AC stop leak.....does it work?

[Huskyguy68]

I have a 20 year old SUV. THe AC ran out 3 yearsago or so. Last year I bought an aftermarket can of AC recharge.....surprisingly, it worked.
FOr twenty minutes! Parked the truck, popped the hood, heard it hissing. Looked down (I don't know the technical terms for the AC parts) and one thin long aluminum AC pipe was leaking AC . Hard to say, could be a tiny hairline crack or a pin hole.
Now I seen a few vids where that AC line was removed (need special AC tool line remover) and they did some type of AC braising rod with a mini torch.
I realize not everything can be repaired this way, if at all. I might give it a try, by just removing my engine fans to give me room and better access without removing that broken ac line.

OR...I was thinking of using AC STOP LEAK....some claim that stuff works, even if only one or two years. Others say can last much longer. Depends how bad the leak is and where.
Is AC Stop LEAK a waste of my time?
Is it true that it might damage other components of the AC system, or worse, the motor itself?

 

[Cujet]

Nope. Don't even think about it. Quite often a new line is not particularly expensive or difficult to replace.

 

[Nukeman7]

A/C stop leak will clog up your system and many repair shops will refuse to work on your vehicle because the sealant will damage their expensive refrigerant recovery system. Just have a shop find the leak and repair it properly. Often, it's just a bad 50 cent o-ring.

 

[Huskyguy68]

A/C stop leak will clog up your system and many repair shops will refuse to work on your vehicle because the sealant will damage their expensive refrigerant recovery system. Just have a shop find the leak and repair it properly. Often, it's just a bad 50 cent o-ring.

Money a bit tight right now, but normally I would splurge and pay a shop to fix the AC , if a reasonable price.
That is why I was asking if the Stop AC Leak would work or not. I didn't want to spend $300-600 on fixing a 20 year old SUV's AC.
It"s not a high priority, seems many think AC Stop do more harm then good. I can live without AC and stick my head out the window.

 

[Trav]

What is this vehicle and which line is leaking? I see Sunsong has lines for some of the old stuff for under $20.

 

[Arc]

The one time I tried the stop leak stuff it clogged up the line.

 

[BC1]

You need to find the exact spot leaking. It could just be an oring as mentioned. The cheap plastic under $10 AC/fuel line tools work fine. If I was trying to hack repair it until had more cash. I would try JB weld or even a piece of rubber and a hose clamp on a line hole. Once you add that stop leak the whole system is compromised.

 

[Astro14]

The stop leak can screw up the expansion valve and compressor. It makes the system unserviceable by a shop because it screws up the recovery equipment.

So, yes, if the goal is to separate you from your money - it works.

If the goal is to render your AC more expensive to fix - it works.

 

[meep]

How strong is your alternator?

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[TmanP]

Are you talking about a can of purpose-built stop-leak? I would not do that, and count yourself lucky that you have a pretty good idea of where the leak is for easier repair.
For what it's worth, essentially every hose/can combo available (like what you used a few years ago) has some amount of stop leak added to the refrigerant.
If you're adding refrigerant, you have to buy a can of plain R134a and hose separately if you want to avoid the stop-leak that's in all of the Autozone/Walmart special kits.

 

[SOUNDMAN5000]

I don't know how true it is but I recently ran across something on on the net suggesting its not wise to even refill freon from a can as when doing it yourself you can introduce the smallest amount of moisture in that air and that small about of moisture can be an issue?

All I know is I sure have added many a can of freon in the 80's and 90's. I have never used those "BIG" cans on the end cap at ALL the auto parts stores with freon and stop leak included but I question people must continue to buy these cans with stop leal but my experience from my friends who have used those big cans of goo may get cool AC for a time but then nothing and the system won't take anymore freon...

