1995 Toyota Camry Freon leak in aluminum tubing?

I have a 1995 Toyota Camry with a slow freon leak. I can see the oil
exiting from the vertical section of the foam rubber insulation that
surrounds one of the aluminum freon tubes. It is the tube that runs
across the car along the bottom of the radiator. The leak is visible
exiting the rubber insulation at the vertical section on the drivers
side of the car when it goes to the receiver dryer. There is no joint
or any other feature that would be a likely cause for a leak, just
a bend in the tubing. The tubing is covered with the rubber
insulation so it is hard for me to locate the exact spot. Right now
the leak is relatively slow and I can probably just put in a can or
two of freon each season. Fortunately it is R134 which I can buy.

My guess is that there is a pinhole at the bend. Have any Toyota
experts seen this before. Is there a way to repair the tube or do I
need to replace it?


thanks
Mark

On Apr 13, 10:25 am, Mark <makol...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 1995 Toyota Camry Freon leak in aluminum tubing?
>
> I have a 1995 Toyota Camry with a slow freon leak. I can see the oil
> exiting from the vertical section of the foam rubber insulation that
> surrounds one of the aluminum freon tubes. It is the tube that runs
> across the car along the bottom of the radiator. The leak is visible
> exiting the rubber insulation at the vertical section on the drivers
> side of the car when it goes to the receiver dryer. There is no joint
> or any other feature that would be a likely cause for a leak, just
> a bend in the tubing. The tubing is covered with the rubber
> insulation so it is hard for me to locate the exact spot. Right now
> the leak is relatively slow and I can probably just put in a can or
> two of freon each season. Fortunately it is R134 which I can buy.
>
> My guess is that there is a pinhole at the bend. Have any Toyota
> experts seen this before. Is there a way to repair the tube or do I
> need to replace it?
>
> thanks
> Mark

Slice the insulation lengthwise to see the exact pinhole location. I
would advise you to have a soap-water solution and wipe it on the tube
to see where the bubbles would appear. Use any household sealants,
putties to cover the hole, try to use those reworkable type of
sealants first just incase you make an error. Let it dry and then wrap
the sliced insulation with duct tape or any tape to closeup the sliced
insulation. I think this type of repair is best for a 13 yr old car,
it would be expensive to replace the whole tubing.
I've had luck using RTV silicone (its reworkable for the first two
days or so but once it was cured, it will sure last until the life of
the car) on my honda civics radiator, but it was on a ceramic surface,
but I think RTVs would hold well on aluminum surfaces too.

"Mark" <makolber@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:43f745f1-a26f-46b2-9ad4-3a7af4cbe3c3@d45g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> 1995 Toyota Camry Freon leak in aluminum tubing?
>
> I have a 1995 Toyota Camry with a slow freon leak. I can see the oil
> exiting from the vertical section of the foam rubber insulation that
> surrounds one of the aluminum freon tubes. It is the tube that runs
> across the car along the bottom of the radiator. The leak is visible
> exiting the rubber insulation at the vertical section on the drivers
> side of the car when it goes to the receiver dryer. There is no joint
> or any other feature that would be a likely cause for a leak, just
> a bend in the tubing. The tubing is covered with the rubber
> insulation so it is hard for me to locate the exact spot. Right now
> the leak is relatively slow and I can probably just put in a can or
> two of freon each season. Fortunately it is R134 which I can buy.
>
> My guess is that there is a pinhole at the bend. Have any Toyota
> experts seen this before. Is there a way to repair the tube or do I
> need to replace it?
>
>
> thanks
> Mark

"Freon" is the brand name for R-12 refrigerant that is no longer made. The
refrigerant for your Camry is used in all vehicles made after around 1993
and is known as R-134-A.

The proper repair is to replace the section of tubing with the leak, but you
can try something like JB Aluminum Weld first. Wipe the area that you are
going to repair with rubbing alcohol to remove any oil on the outside of the
tubing. If you have to remove any insulation, replace it with the stuff
available at a hardware store and secure it in place with plastic zip ties.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 07:25:33 -0700 (PDT), Mark <makolber@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>1995 Toyota Camry Freon leak in aluminum tubing?
>
>I have a 1995 Toyota Camry with a slow freon leak. I can see the oil
>exiting from the vertical section of the foam rubber insulation that
>surrounds one of the aluminum freon tubes. It is the tube that runs
>across the car along the bottom of the radiator. The leak is visible
>exiting the rubber insulation at the vertical section on the drivers
>side of the car when it goes to the receiver dryer. There is no joint
>or any other feature that would be a likely cause for a leak, just
>a bend in the tubing. The tubing is covered with the rubber
>insulation so it is hard for me to locate the exact spot. Right now
>the leak is relatively slow and I can probably just put in a can or
>two of freon each season. Fortunately it is R134 which I can buy.
>
>My guess is that there is a pinhole at the bend. Have any Toyota
>experts seen this before. Is there a way to repair the tube or do I
>need to replace it?

