Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

i charged my dads bmw and the freon leaked out within a day i think im in need of a leak detecter
we sprayed soapy water and didnt see any leaks
i noticed the forum has hydrogen leak detectors but dont think i can use that one

its 134a

A leak that severe usually pushes out some oil along with the refrigerant. Do you see any signs of oil leakage, especially on the condenser and around the front of the compressor?

my dad picked up a leak detector and it appears to be the evaporator
is this common?

Very common. Did you sniff the drain tube for the evap? Refrigerant is heavier than air and will settle in the drain tube and sound off the sniffer.
Usually have to replace the evap

What year, and how many miles

What year is this vehicle?

Evaporator leakage happens in older cars in which debris (like leaves, seed pods, twigs, etc.) has accumulated in the evaporator case. The debris retains moisture and corrodes the evaporator core over time. If you suspect that the evaporator is leaking, pass the probe of the detector around and even inside (if it will fit) the condensate drain under the car. Refrigerant is heavier than air, so any refrigerant present due to leakage will show up there. You could also try probing the dash vents with the blower on its lowest setting. If the manufacturer put fluorescent dye in the system along with the refrigerant, you might find traces of a greenish substance in the condensate, another sign of an evaporator leak.

Replacing the evaporator is a difficult job because you'll have to disassemble the dash--at least part of the way--to access it.

Year & Model.

its a 2002 330
the sniffer went off where the evap lines go into the firewall and where the heat comes out under the dash
if it were me id get a different car
my dad might replace the evap though we'll see
it holds for about a week not a day as previouly stated
he might just top it off for now

Evap is shot. You never own a beamer or a mercedes out of warranty, they will bankrupt you

I had a leak in the evaporator of my 1988 Mazda truck about 2 decades ago; I had noticed blockage of the volume of air, so took off the lower evap case to investigate. I found black gunk blocking the evaporator, a mixture of 525 mineral oil and dust; after brushing that off with brake cleaner, confirmed the leak right in the center of the evap using soap bubbles.

Board sponsor had new evaporator in stock at his store (local), and my 10 year-old daughter and I replaced that and drier one morning, then re-filled with R-12. It's still working, still R-12, but has since received new compressor (also from board sponsor).

So see how difficult evaporator R&R would be.