Is my condenser leaking?

My ac has always worked but always sucked. So I got a UV light and found leaks at my compressor and possibly low pressure port. Was about to empty the system and replace the o rings and valve stems but I see my condenser has green spots all over it. Safe to say that’s leaking too? It’s pretty wild that I still have working AC, it’s just weak. But I guess Freon is so thin that it doesn’t take much for it to find the smallest leaks. I just would have thought it would eventually fully leak down until the compressor doesn’t kick on but I guess it’s a quirk of this kind of stuff. Thinking I should wait to empty the system until I get a new condenser and replace that while I do everything else. It can’t be a good sign to see green spots on the condenser. It likely means one thing that it’s leaking too? Truck is an 05 so I’m not surprised it needs more work

 

All those dye spots are leaks, dye under the service port cap isn't always a leak because if someone hooks up to it and doesn't flush it out after dye and refrigerant oil will remain.

The dual pressure switch won't keep the compressor from coming on until static pressure in the system is below around 35 psi which would be a pretty cold day or severely low charge, it's never a good idea to run a system that is low on charge because the refrigerant carries the oil through the system with it and if the system is low the oil will get trapped in the evaporator and not return to the compressor which will result in compressor failure.

Also never put stop leak in an A/C system and be aware that alot of the "quick charge" refrigerants contain stop leak, A/C stop leak rarely fixes leaks but it will plug up the filters and expansion devices in the system should any air or moisture ever enter the system.

 

Your condenser probably is the culprit. I had to replace mine because of a leak in those fins. Not saying it isn’t leaking somewhere where else also.

 

That’s basically what I was looking for. Confirms my thoughts! Glad I found it and didn’t get the system charged up just to break into it again

 

+1

oring at compressor also toast. I would get the oring kit and do them all while in there. Then cross fingers and hope evap doesn’t also have a leak. Schrader not necessarily leaking. pour a bit of pag oil in there. If you get bubbles, it is leaking.