'05 AC dead
- Thread starter FBA
- Start date
KennethClay
GT Owner
I was going to suggest the same. My "submarine" 2005 FGT had that slow leak, which resulted in the car just never holding the coolant for very long. I believe I got that fixed (O ring) a week or two before car was submerged...
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
PeteK
GT Owner
It's a lot easier to reach the O-rings in conventional front engine cars than in a GT. If you only have to add refrigerant every two years, or even once a year, I would leave the O-rings alone. You may cause more problems by trying to replace them.
So I went out and started the car and took some measurements and it's very strange as to what's going on.
When the compressor kicks in the pressure drops instantly to low and as soon as it kicks off, which it does every 10-15 seconds, it goes up to higher pressure. You can see it in the video I've attached.
All I have done is just take a measurement, I have not added anything. When I saw this I figured I'd post it and see if someone here could help me with this.
When the vehicle is off and I take my measurement it's around 50 PSI.
drive.google.com
When the compressor kicks in the pressure drops instantly to low and as soon as it kicks off, which it does every 10-15 seconds, it goes up to higher pressure. You can see it in the video I've attached.
All I have done is just take a measurement, I have not added anything. When I saw this I figured I'd post it and see if someone here could help me with this.
When the vehicle is off and I take my measurement it's around 50 PSI.
20250720_184904.mp4
drive.google.com
Last edited:
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
That's what I thought, so I will go out and start recharging and checking every 15 seconds or so. I guess as soon as I see the pressure stabilize and the compressor staying on I'll know I'm on the right track!
I used two 6 oz cans and I threw in a 4 oz can of AC stop leak... And it finally ended up at around 32-33 PSI. But it's like an ice box in there now...lol. it's so cold that I had to put it on really low fan, not max cold either, and I turned off the recirc. It's like 81 outside and humid and as soon as this thing got charged it started blowing 38° air out of the vents. All my windows fogged up.
Do I need to add more or do I leave it as is? I believe anything between 26 and 50 is acceptable from what I'm reading, but I'm not sure about this system specifically.
I'm going to take it into a specialist and have him change all of the o-rings. Anything else I need to look out for besides o-rings?
I must admit I was quite nervous before I started, reading all the things that people say about overcharging etc, but I bought the gauge for the low side and figured it couldn't be all that difficult. It didn't take more than a couple of minutes at best to go through the two cans plus the can of stop leak. I weighed them before and after to make sure that I got every last bit of them out.
I won't have an issue again if I lose refrigerant and if I don't end up finding the leak, I'll just budget 40 bucks a year for refrigerant!
It was the first time I had the opportunity to take her out this year and while she's 21 years old, and doesn't really compare to the other stuff in my garage, it was a huge blast to drive again! She's running well over a thousand horsepower and although she's rear-wheel drive and can't keep up to my Turbo S or my Supercharged Performante, she's still a lot more fun to drive, and she growls like no other!
The only reason I don't drive her as much, is because parts are hard to find as she gets older...So I drive her just enough to keep her (and me) happy. Maybe a couple of thousand miles a year is about it but fun miles!
Do I need to add more or do I leave it as is? I believe anything between 26 and 50 is acceptable from what I'm reading, but I'm not sure about this system specifically.
I'm going to take it into a specialist and have him change all of the o-rings. Anything else I need to look out for besides o-rings?
I must admit I was quite nervous before I started, reading all the things that people say about overcharging etc, but I bought the gauge for the low side and figured it couldn't be all that difficult. It didn't take more than a couple of minutes at best to go through the two cans plus the can of stop leak. I weighed them before and after to make sure that I got every last bit of them out.
I won't have an issue again if I lose refrigerant and if I don't end up finding the leak, I'll just budget 40 bucks a year for refrigerant!
It was the first time I had the opportunity to take her out this year and while she's 21 years old, and doesn't really compare to the other stuff in my garage, it was a huge blast to drive again! She's running well over a thousand horsepower and although she's rear-wheel drive and can't keep up to my Turbo S or my Supercharged Performante, she's still a lot more fun to drive, and she growls like no other!
The only reason I don't drive her as much, is because parts are hard to find as she gets older...So I drive her just enough to keep her (and me) happy. Maybe a couple of thousand miles a year is about it but fun miles!
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
My recollection was that the GT air conditioner was like cooling a meat locker, even in Vegas at 110*. It was way more than was needed for the size of the compartment it was cooling. Don't put any more freon in...
You've shown it was refrigerant that was the issue. But you've not stopped the leak. Chances are even with the "stop leak" it'll leak again. That stuff really can't overcome the decayed o-rings for the long term.
If you are going to take it in to an A/C shop and have them do evac/refill the freon you put in will be recaptured and you'll get a credit for what was in there. If it's not enough you'll have to pay a little more, if it's too much they'll probably keep it.
Some places balk at a system that has had the DIY freon added...
You are correct that driving the GT is truly a pleasure. I loved it because I DROVE IT not because there were nannies keeping me honest. If I want a self-driving car I'll get a Tesla.
Glad it's back!
You've shown it was refrigerant that was the issue. But you've not stopped the leak. Chances are even with the "stop leak" it'll leak again. That stuff really can't overcome the decayed o-rings for the long term.
If you are going to take it in to an A/C shop and have them do evac/refill the freon you put in will be recaptured and you'll get a credit for what was in there. If it's not enough you'll have to pay a little more, if it's too much they'll probably keep it.
Some places balk at a system that has had the DIY freon added...
You are correct that driving the GT is truly a pleasure. I loved it because I DROVE IT not because there were nannies keeping me honest. If I want a self-driving car I'll get a Tesla.
Glad it's back!
IMHO, I would wait before replacing any o-rings to see if it is really needed. Adding some refrigerant to the GT every 20 years or so doesn't constitute a leak!
It wouldn't be much of a leak if it was the first time but it's the second time at the beginning of the third season since I had to refill back then in 2023. So in fact it's only been 2 years and there a almost was nothing in there today. Maybe the stop leak will work, but I'm fine for this season in any case. It will definitely run all the way up until October before I put it away for the winter.
The Grey Ghost
GT Owner
If you do take it to a shop, be sure to let them know you put in stop leak. We had an older machine damaged when we evacuated a system which included stop leak and the customer had not told us about it. Most of the better machines have filters which will usually catch it.
I have also known of systems where the stop leak just solidified when the system was opened, as the exposure to air is what usually activates it. We had to replace every component in the system.
I have also known of systems where the stop leak just solidified when the system was opened, as the exposure to air is what usually activates it. We had to replace every component in the system.
PeteK
GT Owner
PeteK
GT Owner
Pardon my piggyback on this thread: If anyone has an AC condenser, I need one. I damaged mine back at Rally 14 at Scottsdale in November and just getting around to fixing it.