E350 rear a/c lines

[Captian K]

So I accidentally drilled a small hole into one of the rubber a/c lines that run on top of the drivers rear well. To me, it looks like it is antifreeze that is coming out and not Freon. Can anyone help me with that the green liquid is coming out. Also, is that liquid only contained in the rear and not effecting any fluid level at the front of the van.
Thanks guys

[carringb]

Compressor oil can look like antifreeze. You can't see freon. And if the system has ever been serviced previously, they likely added green dye for future leak detection. The oil has to circulated through the system to keep the compressor lubricated. It only pools when the system is off.

That said... The rear A/C lines poke up through the floor, directly into the bottom of the evaporator unit. The hoses over the rear wheel-well are indeed coolant lines, for the rear heater core which on EB vans, is slightly forward of the rear wheels. The hoses enter the cabin behind the wheel, next to the A/C lines.

[86Scotty]

You have freon and coolant/antifreeze lines running to the rear on an E350. The freon lines are small aluminum, coolant are larger aluminum in places and rubber in other places. It's a coolant feed and return for the rear heater and it is connected to the front system but there is a LOT of coolant in the system so you haven't noticed the fluid level drop yet but it will. You're lucky. I did the same installing a floor in a van but I popped a freon line instead. Much more expensive. Your rubber coolant line should be easy to patch or replace maybe at home depending on your level of experience. You can cut the hose at the hole and replace with a section of metal line with hose clamps on either end. This is just as robust as all of the coolant hose connections under your hood which are done the same way.

If you're ever wondering what a green liquid is under your vehicle it's coolant. It's very sweet. touch a bit to your tongue and you'll see. It won't kill you unless you ingest a lot of it but it will kill your dog. They love that sweet tasting puddle under a car and will drink it and it will kill them slowly and painfully.

Good luck!

[86Scotty]

CarringB and I were typing at the same time. My money is on coolant but it could be died freon oil.

[JWA]

FWIW when I was deleting the rear A/C on my 2005 wheelchair van the hard lines near the left rear wheel leaked little drops of greenish oil---as this van had been serviced somewhat regularly over its life I'm guessing the dye had been added by the techs.

I also removed the under-hood components which similarly oozed the same greenish oil.

[Captian K]

Thanks for all the help. I would still like people advice.
I was able to take a photo. I am not understanding how to add photo that I took with my iPad to this message.
It is one of the rubber lines the goes up and over the rear tire well.

[carringb]

Over the wheel well is a coolant line for the rear heater. Easiest fix is cutting the hose at the hole, inserting a hose-splice, and clamping with a hose clamp. You'll potentially lose quite a bit of coolant, but if you wait until everything is completely cold, and leave the expansion-bottle cap on, the should only spill the coolant in the hose plus some residual pressure. But if you open the cap, it'll dump about half of the cooling system's contents because of it's relative height.

It's best of you disconnect the hose at the hard lines (under the van, behind the wheel) first to reduce the mess inside the van, but you'll lose more coolant overall and you'll probably need new quick-connects. They only like being connected, not disconnected.

[arctictraveller]

You can use these to stop the flow of coolant while you repair the leak

https://www.harborfreight.com/radiat...ers-99704.html

[jimtmcdaniels]

If it's the coolant line, you might want to replace that rubber line with a new on on like ebay if it's very old, the rubber hoses don't last forever.

I ALWAYS use Peak "GLOBAL" Lifetime Antifreeze when I change the coolant in the radiator system so I never have to change it again and it's just a bit more expensive so well worth it.
Napa sells this antifreeze is the same alcohol base we are all use to but it has a more expensive additive package but you won't find hardly any auto stores selling it because they make such large profits from selling antifreeze that only lasts 5 years, every 5 years we have to replace it in all of our vehicles around our world, otherwise our radiators and heater cores will rust out, isn't it so very ridiculous!?
PS It's only not appropriate for wet cylinder sleeve large Diesel engines, they need a different lifetime antifreeze that resist creating abrasive bubbles around the sleeves during combustions ringing sound.

I believe in 96 is when Ford started adding a leak detector dye in the AC freon from the factory and also 2 O rings at all the AC connections which reduced leaking freon warranty repairs by much I read somewhere.

Take care