slow but increasing Freon leak. where should I look first ? any experience with the dye to locate the leak ? thanks............. js
If the previous tech put in the dye, go to any Pep Boys, Autozone etc. They sell a cheap light that illuminates the dye. Pull it into the garage, turn out the lights and start following the ac lines. I would start in the trunk area on the drivers side and work from there. But unless you have a vacuum kit, gauges etc. It might be worth it to take to an AC shop. The TR system isnt magic, they can quickly find the leak and fix it. Hopefully its an o ring.
If you have a black light you can follow the dye( if installed) and trace the leak. If not I would recommend a A/C freon sniffer. It produce a signal beep until the leak is located then it produces a loud signal screech indicating the source of the leak. Costs some money, but highly accurate and work both when running or not.
Reminder that R134 will pass through the walls of older R12 refrigerant lines (smaller molecules). Have you replaced the lines with barrier hose?
It has been a long time since I have done A/C work on an M so I don't remember but according to the book they came with 134. But we know how Italians are with hoses.
thanks everyone. the M came with r134. before i take it to a shop i am going to put in a can with dye and look for it with the black light. my experience with r134 domestic systems is most leaks are around the service fittings which are usually a simple fix js