Is there anyway to check the ac evaporator core for leaks without removing the dash and the evaporator core box and opening the ac system? I've got a UV light and the dye is already in. My sense tells me there's no easy way out of this, but maybe one of you has figured out a work around. The vehicle is a 2001 V6 Escape.

Paul

 

I've never looked under the dash but some vehicles if you pull the fan you can see in the box a little.

 

I did try that, but there's a partition wall between where the fan resides and the evaporator core. Since the box that the core sits in has an upper and lower half, I thought I might be able to remove the lower half in place, but the fasteners towards the back (closest to the firewall) are fairly inaccessible. There are, however, several fasteners along the front edge which are accessible. I removed those, stuck a large screwdriver between the two halves of the box and was able to pry enough to get a quarter inch gap. When I shined the UV light on it, I was able to see bright green spread across the fins of the core. I'm fairly confident that I've found my leak. Now I need to find a shop to recover the remaining refrigerant so that I can replace the evaporator. Just a heads up - you'll have an easier time removing the fasteners along the front edge of the evaporator box if you remove the glove box first. That entails opening the glove box, pressing in at the sides near the upper back to release the stops. Swing the glove box door out of the way and remove the two fasteners that hold it in.

Is there a good tutorial anywhere on removing the dashboard? All I could find was a Youtube video of someone doing this on a 2008 Escape, sped up so as to take only four minutes.

Paul

 

Not sure exactly where it is but why not check for the dye around the condensation drain hole?

 

Good suggestion. In fact, Four Seasons, an aftermarket maker of evaporator cores recommends this. But I didn't detect any dye there. I think the dye on the fins of the core is pretty definitive, and I'm ready to move forward with replacement of the core.

 

If you decide to replace the evaporator, buy a Delco or Motorcraft heater core and replace that at the same time if you plan on keeping the vehicle. Buy a brand you know rather than an off-brand.
I think you'll have to drop the dashboard and steering column. You may be able to do so without disconnecting all the components in the 'stack' and the instrument cluster is quick and easily removed.
tom

 

Truth is, this is not my vehicle. The Escape belongs to a woman friend and I've been doing work on it for the last few years. I've told her that it's probably time to go car shopping, but she's averse to spending the money for a new vehicle. And I just finished replacing the radiator, water pump, thermostat, and 10 of the 13 hoses that carry coolant. So I'm not very game to open up the cooling system again.

I did manage to loosen the dashboard and pull it forward enough to be able to remove the evaporator core box, although I haven't yet removed the box as the new core arrives tomorrow, and I want to minimize the time that the system is open. Took me roughly four and half hours. I used the aforementioned video as a reference, and found a procedure in the online auto repair database that my local library offers. I took a bunch of pictures as well. If any of you think a "how to" post regarding dash removal/evaporator core replacement would be helpful, I can put something together.

Paul