DenLorsTools.com Summary: With almost 30 years experience as a master technician, I have worked in some extreme conditions inside un-airconditioned shops in the Florida heat. A shop fan or blower is a must if the shop isn’t air conditioned, usually several are needed.
DenLorsTools.com Summary: So what’s the best refrigerant leak detector to use when looking for leaks on car air conditioning systems? I’ll answer that but first a little quick history. I originally used a propane leak detector when I started working on air conditioning on cars back at Goodyear in the 1980’s. The old propane leak detectors were very dependable. No false alarms. When Freon burns the flame turns a green and with very large leaks it turns into a bright purple. Problem is with burning Freon, toxic fumes are produced. It’s called Phosgene Gas. Very poisonous. I learned quickly that you don’t want to get a whiff of that. Obviously the propane leak detector was discontinued because of obvious reasons. As a side note. Refrigerant sucked up from the cars intake can burn in the engine and spew out Phosgene also. Once while working in an enclosed shop at CarMax, a tech working next to me had a huge Freon leak while the car was running. The Freon was immediately burned and spit out the exhaust. Not a pleasant thing to be around. Anyway, the point is; if you ever have a large refrigerant leak while working on a vehicle, make sure the engine is off until the area can be ventilated.
Refrigerant Leak Detectors
Refrigerant leak detectors need at least 50 psi of Freon in a system to be able to work. After-all they detect Freon and if there’s not enough in a system to leak out, how could it work? And check the system with a good electronic leak detector. I recommend that you don’t trust a leak detector every time it beeps, even with a good one. I’ve used leak detectors that would go off when sniffing an oak leaf, anti-freeze from the engine’s cooling system and even my breath! The best electronic leak detector that I’ve ever used was a Yokogawa/Bacharach. They are not cheap, but anyone doing a lot of AC work knows how expensive and time consuming it can be to misdiagnose leaks. So it’s important to have the best one you can afford. I first learned about the Yokogawa brand years ago (while working at CarMax) when I read a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) from Nissan which named it as their only authorized leak detector for their warranty work. That’s when I purchased one. I paid way too much to the Snap On guy that had to special order it. He probably doubled his money on me. That’s a common practice for tool truck guys… That was way before I considered selling tools myself. No false alarms ever with my Yokogawa. We sell other brands but if anyone ever asks I always recommend the Yokogawa (also known as Bacharach).
 World’s Best Freon Leak Detector
So the Yokogawa leak detector that I purchased looked a little like an electronic device used in NASA from the 60’s or 70’s. It was made with metal and was stored in a vinyl case; an almost leather looking pouch. They look basically the same today. It plugged into an electrical outlet instead of running on batteries. While this makes it a little less convenient to use, it helps it to be more dependable because the power supply is constant. It also had to warm up before using it. But the greatest thing about it was- it never gave me a false alarm. If it alarmed, there was a leak. That’s saying a lot. It also works on all types of refrigerant including R12 and 134A. The TIF models that I had used prior to this always gave plenty of false alarms. The TIF and other battery operated leak detectors that I used, also tended to be even less dependable as the batteries faded. So in my book, the best leak detector in the world is the H10 Yokogawa. See the AC Leak Detection Tools section.
Foggy car windshields are a real safety issue. Foggy windows make it hard to see out and therefore dangerous to drive. Particularly when it’s raining and the car windows have to be rolled up this can be a huge problem. The problem can be even worse if the haze on the windows has a filmy consistency preventing the view to be clear even after wiping the windows off. If there is a filmy residue it could be a sign that the heater core is leaking.
Charging up a car’s A/C system by adding 134A will make it blow cold, won’t it? Sometimes is the correct answer. With some luck this might be just the ticket. But without knowing the gauge readings, topping off a system is just a guess. One of the most common causes of a car’s A/C not cooling is low refrigerant so there is actually a good chance that adding refrigerant is needed.
DenLorsTools.com Summary: Paint bubbling on Ford Mustang is a common issue. At first glance the bubbled or blistered area looks like rust bubbling the paint, but wait this hood is aluminum!
Aluminum cannot rust, but it can corrode. Corrosion under the factory paint causing paint to bubble is a very common issue. There’s even a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) about this. The Ford Mustang is not the only vehicle affected either. The TSB includes Ford Explorer, Taurus, Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, Mercury Sable and more. Outside the 3 year 36,000 mile warranty, Ford owners are left to pay for this repair themselves. It does make Ford owner’s question their loyalty to Ford on their next new car purchase though. Read the rest…
This is article is about a recent visit to Pep Boys service center in Riverview Florida. I would love to write a complimentary article, but as you read, you’ll see my horrible visit will not allow me to. Sorry Pep Boys. First full disclosure. I haven’t always been an ASE Master Tech that sells automotive tools. I worked for Pep Boys years ago as an auto technician. I actually started in Lakeland FL as a tech in 1990. I moved into management and was a shop foreman and then moved up to assistant service manager. I made my rounds going from Lakeland to Florida Avenue in Tampa, to Carrollwood Tampa, to Brandon Florida and then back around again. Pep Boys upper management always liked to shake things up by switching the management around. I learned a lot, however grew tired of the management style. I was next in line for the service manager’s position and had second thoughts. I like to provide excellent customer service and felt as though I was unable to in the at Pep Boys. I ended up stepping down and working as a Senior Tech again at Pep Boys, before finally moving on to CarMax in Tampa Florida in 1997. Read on to learn about the horrible experience I had at Pep Boys as a customer. Read the rest…
Summary: The AERA (Automotive Re-builders Association) reported that the Kent Moore EN-47702 Bolt Extractor Kit can be used to help remove broken head bolts in the block or broken main bolts which sometimes break in GM 2002-2006 2.8, 3.5, 4.2 aluminum block engines upon removal. Due to the dislike metals seizing can occur, which may cause enough binding that results in breakage of these fasteners. Kent Moore makes OE essential tools for GM, Chevrolet, Buick dealerships; they produce a tool kit that was designed for extraction when these bolts break. The specialty tool number is EN-47702.
DenLorsTools.com Summary: Car repair and tool blog featuring specialty tools used to find noises in cars with less, or no, tear down. Low tech methods are also discussed like using a piece of heater hose or a long screwdriver held to the ear. Electronic devices improve on these methods quite a bit and also allow checking for noises while driving down the road. See our video talking about different noise detection methods to find unwanted noises like thumps, pops, creaks and rattles. The electronic tools we sell are used to help diagnose these problems easily. Read the rest…
DenLorsTools.com Summary: Automotive repair blog and video comparing two Miller specialty tools. We have had a lot of questions regarding the Miller 8387 Valve Spring Compressor and the 8516A Rocker Arm Remover/Installation Tools. Both look similar and are for use on Dodge and Jeep 3.7 and 4.7 liter engines. These motors are commonly used in Jeep Liberty, Dodge Durango, Dodge Dakota, Jeep Grand Cherokee etc. *Note – The 8516 has been updated and the newest number has an “A” on the end now making it 8516A. Each tool is for a different job. The valve spring tool allows access at the valve keeper so a magnet can be used to remove it. The 8516A does not have the opening to allow access to the valve keeper.
DenLorsTools.com Summary: Finally a very good video showing the Time Sert 2200 universal head bolt thread repair kit being used to repair Toyota head bolt threads. We’ve sold hundreds of Time Sert 2200 thread repair kits (with free next day shipping) but have not seen a video showing how it’s used as good as the one shown in this article. Just watched Jerry’s Broken Tap video, which is an excellent instructional video. Here’s more details and the video below.