Your Nissan Pathfinder will not blow out cool air from your air conditioning system if the refrigerant has escaped due to a leak in one of the radiator hoses. Fixing the air conditioning system can cost a lot of money, but you can save a little if you replace a leaky hose line yourself. Here is how an average Nissan Pathfinder owner can replace a leaky air conditioner hose line to save a little money on repair costs.

How to Find the A/C Compressor

The air conditioning compressor is on the driver's side of the engine compartment on a Nissan Pathfinder. The compressor is located near the front of the vehicle underneath the long plastic air ventilator duct that feeds oxygen to the engine. The compressor has a silver body that is about 10 inches long and four inches around. The compressor also has a pulley on the end of it that the drive belt goes around. There are a couple of hose lines connected to the compressor.

Finding the leak

Locate the hose lines on the air compressor and follow them until you see oil on one of them. The air conditioner is filled with two things: refrigerant and refrigerant oil. When a hose springs a leak, the refrigerant oil will leak out and cover the hose. Each hose line will be marked with either an "H" to let you know if it is a high-pressure hose line or an "L" to let you know if it is a low-pressure one. Make sure you are using the same type of hose to replace the leaking one.

Remove Hose

You might have heard that when you work on the air conditioner and you are removing any of the hoses, you are required by law to capture the refrigerant in the system before you disconnect the hose lines. However, since the refrigerant has already leaked out of the system, you don't have to worry about this step.

The hose lines are attached to the a/c system with a couple of bolts. Remove the bolts at both ends of the hose and take the hose out of the engine compartment.

Install New Hose

Before you put the new hose line onto the vehicle, you should cover the gasket at the end of the hose line with air conditioner lubricant. The lubricant will protect the gasket from drying out and leaking. Bolt the hose line in place.

Replacing Refrigerant

Now that you have successfully replaced the leaky hose, the best thing to do is to take the vehicle to a mechanic's shop that has the proper equipment to remove water from the a/c system and to add the proper amount of refrigerant. Your air conditioner should run just fine once this process is done. For more info, contact a company like Auto Air Clinic Inc.