Slice open the foam insulation and take a look exactly what you
have, and where. It could be a crack at a bend, or at a weld for a
support tab, or simply a flaw in a straight section of tubing. You
can glue or tape the insulation closed later, it's there for padding
and thermal efficiency.

You can try scrubbing the tubing down thoroughly and applying a
two-part epoxy made for refrigeration repairs - with two caveats. The
system has to be totally discharged (with a recovery machine, then
recharged when you are done), or the refrigerant pressure inside will
just push it's way through the epoxy before it sets. And the repair
may last a week, or 10 years, you never know.

The more reliable repair (other than replacement) is TIG welding.
If you can physically get to the leak with the condenser still in the
car, they could bring the welder to the car and fix it right where it
sits, and you don't have to chance any other leaks from disturbing the
fittings and removing the condenser.

You will need a technician to recover the refrigerant and purge the
AC system with an inert gas like Helium or Argon so the TIG welding
doesn't contaminate everything inside. Then the welder crawls under
the hood and seals up the crack. After they check the repair for
leaks, then you purge and recharge the system.

(And if the system has leaked down to zero before where it sucked in
some air, change the filter/drier at the same time you do the repairs.
Moisture inside the AC system is bad, you get freeze-ups at the TXV or
metering orifice and the AC starts and stops working randomly. The
bag of desiccant crystals in the drier section can only absorb a few
drops of water before it is spent.)

--<< Bruce >>--

"Mark" <makolber@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:43f745f1-a26f-46b2-9ad4-3a7af4cbe3c3@d45g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> 1995 Toyota Camry Freon leak in aluminum tubing?
>
> I have a 1995 Toyota Camry with a slow freon leak. I can see the oil
> exiting from the vertical section of the foam rubber insulation that
> surrounds one of the aluminum freon tubes. It is the tube that runs
> across the car along the bottom of the radiator. The leak is visible
> exiting the rubber insulation at the vertical section on the drivers
> side of the car when it goes to the receiver dryer. There is no joint
> or any other feature that would be a likely cause for a leak, just
> a bend in the tubing. The tubing is covered with the rubber
> insulation so it is hard for me to locate the exact spot. Right now
> the leak is relatively slow and I can probably just put in a can or
> two of freon each season. Fortunately it is R134 which I can buy.
>
> My guess is that there is a pinhole at the bend. Have any Toyota
> experts seen this before. Is there a way to repair the tube or do I
> need to replace it?
>
>
> thanks
> Mark

Since you have evidence that oil is being lost along with the refrigerant I
would say DO NOT continue to just recharge as necessary as the system is low
on oil already and you risk locking up the compressor. The proper
(expensive) repair is to recover what refrigerant is left, disassemble the
system, drain the remaining oil out of all of the components, replace the
leaking tube along with the drier, refill the compressor with the proper
number of ounces of the correct type of oil (PAG or POE), reassemble, leak
test with dry nitrogen, triple evacuate using a vacuum pump and a micron
gauge, and recharge by weighing in the specified number of ounces of
refrigerant.

BTW as was mentioned by another poster Freon is a DuPont registered
trademark for refrigerants (mainly R12 and R22) manufactured by them just as
Puron is Carrier's trademark for the R410 used in their systems. This
probably doesn't matter though as people still call any adjustable wrench by
any manufacturer the Crescent name, any locking pliers by the Vise-Grip
name, any facial tissue by the Kleenex name, along with any others you can
think of.

"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote:
> "Freon" is the brand name for R-12 refrigerant that is no longer made.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freon

Freon is DuPont's trade name for its odorless, colorless, nonflammable, and
noncorrosive chlorofluorocarbon and hydrochlorofluorocarbon refrigerantS,
which are used in air conditioning and refrigeration systems.

------

The current trademark, serial number 72414415, lists it as "CHEMICAL
COMPOUNDS IN THE FORM OF REFRIGERANTS, FREEZANTS, PROPELLANTS, SOLVENTS,
AND BLOWING AGENTS FOR GENERAL USE IN THE INDUSTRIAL ARTS".

--
"[i]t's not surprising, then, that they get bitter, they cling to guns or
religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant
sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
-- Barack Obama at a meeting with his equals, the elitist bourgeoisie

Is this what the line looks like:

http://info.rockauto.com/FourSeasons...html?55365.jpg

The line going into the receiver/drier is the *high pressure* line.
Better to replace it the proper way than to try temporary fixes.



