How Do I Get My Cars A/c System Recharged Or Repaired
While you can definitely buy a can of the refrigerant at your local auto parts store and look up a handy YouTube video on how to recharge your cars system, we recommend bringing it to an ASE certified mechanic instead.
Most auto repair shops will have the necessary tools and machines to properly and thoroughly check your cars A/C system and recharge it if necessary. And if it ends up that the system needs to be repaired, then they will be able to take care of that as well. Air conditioning refrigerant is harmful to the environment, so having the proper equipment to add more or evacuate your cars A/C system is necessary.
S To Discharge Ac At Home
The first factor to do to discharge the refrigerant from your Cars AC system is to work out if the refrigerant is pure or not. You dont need to recycle dangerous refrigerant, and you would like to be certain there are not any sealers within the refrigerant which could shred the server machine.
If you take a look at the purity of the refrigerant, youll use the refrigerant purity tool. To do this, youll have to be compelled to find the low and hard-hitting ports. Many times, therell be a minus image on the low port and a sign on the high one.
After locating the ports, youll take away the cap of the aggressive port and connect the purity tester thereto. This may pull out some concerning of refrigerant and check it. If its pure, youre sensible to travel. If its not, then, alternative steps that well justify in a very moment should be taken.
After testing the purity of the refrigerant within the AC unit, youll then connect the air-con service machine. The method its connected is by removing each of the high and unaggressive port caps.
Then youll take the line from the AC service machine and connect it to the high port. Once youve got the line connected, youll take the blue line and connect it to the low port.
It is vital that you just have the lines connected to all the methods. As a result of the machine going to make a vacuum to drag out the refrigerant.
How Do You Charge Ac In Car
For those who want to know how to charge AC in car, here are 7 easy steps to follow:
I want to explain how to use the AC charging kits due to the sensitivity of this procedures. Note that this is the most effective and safest option in when compare to trying to repeat the mechanics role at home.
Here Are Materials Needed:
- Safety glasses and gloves
- A refrigerant
PLEASE NOTE: Ensure you always wear safety glasses whenever youre performing work under the hood.
This is important so you dont get any refrigerant on your skin as it freezes quickly and could be painful.
Procedure 1: Put on your AC. Then start your car and put the AC to High.
Procedure 2: Check if the AC compressor is engaging. Note that an AC compressor is a device driven by the accessory belt which converts the refrigerant from liquid to gas.
Remember that the compressor has a clutch at the end of it which should be spinning with the accessory belt whenever the AC is on high. Observe for these pulleys moving.
In case you notice the clutch on the compressor is indeed engaging, this means that likely the system is low on refrigerant, especially if the air is still blowing slightly cold. If so, then you will still want to move ahead with testing the pressure first before adding refrigerant.
But if the clutch is not engaging the compressor, it means the AC system is either very low on refrigerant, maybe there is an electrical problem, or the compressor itself has failed.
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Other Common Ac Faults And The Reason Behind Them
- Poor cooling performance poor airflow through the condenser and the evaporator faulty pressure sensor faulty cooling fan engine overheated.
- Not enough refrigerant in the system: either 30-35% too much refrigerant or 70-75% too low poor vacuum plugged evaporator.
- Faulty expansion valve stuck mechanical parts of the valve plugged valve.
- Faulty valve in the compressor valve plugged with contaminants.
- Faulty AC compressor clutch not enough refrigerant faulty clutch relay incorrect clutch air gap.
- Restriction in the system contaminants plugging up the system.
- Ice in the evaporator faulty thermostat faulty fan faulty compressor valve.
- Faulty compressor bent valves inside the compressor plugged compressor.
- Hot air out of the AC vents leaking or stuck air mix vents leaking evaporator.
How The Car’s Ac Works
The cars air conditioning doesnt produce cold air as like as your home AC. It basically takes the moisture and heat from the air, which leaves the cool air in your car. Your car includes a refrigerant inside the AC which keeps fluid and gas at under pressure inside it. It keeps the gas under low pressure at 70psi when the system is not running. The amount of gas depends on the type of vehicle. The compressor compresses the gas into fluid when you turn on the system.
