Originally Posted By: topsy
From investigating dye vs detector, the cheap detectors are hit/miss, hate to rely on cheap tools. The dye isn't very expensive, I decided to go that route.
I have a detector (two of them actually) and yes they are not as easy to use as it seems. Generally for leaks I just look for an oil stain on some part, if it is the condenser then dirt will stick to the area that is leaking. On hoses it is usually at the crimped connection and you can see it there, same for the compressor (look around the shaft seal).
If it is the evaporator that is one place that a detector can come in handy, you check near the condensate drain outlet. But typically if you don't see any obvious leaks anywhere visible then the most likely suspect is the evaporator. Those sometimes get clogged with leaves and dirt which when mixed with the condensate it can corrode the aluminum pretty bad.