Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: "Irish" on April 10, 2025, 05:44:45 pm

Title: Coach AC leak
Post by: "Irish" on April 10, 2025, 05:44:45 pm
Need help 99' U270 coach AC is down to 1/2 lb Freon, I think this is a super slow leak. Have put 1lb into the system and it is holding after 6 hours. Where should I check for leaks, in the engine area is obvious, where is the coil for the front, under the dash?
Would appreciate any useful comments!
Title: Re: Coach AC leak
Post by: John44 on April 10, 2025, 06:01:46 pm
Research "direct inject" and use the product,you have R134A.You may never find the leak.
Title: Re: Coach AC leak
Post by: erniee on April 10, 2025, 06:16:17 pm
Needle in the haystack. I gave up the dash air and run the generator with roof airs
Title: Re: Coach AC leak
Post by: "Irish" on April 10, 2025, 07:16:25 pm
Direct inject sounds like a good idea!
Thanks
Title: Re: Coach AC leak
Post by: oldguy on April 11, 2025, 10:29:18 am
You can get a can Freon with die in it and you need the special glasses and then you can find the leak.
Title: Re: Coach AC leak
Post by: craneman on April 11, 2025, 10:58:17 am
You can get a can Freon with die in it and you need the special glasses and then you can find the leak.

You also need the ultra violet light to go with the glasses. Found many leaks that otherwise would have been missed.
Title: Re: Coach AC leak
Post by: John44 on April 11, 2025, 12:55:32 pm
First thing I would do is get the little valve core tightening tool and tighten your valve cores,they can wear out and get loose.
Title: Re: Coach AC leak
Post by: oldmattb on April 11, 2025, 01:16:34 pm
I found our leak several years ago, using a refrigerant "sniffer" from Harbor Freight.

During some previous repairs, a person cut the rubber hose off the aluminum fitting that attaches to the compressor.  I am guessing that the original crimped fitting was leaking.  When the person cut off the hose from the fitting, the knife blade scored the aluminum, preventing the hose and clamps from adequately sealing the little channel.  I removed it, gently sanded the fitting to remove the channel, and all has been good for a few years now.

A leak can be anywhere, including the lines in the belly.  The schrader valves in the access ports are a very common leak point, other metal-to-metal and metal-to-rubber junctions are common places for a leak.  On a previous coach, the AC condenser had a big hole.  I removed it, sent it to a shop in Florida, and they repaired the hole.  Good thing!  The condenser seemed to be a custom OEM item - I could find nothing like it after an extensive search.

BTW, the kit for REPLACING the valve cores is very inexpensive.
Title: Re: Coach AC leak
Post by: John44 on April 11, 2025, 01:32:04 pm
And with the kit you do NOT have to remove the refrigerant.
Title: Re: Coach AC leak
Post by: Barry & Cindy on April 11, 2025, 09:49:34 pm
Refrigerant with ultraviolet dye and ultraviolet light at night time or dark location will find leaks much better then during sunlight.