Then the fluid flow throws the condenser and removes the heat from the air and then come back to its previous gas state. Then it enters in the receiver drier to remove all the moisture. After that, it moves to the passenger compartment and removes the heat. That is how the ac of your car works.
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How To Fix A Leak
Most auto-supply stores will sell a leak-fix kit, but take note of what it says and how much it is. You want to make sure youre getting the best option you can when fixing a leak.
Another important quality to look for is a kit with a high-grade sealant and a conditioner. Some cheap sealants can seep into the leak and cause backups which will lead to more problems.
Pick up a reputable leak kit and follow the instructions this can save you an expensive trip to the mechanic.
Test Your A/c System Pressure
Now that the engine has been running and the AC turned on to its maximum cold and fan settings for 5 minutes or longer, you are going to check the level of your AC systems pressure. Check the instructions that came with your gauge and familiarize yourself with the color of the background on the gauge that represents the desired AC pressure gauge range.
After removing the AC Low Side Port cap, the ZeroR® R 134a AC Refrigerant Top Off Kit hose quick-connector has a small flange or ring around it that you will pull up with your fingers and then slide the connector down snugly over the port, releasing the quick-connector ring, and checking for a snug fit. You should not be able to slide the quick-connector back off now without first pulling up on the flange/ring.
Ideally, the PSI pressure reading on the refrigerant gauge should be at 40 PSI, shown in the middle of the blue area of the gauge dial. Note: Some refrigerant pressure gauges use different colors to indicate the optimal amount of pressure range but they all work the same way. If your refrigerant pressure reading is under 40 PSI, your system is under-charged and needs to have car AC refrigerant added. Normally, 40 PSI will be found in the middle of your gauges desirable pressure range, no matter what the color. Pressure readings are always immediate and you dont have to wait for them.
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Attach The Charging Hose
Attach the charging hose to the low-side service port and ensure that you have a secure connection. If the hose does not attach easily you may be using the wrong port. Attach both connections if using a set of gauges.
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How Does A Car Ac Work
A car air conditioning has five primary components that make cooling possible. These components are:
- Compressor.
- Accumulator or receiver or dryer.
- Evaporator.
- Expansion valve.
The compressor is the workhorse of this entire system. First, this component receives the low-pressure gas, which gets compressed into high-pressure gas and pumped out of the discharge side of the compressor. After getting discharged, this gas flows into the condenser.
Next, the condenser allows the cool air to flow over the sections, cooling the high pressure and high-temperature gas, and the gaseous state transforms into a liquid state.
Then, this high-pressure liquid flows through the accumulator. There is a desiccant bag inside that absorbs moisture. Moisture needs to be absorbed, and the liquid needs to be filtered. If not, it can be a potential threat and can contaminate the Freon or refrigerant.
There is a high-side service port located in between the accumulator and expansion valve.
Next, this high-pressure liquid flows through the expansion valve . This expansion valve allows the high-pressure liquid to expand and transform into a low-pressure liquid.
Now, this low-pressure liquid flows directly into the evaporator. In the evaporator, the low-pressure liquid starts to boil and transform itself into a low-pressure gas.
The low-pressure gas chills the walls of the evaporator and blower pushes this cooled and chilled air through the vents that are installed in your cars dash.
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How Do You Know When Your Cars A/c System Needs A Recharge
In the case that your cars A/C system does develop a leak, there are a few tell-tale signs that it could benefit from a recharge or is in need of repair:
- The A/C is blowing warm air: The first, and easiest, way to tell if your cars A/C system needs a recharge is if its blowing warm air out of the in-cabin vents. Since the system operates by circulating the pressurized refrigerant, a lower amount of refrigerant will affect its performance.
- The A/C clutch is not engaging: When your cars A/C system is in full working order, youll occasionally hear a slight click when the A/C clutch turns on. However, if you dont hear the click , then its probably because the system isnt working properly and the refrigerant levels are low.
- Visible leaks: Another easy way to tell if your car needs its A/C system recharged or repaired is if you notice thin, greasy puddles on the ground underneath your cars engine bay. If the refrigerant is leaking that much, then youll definitely need to get it serviced.
