1. Home
  2. Chrysler Cars
  3. a/c ?

a/c ?

hello , i have a 1998 dodge stratus and am hearing some kind of hissing noise inside the car, near the heater and a/c controls. now my a/c doesn't work and until this noise started it was ok ,but i had to recharge it last summer. any ideas or what i should look for and how hard to tear the center console and heater controls apart? thanks Randy

Reply to
Randy Pape
Loading thread data ...

Does your AC clutch engage? Is the hissing noise present only when AC compressor is running? If so than it is likely that the hissing noise is due to the refrigerant moving through the evaporator. Some hissing is normal, however, if the system is running low on refrigerant the noise will be much more prominent.

You clearly have a leak in your AC system (may be your EVAP is bad, may be something else). I would strongly recommend that before ripping the dash apart (I would really encourage you to get your hands on FSM if you decide to do so (you can print out relevant sections of the manual for $20 from

formatting link
you determine where the leak in the AC system is. It is easier to do it if you have an electronic leak detector, but if the leak is under the hood, then you are likely to be able to find an oily spot somewhere on an AC component pinpointing the leak. If you cannot find it, I would take it to a shop so that they could pin point the leak. Regardless, before attempting repair you would need to have a shop evacuate the remaining refrigerant from the system. Then you can peform whatever AC repair is necessary (don't forget to replace filter/driver) and take it back to them to pull vacuum and recharge.

You can avoid the second trip to them if you manage to get your hands on a vacuum pump, but if you need to buy one, it is likely to be cheaper if you get a shop to do the refill for you -- do not just try to add refrigerant to a system full of moisture -- very likely to cause issues.

If you plan on getting rid of the car in a year or so and the leak is in the LOW pressure side of the system (i.e. EVAP, return hose), you might consider trying your luck with one of those STOP LEAK products. I would NOT recommend this route as those products tend to be problematic in terms of causing damage to other components of the system and/or pose a serious maintenance issue.

If you decide to simply RECHARGE the system (with or without STOP LEAK) be sure to get a product that includes proper grade PAG oil. Remember, than when refrigerant leaks out, so does a part of the oil that lubricates the compressor. Hence it is crucial to add oil along with refrigerant.

Note: check your local area regulations -- in some jurisdictions refilling the system without an attempt at fixing the system is prohibited, some jurisdictions require a license for handling refrigerants (even R134a) and/or prohibit sale of small quantities of refrigerant (i.e. no cans).

Hope this helps,

Alex

Reply to
april1st

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.