I live in Florida and my 1997 S10's compressor has had a slow leak these past few years. It's now to the point that I would need to add a can of R134 every week or so. So I'm going to make some repairs.
The leak is at the bottom of the compressor, where the front half meets the rear half. No other locations. I used that florescent dye to find the leak and let me tell you... that stuff is great.
I'm buying a compressor and I know that they recommend replacing the accumulator at the same time. Should I now replace the accumulator? It's inexpensive at $40.
Other questions:
As the system is leaking, the low pressure side is basically empty. How should I go about disconnecting the high pressure side? Can I bleed off pressure some safe way?
How should I go about adding the correct level of oil (PAG)? Should I just add the correct amount to the compressor when installed or add it to the accumulator? Does oil accumulate any place else that may create an "over-fill" situation?
Will I need any other parts? I'm going to re-use the o-rings if they look good and replace them if not.