Honda Accord AC leak

[Tim]

Thank you, this helps. Based on the photo, the dye appears to be more concentrated along the seam where the "peanut" connector mates with the condenser, so I suspected the O-ring could be the culprit. If the leak is due to corrosion, the corrosion should be on the "inner" surface that is not exposed to weather, it seems unlikely although possible. I could not see any cracks in the area with dye, but I could miss the small ones I guess.

Yes, it could definitely be a leaky O-ring. O-rings can dry out, crack, or lose their seal over time, especially on older cars like a 2011. That spot where the high-side line meets the condenser is a pretty common place for O-ring failures.

That said, your mechanic might suspect the condenser itself because sometimes the metal around the fitting can develop small cracks or corrosion, which also causes leaks. If the dye is showing up around the fitting but not exactly from the joint, they may think it's coming from the aluminum part of the condenser instead of the O-ring.

Honestly, I’d try replacing the O-ring first — it’s a cheap and easy fix compared to replacing the whole condenser. If that doesn’t solve it, then yeah, unfortunately, you may be looking at replacing the condenser.

Hope that helps! Let us know what you end up doing and if it works out.

Agreed, it truly is about the corrosion once the line is disabled from the condenser.