condenser looks pretty corroded so i could be the metal itself leaking but most likely just an o ring if u werent in any recent accident or hit any major potholes etc.. Cant you track the dye down the the hole? Youll need to remove the whole condenser anyway to replace any o rings (yes its an enormous pita) I didnt even bother trying with my 2001 ody. if only stupid honda made a/c that lasted.

 

Very common issue. I've replaced 5 AC condensers in the last 6 months. Two on 2008 Odys (one was my own) and 3 on other vehicles, all relatively late model vehicles. I've gotten to where I can find the leaks without dye or a leak detector. Usually there is some oil residue there that is a dead giveaway.

I recommend getting a Denso replacement from Rock Auto. Get OEM o-rings from the dealer. Easy fix if you know anything about AC and have a vacuum pump and manifold gauges.

 

That UV dye is pretty cool - thanks for the pic.

Since the AC system is under pressure, it seems that when something leaks there is a misting of the leaking fluid (oil carried by the refrigerant, which vaporizes and floats away), and it can cover a wider area than the leak point. In addition, looking at the UV dye you've got there, it looks like it is evenly distributed over an area, which may actually be from a leak at a different point.

So I would recommend cleaning things off as well as you can, and see where the UV shows new stuff to be. Ideally, you could isolate it to a single point or seam that is leaking, then you'd know you've found it. Whether it's a point / seam / area failure of the condenser does not matter - you'll need to replace the whole thing either way - but if it's something else that is venting onto the condenser, that's the concern to rule out.

 

That lower passenger side corner of the condenser is where they all leak, at least of the several leaking Ody condensers I've seen. The Denso condenser on RockAuto isn't expensive. Just replace it and the o-rings. There's really nothing else there to leak. The hose could leak but I've never seen that unless it's damaged. The condensers just take a beating over time with wear and pressure.

 

This is a picture of the condenser from my 08 Odyssey with 204k on it. At this mileage I decided to change the condenser, compressor, and both expansion valves. After that many miles, in my experience, the shaft seal either is leaking or will be soon. I ordered the Denso compressor and condenser from RockAuto and the expansion valves & o-rings from Honda. Just a week after doing mine I did the same job on another 08 Odyssey that had a leak in the exact same place.

The oil just spreads like any oil does. It doesn't take much oil to spread over a wide area. You can see from the bubbles where the actual leak is.

Here is a pic of my Ody's condenser (no dye added.)

Here is a pic of the Ody I did for a customer:

 

Really appreciate all the feedback guys! Looks like I'll grab a new kit from Rock Auto - will report back soon once I've got it installed.

 

The last Honda Denso condenser I purchased also came with the filter/desiccant assembly (it's in a hermetically sealed bag). If it does not come with this, make sure you buy one. You want/I] a new filter/desiccant setup to take care of any moisture that is not evacuated by vacuum prior to adding your refrigerant charge.

OF

 

On these the dessicant bag is already installed in the condenser. Just make sure not to remove the rubber plugs from the condenser until ready to connect the lines. I always do the condenser (or the dryer if it's separate) last so that I don't absorb moisture while it sits open.

 

2013 EX-L
A/C has been off and on working for us over the past year - at first we had a blown relay on the driver's side radiator fan. Next, we discovered that one of the valve cores at the low/high pressure ports was leaking so we replaced both. Vehicle continued to leak r134A at intermittent times...

So, I finally caved and bought a UV dye kit - pretty awesome, as I was able to tell immediately where the leak was originating.
View attachment 147713

This is the view when I am looking at the front left of the grille - entire bottom corner of the Condenser is splattered with dye.

Here's a parts diagram with the problem area circled. I'm wondering if I need to replace the entire condenser, the O-ring/gasket at this connection, or something I'm not even comprehending? I'm not seeing any damage from rocks/road debris...
View attachment 147715

Does anyone have experience with this issue? I'll be glad to share my process with everyone through a YouTube video on my channel once complete!

I recently had mine tested and it was the condenser. closer look showed it was soaked all over the core, and the shop wanted 577 bucks to replace it, quoting 191.00 for the condenser, rest is labor and refrigerant. I located a condenser on Amazon, 64.00 and change, free shipping. Took the bumper cover off, had to remove both headlights as well, to get the old out and the new in. The stain on the old one is the oil from the condenser. So I opted to get a can of refrigerant and a can of compressor oil at O'Rielly's auto, already had the fill gauge, put the oil in first, then charged the system, and whoopee, got cold air. Maybe just under 150.00 in parts, and about 3 hours labor, cause i move slowly in my old age.

 

Oh geez. A can of oil and a can of refrigerant? You only needed less than 2 ounces of oil with a condenser change. If you put more than that in then it's severely overcharged with oil which will reduce cooling efficiency. Also, it holds 26.5 ounces of refrigerant and one can is 12 ounces so you're severely undercharged with refrigerant. Lastly, did you vacuum the system first to remove the air and moisture? If not, you will destroy the compressor in pretty short order.

 

I just hope he took the shortcut on the post and didn't really do the job as he states. I gave him the basics of what will happen and you gave him the detail. Head pressure also increases with air in the system so who knows what will happen and how long it will take before it destroys itself and he needs an entire new system.

 

...Head pressure also increases with air in the system so who knows what will happen and how long it will take before it destroys itself and he needs an entire new system.

I did that once, just like jestright did; it was a cool day, gauges "looked good" with my initial fill, but on a non-equilibrated system (cardinal sin of HVAC diagnostics), and I did not take a relative humidity reading nor check temps going into and out of the evaporator.

Not too long after, I was driving on a much hotter day when I needed the AC, cranked it up. It lasted thirty minutes or so (distance from the coast to Beverly Hills along Sunset Blvd), and the high side line exploded.

Air in an HVAC system is bad. Air in an HVAC system operating on a really hot day makes stuff break.

OF