On Apr 13, 7:25 am, Mark <makol...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 1995 Toyota Camry Freon leak in aluminum tubing?
>
> I have a 1995 Toyota Camry with a slow freon leak. I can see the oil
> exiting from the vertical section of the foam rubber insulation that
> surrounds one of the aluminum freon tubes. It is the tube that runs
> across the car along the bottom of the radiator. The leak is visible
> exiting the rubber insulation at the vertical section on the drivers
> side of the car when it goes to the receiver dryer. There is no joint
> or any other feature that would be a likely cause for a leak, just
> a bend in the tubing. The tubing is covered with the rubber
> insulation so it is hard for me to locate the exact spot. Right now
> the leak is relatively slow and I can probably just put in a can or
> two of freon each season. Fortunately it is R134 which I can buy.
>
> My guess is that there is a pinhole at the bend. Have any Toyota
> experts seen this before. Is there a way to repair the tube or do I
> need to replace it?
>
> thanks
> Mark

I looked some more, if it's the all-alum line then it's a dealer item
because nobody else seems to stock it. Get a new drier and o rings
while at it.



On Apr 13, 7:25 am, Mark <makol...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 1995 Toyota Camry Freon leak in aluminum tubing?
>
> I have a 1995 Toyota Camry with a slow freon leak. I can see the oil
> exiting from the vertical section of the foam rubber insulation that
> surrounds one of the aluminum freon tubes. It is the tube that runs
> across the car along the bottom of the radiator. The leak is visible
> exiting the rubber insulation at the vertical section on the drivers
> side of the car when it goes to the receiver dryer. There is no joint
> or any other feature that would be a likely cause for a leak, just
> a bend in the tubing. The tubing is covered with the rubber
> insulation so it is hard for me to locate the exact spot. Right now
> the leak is relatively slow and I can probably just put in a can or
> two of freon each season. Fortunately it is R134 which I can buy.
>
> My guess is that there is a pinhole at the bend. Have any Toyota
> experts seen this before. Is there a way to repair the tube or do I
> need to replace it?
>
> thanks
> Mark

On Apr 13, 8:34*pm, johngd...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Is this what the line looks like:
>
> http://info.rockauto.com/FourSeasons...html?55365.jpg
>
> The line going into the receiver/drier is the *high pressure* line.
> Better to replace it the proper way than to try temporary fixes.
>
> On Apr 13, 7:25 am, Mark <makol...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > 1995 Toyota Camry Freon leak in aluminum tubing?
>
> > I have a 1995 Toyota Camry with a slow freon leak. *I can see the oil
> > exiting from the vertical section of the foam rubber insulation that
> > surrounds one of the aluminum freon tubes. *It is the tube that runs
> > across the car along the bottom of the radiator. *The leak is visible
> > exiting the rubber insulation at the vertical section on the drivers
> > side of the car when it goes to the receiver dryer. *There is no joint
> > or any other feature * that would be a likely cause for a leak, *just
> > a bend in the tubing. *The tubing is covered with the rubber
> > insulation so it is hard for me to locate the exact spot. *Right now
> > the leak is relatively slow and I can probably just put in a can or
> > two of freon each season. *Fortunately it is R134 which I can buy.
>
> > My guess is that there is a pinhole at the bend. * Have any Toyota
> > experts seen this before. *Is there a way to repair the tube *or do I
> > need to replace it?
>
> > thanks
> > Mark- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

no it's all aluminum and runs across the width of the car under the
radiator....

I was just surprised that a what looks like solid aluminum tube would
spring a leak...

yes it is the high pressure side...

I'll peel back the insulation when I get a chance and see if I can
locate the exact location of the leak...

the tube runs along the bottom of the radiator and is hard to get to
from the top of the car.

thanks

Mark

> no it's all aluminum and runs across the width of the car under the
> radiator....
>
> I was just surprised that a what looks like solid aluminum tube would
> spring a leak...
>
> yes it is the high pressure side...
>
> I'll peel back the insulation when I get a chance and see if I can
> locate the exact location of the leak...
>
> the tube runs along the bottom of the radiator and is hard to get to
> from the top of the car.
>
> thanks
>
> Mark
>
>

Bet you find the "solid aluminum" is corroded through.

One of the reasons I don't like the insulated lines.
Best repair is to replace the line.

--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York

Life is not like a box of chocolates
it's more like a jar of jalapenos-
what you do today could burn your ass tomorrow!