Hi
I have a ford escape 2009 model. AC of my car was working last year but hen I turned it on this summer it was not cooling. When I showed it to the mechanic he said that AC gas is leaking under the dash board. He said it is a time consuming job to fix it so that's why it's expensive ( around CAD1200). i don't want to spend that much money on an old car. Any suggestion please.
Well, if his diagnosis was correct, it’s either time for you to fix it or get another car with a working AC.
Realise even though the environment you live in may not warrant use of the AC, it’s good practice to run your AC for a few minutes every once in a while, to keep the cooling system in good shape.
If it is indeed your evaporator which is broken, yes, it’s a PITA to get to it and hence the astronomical labour charge.
No easy way around that. Sealers don't work and can cause further damage. Unfortunately a lot of cars require removal of the dashboard to get at the evaporator or heater core. (Some like mine have everything accessible under the hood relatively easily but unfortunately that kind of design seems to be the minority.)