 

[SC Maintenance]

With a lot of help from people here I learned how to fix the AC on my Xterra for a few hundred dollars of tools. Then I used my new found knowledge to fix the AC in my Frontier. Now I am using the same knowledge and tools to fix the AC in the Xterra again since my daughter decided to run it into something and let all the refrigerant out, along with a bunch of other fluids.

If your keeping the car its worth fixing. As mentioned the hose likely isn't that expensive.

Thread 'Automotive AC troubleshooting 101 - help me get started?'

May 17, 2025

So while I understand the parts of an Automotive AC system quite well, I have no real practical experience because I haven't had many problems. My Xterra AC quite working one day - more or less overnight my daughter tells me ?

Put a cheap refill gauge on it and the system is empty it appears.

Is my first step to pull a vacuum on it and hopefully find / hear something?

Or do I pull a vacuum, fill it with refrigerant and die, and hope I can see it?

Suggestions on a guage set and vacuum pump? Is the Harbor Freight stuff acceptable, or the cheap stuff on Amazon, or should I look...

• SC Maintenance
• Replies: 123
• Forum: Mechanical/Maintenance Forum

• 

 

[Donald]

Does the OP have the tools to pull a vacuum and then fill by weight? If not take it somewhere that can do the work properly.

 

[CarlB]

Money a bit tight right now, but normally I would splurge and pay a shop to fix the AC , if a reasonable price.
That is why I was asking if the Stop AC Leak would work or not. I didn't want to spend $300-600 on fixing a 20 year old SUV's AC.
It"s not a high priority, seems many think AC Stop do more harm then good. I can live without AC and stick my head out the window.

You can DIY locate the leak if money is tight. Don't mess with stop leak unless you want to replace everything down the road.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Does the OP have the tools to pull a vacuum and then fill by weight? If not take it somewhere that can do the work properly.

The tools cost less than taking it somewhere. Then you have the tools. Its a matter of having the skill.

 

[Huskyguy68]

With a lot of help from people here I learned how to fix the AC on my Xterra for a few hundred dollars of tools. Then I used my new found knowledge to fix the AC in my Frontier. Now I am using the same knowledge and tools to fix the AC in the Xterra again since my daughter decided to run it into something and let all the refrigerant out, along with a bunch of other fluids.

If your keeping the car its worth fixing. As mentioned the hose likely isn't that expensive.

Thread 'Automotive AC troubleshooting 101 - help me get started?'

May 17, 2025

So while I understand the parts of an Automotive AC system quite well, I have no real practical experience because I haven't had many problems. My Xterra AC quite working one day - more or less overnight my daughter tells me ?

Put a cheap refill gauge on it and the system is empty it appears.

Is my first step to pull a vacuum on it and hopefully find / hear something?

Or do I pull a vacuum, fill it with refrigerant and die, and hope I can see it?

Suggestions on a guage set and vacuum pump? Is the Harbor Freight stuff acceptable, or the cheap stuff on Amazon, or should I look...

• SC Maintenance
• Replies: 123
• Forum: Mechanical/Maintenance Forum

• 

Thanks for the positive advice.
Ya, probably try to do a proper fix myself or maybe find an AC repair shop to at least give me an estimate.
I really like the Xterras, hoping to one day buy a 2014/15 Xterra.
My Gas bills will balloon, but i guess i cut back in other areas.
They make .05 ply toilet paper?
Im still gonna buy bacon.
And not that cheap hamster bacon.

 

[meep]

I love bacon.

 

[505kind]

That stuff is one of our worse nightmares.

Please god don’t buy anything but pure refrigerant & the proper oil.

 

[ElectroMechanoMan]

Get a set of gauges for A/C and a can of 134A refrigerant. Use the ambient temperature chart on the gauge manifold set and charge to the pressure as specified. Repair obvious problems first and charge as per charts. I’ve done it, and it does work. Do not use leak stop!!!

 

[zzyzzx]

Stop leak won't fix an A/C leak that big.
Braze the AC line to fix the leak of you can't get a new AC line. You might need to remove the line to braze it.