Found pinhole leak in my AC Condenser on the lower drivers side. The silver line that runs right in front of it was bent back just enough to rub. Ive gotten one quote for almost $900...
Is this something where i can change out the condenser and dryer(and whatever seals) then take it to an AC shop to recharge? The shop said it will only effect the AC system and nothing engine related but the longer i wait the more issues with the AC system ill have. Is there anyway to patch the aluminium with epoxy, change out the dryer and get it recharged? I'm trying to keep costs to a minimum with my wedding in June. Anyone have AC experience or experience changing out something like this? What are my options other than just forking out the money? 2013 JKU

 

what about applying some jb weld there , in thin layer let dry then another layer, maybe then a thicker coat at end of process ?
Then try a re -charge.
Maybe this isnt a option at all but , it beats 900 dollar fix might just cost 5 bucks for a tube of jb weld . and refill cost


if yours is a 2013 isnt it still under warranty ? 3 year bumper to bumper

 

I'm pretty sure i'm out of warranty due to mileage but i guess it wouldn't hurt to call and find out. Some one on a facebook group mentioned the JB weld. In all honesty i might be trading it in anyway. They are offering me a discount on new because of a top leak warranty they cant figure out. If that doesnt work i will probably try the JB weld first. Im also thinking I might be able to change out the condenser and dryer in my garage then take it to get charged but that will probably still end up being $300 or so. Not really sure which way ill end up going. So many factors.

 

on soft top . i got it under control with a mopar spray they had at one time it was mopar convertable spray, I believe they discontinued it to be honest but you spray it on all the seams and it stopped all leaks . You sprayed it on inside seams as well . I traded the 11 in anyway for a 2012 rubicon that has not leaked at all ever . Funny
because at the time they told me all soft tops leak lol Well if that was true why didnt the 2012 ? Thats the dealership for ya, Not sure if yours is a soft top leak though .

i wonder if that rubber spray seal they advertised on tv and sell at walmart would do it lol , I as talkin to a guy at walmart one day he said he had a flat tire and it was comming out at the wheel , he sprayed it on filled the tire and its been months and no air comming out

 

Its a hardtop leak. Its been going on since about two months after i bought it (only had 4 miles on it in 2012). Started where the freedom panels meet, took them 3 or 4 tries to fix that. That caused two other leaks (both B pillars). Now passenger side is good and for some reason they only replaced seals on that side last time it was in. I waited too long to stand on solid ground with lemon law I think but a Jeep has been really helpful in getting things done at the dealer under reoccurring out of warranty issue.

The convertible spray sounds like sketchy magic but if it worked then that is cool. I have had people say vaseline on the seals or some kind of "honda lube" and then there are people who suggest things like caulk the grooves until i take the top off then recaulk when i put it back. This is a jk not a geo tracker.

Is that the flex seal stuff? Sealing the bead of a tire is pretty damn impressive. Might have to get some for emergencies haha.

 

that leaked i traded because it had no a/c and it had 3.21 gearing sport 3.8l
it looked the same as my 2012 rubicon but it just was gonna be to much modding for my liking , a rubicon better suited me . So i dumped it ! The spray worked for the seams, as long as you did it every few months i didnt want to deal with it. And dealer was telling me they all leak lol yeh right ! my 12 has had issues but not leaking roof , that sucked flex seal yeh :: Some one actually told me it was amazing . I never bought any so i dont know first hand, but hey when all else fails id try anything that might work . Some Dealerships Dont fix things anyway so nothing to loose in the end . The 2011 i owned had wet carpet on passengers side too
it was pissin me off/ i liked the 11 because of its simplicity 3.8 but after the buggs in my 2012 rubicon were taken care it seems ok now . Knock on wood but had a lot of troubles earlyer first two years . Closer to 3 years actually . Nothing worse than hearing all set and get 1/2 way home and have to go back

least Chrysler is helping you

 

The worst part of warranty work is waiting to see if the issue comes back. Yeah its free, but waiting for it to rain or a nice enough of a day to waste my time squirting a hose on my top blows big time. Taking it in today to repair the last remaining leak. I never get my hopes up anymore for it. Probably not going to trade it in anymore. Doesn't make sense with how much I've paid into already and the wedding in a few months. Found a shop that can patch the hole in the condenser if i can remove it myself. I would only need to change out the drier and get the AC recharged after its reinstalled. So looking at a couple hundred instead of $900. Junkyards seem to think that these condensers are golden or something. $225 for used, $240 from mopar. Wonder if any of the aftermarket ones would make a difference. $60 on ebay. I would think there would be more write ups or at least people who have changed this out before for under 900 with the condenser being right behind the grill exposed to rocks and other stuff that could come through the grill. Is it because its AC/HVAC?

 

i guess ill keep my 12 too i have 41,000 miles on it and like you, i have money into it and to trade it in and start again is not worth it. im still adding shit to my list of want to do. why take a screwing and the new jeeps are even higher in price for a sport than what i paid for my rubicon in 2012. So id either have to buy a sport with crappy options. or spend a shit load more and have another stock jeep, & have to buy all the stuff again prety much seeing i scrapped my old bumper and things and maybe end up with a leaky roof and other crap . No thanks

good luck on the repair hope they solve it . keep the thread goin with results and your a/c issue as well its good to hear fixes or get answers in case of future issues on stuff

 

Tuesday evening i dropped the Jeep off at the dealer and picked up a Chrysler 200S as a loaner car. If wasn't addicted to my Jeep i would totally drive this car. Sport mode is actually pretty fun and i don't know how I've made it this far in life without a heated steering wheel.
Got a call from the dealership last night. They said they replaced the B pillar seal on the drivers side and while testing it they found another leak somewhere else. Of course...
On the bright side, that I'm glad they found it before I picked it up. Usually they fix it, test it, I pick it up and have to wait for rain, it leaks and we start over. On the other hand, it is getting really close to being nice out and every time they replace something I have to wait a week to get a car wash and a month to take the top off... I guess I can take the doors off but i much prefer the open top feeling and being able to kind of lock it.

As for the AC system fix i found a forum sponsor (Tasca Parts) that sells factory parts for a lot cheaper so i will be weighing the cost of repairing my old condenser to buying the factory one. My progress with the AC is kind of dependent on the top leak issue as Jeep customer service is really trying to get this resolved and so am I. I wish they would just pay for my carpet to be removed and the interior to be bed lined haha. Sick of it.

Here is the link to the AC system parts. I should only need the condenser, drier and seals.

CONDENSER, COMPRESSOR & LINES for 2013 Jeep Wrangler

I probably am going to try and post pictures of the AC stuff and keep up with progress on here. There isnt much online about fixing this on a JK so i figured it might be helpful to others.

 

Today I got the jeep back. They replaced the B pillar seal yesterday and today they went all out and replaced the whole freedom panels and the driver door seal. Pretty much everything has been replaced that could leak. No rain in the forecast but it might warm up a little so I might let the garden hose run on it. Fingers crossed but I won't get my hopes up as this has been the tenth time it's been "fixed". Kind of bummed I lost my stickers haha.