2000 Concorde Lxi Evaporator Failure Rate?

There do seem to be some evaporator failures. However, my '99 Concorde's a.c. quit cooling this summer. I though maybe it was the evaporator or compressor seals. I charged it up with 134a with UV dye. Sure enough, two weeks later, it quit cooling again. But the dye had left a nice trial on two metal hose clamps that secure a metal line (that goes from the condensor back to the dryer/accumulator) to the frame and fender well (the UV light costs $15 at the auto parts store - on the same shelf as the 134a). Absolutely no dye residue around the compressor. Examination showed corrosion and rubbing wear between the clamps and the metal hose (even though the clamps had that rubber layer on them between them and the hose). And I don't live in the rust belt - seems those aluminum lines have pretty thin walls.

I repaired the line (made two epoxy/gauze bandages to avoid opening the system up to replace the line) and charged it back up, and it's been two months - still cooling normally.

You might go thru that excercise with the dye to do your own more fool-proof leak test - or simply look for corrosion at those points.

Did your friend leak test it when it was low in charge? From what I understand, using those leak testers is a real art (dependent on the skill of the user) and require very controlled conditions.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Have him retest the leak with the lite, this time have him raise the vehicle and put the lite on the a/c drain tube and look on the transmission for traces of dye. Normally you can smell the compressor oil when the blower turns on.

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

HE did that... found nothing. However, I have noticed an odor when the air conditioner comes on. IT disappears shortly thereafter.

So UV dye is put in the system at the factory?

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

I have one of those electronic leak testers, and yes it takes some practice, it is not a job that can be rushed. But if you do it in a garage when nothing is blowing air around, and keep the sniffer at the bottom of the tubes (refrigerant is heavier than air and falls down in still air) and keep readjusting the sensitivity, and go slow, you will find the leaks.

Ted

That's why, to me the dye makes so much sense for the DIY'er. Little investment, very little skill, and no special, almost laboratory, conditions required to positively identify the existence and location/source of a leak - *and* traceable *after* the fact.

My question still stands - does UV dye get put in at the factory on DC or other brand vehicles? (I'm thinking no, but...)

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

No Bill they do not put dye in the system from the factory, as a matter of fact , At the beginning Chrysler didnt want us to use the stuff. Now its a part number on the shelf

I assume there's little to no hope of financial consideration from Chrysler on this; 2000 Concorde Lxi with 62000 miles. Right?

Chrysler has extended the warranty to 70k miles on some years. You may what to contact Chrysler and ask them. I forget what year it was but it was the LH

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

Well, I asked because there is no mention of dye having been put in his system, yet you and the OP are talking about looking for dye.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

(sorry for this late reply, but I replied before, but it did not post since my ISP's newserver crapped out on them just before that - and I'm just now getting up and running again)

The reason I asked is that the OP never stated that dye was ever put in the system - and since it doesn' come with dye in it from the factory, is it possible that the guy was trying to read leask with a light when no dye had been put in? May sound like a stupid question, but to not ask it is assuming something that we don't know for sure.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')