Hi Robert, If it had dye in it, you could get a UV lamp and some goggles and go searching for the source of the leak. It seems to be standard procedure to add some dye when getting a recharge and if it's there, you can probably see some evidence of dye around the service ports. But, the only AC parts in the back are the compressor and the two hoses which run to the condenser and accumulator, so there aren't too many places to look! Check the 14mm bolt that holds those two hoses onto the back of the compressor - if it were to sheer off or become loose, that would certainly cause rapid refrigerant loss like you experienced. The hoses don't thread into the compressor, this bolt simply holds them in place. If that's not the problem, look for holes in the hoses. The compressor won't run if there isn't enough refrigerant in the system (which there clearly isn't), so you shouldn't condemn that part just yet. While you do need equipment to deal with the refrigerant and recharge process, if you feel comfortable doing it, you can certainly replace the components on your own. And some of them won't cause too much pain to replace! The orifice tube and accumulator were mentioned, also be sure to replace the o-rings along the way. Good luck. Travis Graham #06344 On May 23, 2005, at 11:43 AM, dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > I cranked the car back up and it started and ran just fine.... > ...except no AC! > The fan was going but the compressor would not kick in. > So I must assume that the explosion was my R12 shooting into space. > The problem is, I can not figure out from where, or why? > > Does anyone here know what happened and what I need to do to fix it? > Should I take it to a Volvo dealer, or someone that deals with older > Euro cars and what parts should I refer to as far as compressors and > hoses? Is this standard stuff they will recognize? To address comments privately to the moderating team, please address: moderators@xxxxxxxxxxx For more info on the list, tech articles, cars for sale see www.dmcnews.com To search the archives or view files, log in at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: dmcnews-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/