Heater tube leaking at thermostat housing?

Hi,

Did you mean to attach a picture? I'm not sure what pipe it is you are referring to. As far as the heater is concerned, there are heater hoses that attach at the firewall, under the hood. There are two, a supply and a return.

As far as a leak, if you are unsure where it is coming from, the system should be pressure tested. You will need a tester, but most parts stores will lend one to you.

Here is a link that explains how it's done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/radiator-pressure-test

Let me know where you are seeing the leak, how much is leaking, and if you meant to attach a picture.

Take care,

Joe

I can't seem to get the right bolt out. I can't even get the right angle to even loosen it. Is it normal to be leaking where it is or is there another issue I haven't found yet?

Hi,

That appears to be the leak. There is an O-ring in there that has likely failed. That is referred to as the coolant outlet tube.

Looking at the video, the nuts appear to be accessible. What are you using to remove them?

Let me know.

Joe

See pic below.

I finally got it loose, but it won't cover completely off. Maybe it's not supposed to.. But I can't get the thermostat out now.

Hi,

It should be removable. The problem is there is little room to work. Have you been able to identify if the gasket/o-ring is damaged?

As far as the thermostat goes, you need to remove the heater tube. Have you done that?

Joe

See pic below.

Yes. I got it finally. I had to lower the A/C compressor. My question now is, it appears the compressor has discharged. once I put it back up, I need to recharge the system, right? Or did I mess it up?

Hi,

It shouldn't have discharged. Why do you suspect that happened? When you get things back together, turn the AC on and see if the compressor engages. If it does, it is still charged. It won't engage if there is no or low freon in the system.

I don't think you damaged anything unless you heard it leak. If you do need to add freon, here is a link that shows how it's done, but again, unless you did something to break a line, it should be fine.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/air-conditioner-how-to-add-freon

Let me know.

Joe

It definitely discharged from the top connectors. Maybe they loosened when I was lowering it. I don't know but A lot of Freon came out. Should I be worried?

Hi,

Don't be worried. However, I do need to know which connectors. If they leaked, they would likely need to be replaced. This will require the AC system to be vacuumed and recharged. Based on the connectors, we may also need to add PAG oil to the system.

Take a pic of where you saw the leak and upload it for me to see.

Take care,

Joe

They are the two on the top of the unit. See pics

Hi,

That appears to be right at the compressor. The second pic above is a video, but I'm unable to play it.

If the two connectors you indicated leaked, first make sure the steel tubing wasn't damaged. If they are good, then there is an o-ring on each one that will need to be replaced.

Once that is done, you will need to vacuum and recharge the system. While the system is vacuumed, you can turn off the vacuum pump and allow the vehicle to sit. If there is a leak in the system, you will lose the vacuum.

Here is the link that explains how it's done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/re-charge-an-air-conditioner-system

With all of that in mind and if you are certain all freon/charge is gone, remove the hoses for inspection of both the steel hoses and the O-rings.

Let me know what you find.

Joe

What if it's not all gone? And only some of it? Will it hurt it to start the car?

Hi,

No, it won't hurt the system. Just turn both the AC and defroster off so it doesn't engage the compressor. Keep in mind, if it is below a specified pressure, it is designed not to turn on to protect itself.

Also, if you only lost a portion and it is still holding pressure, you may only have to add freon. But if it leaked, I have a feeling, it was all lost.

Let me know how things turn out for you.

Joe

Okay, can I not replace the o ring, tighten the connection, start it up, and see what happens? If I don't engage the compressor, how would I tell if I need to vacuum it? I'm only pondering the idea of not replacing the o ring only because I was almost all done. And can I put coolant in it now before I do all that to check the new thermostat job I did for leaks? Thank you so much for your help by the way.

Hi,

You are very welcome, but you are doing all the work. LOL

If there is any charge left, you will lose it if you disconnect the pipe to replace the O-ring. Also, the engine will need to be running and the AC on when charging it, so you should wait until it is together.

If it was me, I would likely focus on the AC before putting everything together. Otherwise, you may need to take it apart again. That's your decision. Regardless, whichever way you decide, I'll do my best to help.

Let me know.

Take care,

Joe

Well, I put the mounting bolts back in. To focus on the AC, I should replace the o rings, right? I don't have to take the unit off again, do I? Can't I just use the two to confirm and replace the o rings and be done? How necessary is it to replace them anyways? I really don't want to do the vacuum thing. I just don't. Ugh. You're probably right it probably isn't charged anymore.... What do you think?

On another note. My steering wheel has always been hard to turn, when my alternator went out the steering wheel would mine this kind of grinding noise when I would turn it almost all the way. Then it stopped being so loud. But now I hear actual whistling when I'm in reverse like the kind of whistle you make when you are trying to get someone's attention. Could it be the pump or something else? I've had the car for a year now. The engine and block are remanufactured and probably have about 35k to 40k miles. But the car has 160k.

Hi,

I'm not sure what to say about the AC charge. I'm going off what you described. As far as the o-ring, if you take it apart, it should be replaced. At this point, just put it together and hopefully, the AC will be fine.

Let me know.

Joe

I started the car. The RPM is high at first then steadily drops until it sounds like it's going to keep dropping but I turned it off before then because I saw a leak at the coolant reservoir. The upper tube coming from the reservoir was leaking. Easy to fix but why? The clamp is on it... I'm going to upload a video after I fix that. Do I have to wait for it to cool now?

Hi,

make sure the hose wasn't damaged when you had things apart. It may have been stretched or cut by accident.

If the clamp being on, if pulled hard enough, it can still allow the hose to move, so check that as well.

Let me know what you find.

Take care,

Joe