solidify or harden, and there is no deterioration over time.
it isn’t exactly a “professional” approach to servicing an HVAC system as that would mean pulling a vacuum on the system, monitoring pressure, recharging with r134a and leak detector dye, looking for the leak, fixing that,recharging with R134A again, yadda yadda. but honestly i used a can on my friends 2001 passat V6 wagon the other day and it fixed right up real nice. My car on the other hand is still an R12 unit….i refuse to convert…. banana:
I absolutely agree with ETCG and the analogy about putting guns in the hands of toddlers. Working with A/C can be a bit tricky or dangerous even for people who know what they’re doing.
What I don’t like in the commercials is the promotion of the idea that anyone off the street can take a can of that stuff and become an A/C Pro with no regard for causing problems or suffering personal injury. Given time, injuries and lawsuits may appear…
I’ve seen a few cans of refrigerant blow up accidentally and that was in the hands of experienced A/C service professionals. A slight lapse in concentration and that was all it took. Luckily, in both cases the service tech was not injured and momentarily disappeared in a huge cloud of steam.
They were also lucky in that both of them normally wear glasses. Otherwise they could have been blinded for life as refrigerant can take out eyesight in a nano-second.TSB FROM CHRYSLER / A/C SYSTEM SEALERS
Reference Number(s): 24-003-03, Date of Issue: May 23, 2003
CHRYSLER:1990 – 2004 All Products DODGE: 1990 – 2004 All
Products JEEP: 1990 – 2004 All Products GROUP: Heating & A/C
Related Ref Number(s): 24-003-03The use of A/C system sealers may result in damage to A/C refrigerant recovery/evacuation/recharging equipment and/or A/C system components. • Many federal,state/provincial and local regulations prohibit the recharge of A/C systems with known leaks. • DaimlerChrysler recommends the detection of A/C system leaks through the use of approved leak detectors available through Pentastar Service Equipment (PSE) and fluorescent leak detection dyes available through MOPAR Parts. • Vehicles found with A/C system sealers should be treated as contaminated and replacement of the entire A/C refrigerant system is recommend.
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The text of this TSB is fairly well traveled around the internet.
I will go a bit against the grain with other posters on this subject…
There is a time and a place for this, however… Knowing the time and place is another thing… I will go on the record as saying that there is no-half stepping an A/C REPAIR…
The use of this product is a quick fix… Not a repair… If the car is at the end of its usable life and refrigerant is just low and has a small leak (generally in compressor seals) and the rest of the system is fine, then I can say use it to get the system working again…
The hard part is to know when this will work and when it wont… Other things in the system do go bad, and it can be a waste of time and money….
Sometimes expensive repairs do not justify the costs of a quality professional repair on a vehicle in the twilight of its life…
JMHO
-Karl
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