[thejavz]

Anybody have any experience with Red Angel? Any advice on fixing a evaporator core problem?

My A/C started blowing tepid air last week. I've taken it to my mechanic and he says I'm losing about 5" of vacuum under a 30-45 minute hold test. He thinks it is the evaporator core as his sniffer (?) beeps on the cabin side when stuck in the vents. I called the dealer, Woodland Hills GMC, to inquire. They quoted me $2100 labor alone. This seems more than other posts I've been reading in this forum. Is there a cheaper dealer in Los Angeles?

I'm very depressed and disappointed with my Enclave. I've had it now for 5 years, and it has been nothing but trouble. Major examples include having the power steering pump replaced, rack n pinion, pealing B-pillar accents, master cylinder leak, a/c condenser leak, power lift gate failure, tire pressure sensor failure, and dvd radio nav failure. Some fixed under warranty, some not. For the radio, I had to replace it completely ($700 programmed). In contrast I've had my Acura TLS for 13 years, 210k miles, and only had to replace shocks/struts, and my steering wheel radio control buttons. But, I digress. Back to the Enclave. I have 81k miles on the car, and am out of warranty. I didn't get the extended warranty because I was misinformed the Buick Enclave was reliable.

I'm not sure what to do. A reputable A/C shop in the San Fernando valley on Reseda Blvd quoted me about $1200 to replace the evaporator core, but then back peddled when they realized they couldn't pin point if it was the rear or front evaporator core that was leaking. He was afraid he would replace one, and I would still have a problem because the other still leaked. They suggested I try Red Angel to see if it seals the leak. Evac, Red Angel application, and recharge will set me back about $200 (Much better than $2100). I guess it is worth a shot, but I fear it is just a temporary fix if it even works.

Anybody have any advice? Anyone have success with a A/C leak sealer like Red Angel? If Red Angel doesn't fix the problem, is their a cheaper way to address this problem? Should I front the money to fix the evaporator core, or try to sell the Enclave as is and get something else (non GM)?

Maybe I should have leased? Would totally get the extended warranty next time.

 

[john 070]

Sorry to hear...as a general rule I wouldn't use the mystery oil stuff to fix leaks etc.

Ours is a 2011 and we already replaced the condenser and rack among other stuff.

What would tee me even more are the incompetent repairs. It takes over 3 visits on avg to get anything done. The first to be told it's normal, the second to do the work they said wasn't an issue, and the third to redo. Gee, no troubles with a 10+ yo Acura, what a surprise!

My mom has a 2k6 TSX and it has never seen any repairs, warranty or otherwise (other than brakes and oil). Ditto on her CR-V. It is what it is, but you have every reason to be perturbed....

 

[cfedor]

Sorry no experience with Red Angel. But plenty of experience with replacing the front ac core 07/13 @ $1,463.00 and the rear ac core @ $640.00 exactly a year later. Did them thru the dealer. It's just $$$$. But still they shouldn't have wore out so early on.

 

[gig229]

If you don't want to spend the money on getting the evaporators replaced this might help, as long as it doesn't clog up the AC system. I'd ask the shop who has used it because you don't want to ruin anything else in the AC system. I did some research on Amazon and this product has positive reviews.

 

[Kwenners]

My wife's 2011 Enclave had a leak in the front evaporator. I was able to confirm the leak by using a UV light to spot the green dye inside the drain hose for the front evaporator. The outlet for the front evap drain is under the car, a few inches to the right of the driver's right heel would be when stepping on the gas pedal. When underneath the car the drain opening is above a metal reinforcement, so a quick glance won't show an obvious drain hole. You have to look sideways between that piece and the sheet metal floor above it to see a nylon drain outlet, almost an inch in diameter. Alternatively, you can pull the interior to the right of the gas pedal. There's you'll see a black rubber hose, about as thick as your thumb, that leads from the front AC unit. Pull that hose to see inside the hose and unit. If a UV light shows any green fluorescence in those openings, you've found your leak.

Changing the front evaporator is a big job because the entire dashboard has to come out. Here's a link to when I replaced the one for my wife's car:

Replacing the Front A/C Evaporator in a 2011 Buick Enclave

The A/C in my wife's 2011 Buick Enclave stopped working due to a leak in the front evaporator. The repair quote was over $2000. Being cheap, and having more than that invested in tools, I took on the task myself. This is not so much a "how to" thread as a "what's involved". The parts are about...

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