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Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: rowlers on 10 November 2025, 15:31

Title: AC leak...
Post by: rowlers on 10 November 2025, 15:31
Has the Golf down to get a the AC checked and it has a slight leak. Unfortunately they are unable to pin point where it is...

So now I'm a bit stumped (and gutted). What do I do now? Any advice?
Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: Redreels on 10 November 2025, 19:24
They should add a dye to the gas which will allow them to detect the leak with a UV light. Pretty basic AC stuff.
If they are working on you AC and do t have e this basic equipment, please find somewhere else
Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: Adam T7 on 10 November 2025, 20:13
They should add a dye to the gas which will allow them to detect the leak with a UV light. Pretty basic AC stuff.
If they are working on you AC and do t have e this basic equipment, please find somewhere else

Bang on, I had an a/c leak in a brand new Discovery over 20 years ago, took the dealer about 30 mins to find the leak.
Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: jdoubleu on 11 November 2025, 13:41
The oil that is in the system as standard should pick up under UV light. Certainly when I had a leak, it was fairly obvious where it was coming from in a dark garage under a UV torch. Didn't need any specialist die to be added.

The only difficulty might be that some of the pipes go behind the firewall and then I assume you'd need some sort of camera that can feed behind the dash. Definitely start with under the bonnet though- that's where pipes, condenser, seals etc have to deal with the elements and stones being kicked up driving.
Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: rowlers on 11 November 2025, 19:58
They should add a dye to the gas which will allow them to detect the leak with a UV light. Pretty basic AC stuff.
If they are working on you AC and do t have e this basic equipment, please find somewhere else
They have done all this, the dye is not showing up anywhere that was visible. It held pressure, and held a nitrogen vacuum test, hence the difficulty in identifying a leak...
Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: Redreels on 11 November 2025, 22:21
So it isn’t leaking then if it’s holding pressure?

What is the actual fault you have?
Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: MinchCS on 12 November 2025, 08:36
So it isn’t leaking then if it’s holding pressure?

What is the actual fault you have?

They can hold vacuum and still have a slow leak. Been there - a few times :(
Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: rowlers on 12 November 2025, 11:34
So it isn’t leaking then if it’s holding pressure?

What is the actual fault you have?
So it isn’t leaking then if it’s holding pressure?

What is the actual fault you have?

They can hold vacuum and still have a slow leak. Been there - a few times :(

It looses gas/cooling after ~12months. So asked them to identify the leak so I could fix it.. But they can't identify where the leak is..It must be tiny...
I guessed I'm just going to have to regas again and see.how it goes...
Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: Redreels on 12 November 2025, 18:00
It could be natural seepage in that case. Try and use the AC more frequently to help lubricate the system. I wouldn’t be overly worried over a 12 month period
Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: rowlers on 13 November 2025, 16:19
It could be natural seepage in that case. Try and use the AC more frequently to help lubricate the system. I wouldn’t be overly worried over a 12 month period
Thanks.
They guys at the garage, did say that the new gas (r1234yf) is really bad for general "leakage", much much worse than the older r123 gas.

I generally leave the AC on 247, maybe I've just used it up lol

Title: Re: AC leak...
Post by: jdoubleu on 13 November 2025, 19:12
Sadly it's a closed system so the gas should stay in there virtually indefinitely. 12 months would indicate a pretty slow leak.

When tracing mine, it would stop working after about 3 months. It still passed the vacuum test though. Mine was bad pressure sensor.