I have a '95 Aerostar that the A/C hasn't worked for a while. I charged the system, compressor cycled, it cooled then went hot again.
When I turned off the vehicle, I've got a leak from a fitting (I think it's a fitting) on the back of the compressor (top center back).
Can this be tightened or is the compressor shot?
Thanks
It may have been an overpressure relief, blown by adding refrig to a system that had air in it. It's a one-time function and has to be replaced.
I am on the side of those who want to do their own... but every summer I see posts by people who dont seem to have a clue. And havent bothered to do the simplest research on problems before they just dump the freon in.
Read up some and you might find some answers to your ac issues.
Check the diy repair section, detailed enough for the beginner.
Don't know the exact fittings on your car, but they all have some sort of a seal - either an annealed copper or nylon gasket or a rubber O-ring between the hose fitting and the compressor body. (And it's a special exotic synthetic rubber matched to the refrigerant and oil inside the system, not the hardware store type.) Tightening the fitting could work - or it could rip the gasket and make it leak worse.
The compressor may well be shot - but that has nothing at all to do with your immediate problem, which is an external leak. ;-P From your description that it worked for a little while, and you made no mention of any loud and expensive sounding rattling or banging noises when it was running, it's probably safe to rule it out. ;-)
Take it in and get the AC fixed properly - it's simple work, and they shouldn't hit you too hard. About two to three hours of labor.
If the system was leaking and empty for a long time, they need to recover the refrigerant you put in, fix the leaks, change the filter-drier cartridge ($50-ish) because the desiccant inside will get full of moisture from the leak "breathing" in damp outside air for a few years, check the oil level inside the compressor to make sure none leaked out, and draw a hard vacuum on the system for a few hours to get out all the air and moisture that was inside.
Then refill with refrigerant and test it.
If you don't get all the air and moisture out of the refrigerant system, you'll have constant problems with the expansion valve icing up - it'll work for 5 minutes, some free water droplets will freeze in the orifice feeding the inside evaporator (cold) coil, and the system will quit. Repeatedly, and like clockwork.
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