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Why Do You Need To Recharge Your Cars Ac
If your automobiles air conditioning is blowing warm, or simply not cold air, its almost always because theres a leak somewhere in the system. The leak causes the level of the units refrigerant which for most modern cars is known by the technical terms R-134a and R-1234yf to get lower and lower. If the leak is slow enough, it can be difficult to detect, and sometimes your cars AC compressor will shut down automatically once the refrigerant volume has dipped to a certain point, to protect it from damage. If its a major leak, and the refrigerant leaves all at once, then you might notice that the compressor isnt even clicking on when you activate the system.
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How To Recharge Your Cars Ac Unit
You know your car may be ready for a charge when the summer comes around, and you turn your air conditioner on, and it never gets cold. Typically, a car may never need to have its AC unit recharged for over 100k miles or more depending on how often you use it or what sort of climate you live in, but in general, youll know something is up if, after your AC has had a few minutes to start working, if the air coming out of it never gets cool and refreshing.
Many mechanics will trick or try to convince you that you need this service or that your car is due for this service while youre getting a tuneup or oil change. Dont be intimidated. If youre happy with the temperature of the air coming out of your cars AC unit then youre fine. It’s really that simple. Nothing bad will happen to your car if it’s run out of “cold air” so don’t stress. It doesnt need to be charged on any particular schedule- it can wait for you to decide you want cold air again.
However, warm air from your AC unit can also indicate a bigger issue, such as a leak that may need to be repaired, but you can figure that out pretty easily. If you charge your cars AC, and a few days or weeks later the air coming out of the unit is no longer cold, its time to take it to a mechanic. If you charge your AC and the air continues to stay cold, youll know it was just time to add more refrigerant to the system.
Identify The Air Conditioning System
Next, take a look under your hood and find your air conditioner. You may have to refer to your owners manual or research online for exactly what youre looking for every car is different.
You will notice it has two hoses coming out of it one is the low-pressure line port and the other the high-pressure line port. We want the low-pressure for this.
The ports may signify which is which with an H or an L, but you may have to refer to your manual to clarify.
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Check The Compressor Clutch To See If Its Engaging
The easiest way to see if your compressor clutch is engaging is to look for the belt pulley to be spinning. See our video below for helpful information in finding your compressor/clutch pulley.
If the clutch pulley is not spinning, then the AC system is either very low on refrigerant, has an electrical problem, or the compressor itself has failed. Adding more refrigerant after pressure testing may indicate which is the cause. However, if the AC compressor does not engage you wont be able to install refrigerant. But the chances of a compressor failure being the issue is very low compared to just the low refrigerant issue.
Heres How The Ac System Of A Car Works In Better Detail:
The system uses a special refrigerant gas R134a and is divided into the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side.
High-Pressure Side
Low-pressure R134a refrigerant vapor enters the compressor and gets compressed into high pressure and high-temperature R134a vapor. The vapor that also contains special lubricant oil is circulated into the condenser . As the high temperature and high-pressure vapor travels through the condenser, the heat is released into the much cooler ambient air. While the vapor is cooling down and passing through the condenser tubes, it condenses into a liquid . This high temperature and high-pressure liquid travels through the filter drier and onto the small orifice of the expansion valve. This valve provides a restriction against which the compressor pushes.
Low-Pressure Side
When the liquid refrigerant passes through the expansion valve, its pressure lowers and so does its temperature. Now its a low pressure and low-temperature vapor. Next, the refrigerant passes through the evaporator. The hot air of the cabin is being blown through the evaporator, thus cooling the air of the cabin down. Then, the R134a refrigerant is pulled back into the compressor and the cycle begins again.
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How To Book An Ac Evacuate And Recharge Appointment With Wrench
Once you have decided you need to book an appointment for an AC Evacuate and Recharge appointment, book your appointment with Wrench’s ASE-certified mobile mechanics! We will bring our services right to your preferred location whether that be your home, office, or even the local state park.
To book your appointment with us, just go to the homepage of our website by clicking the “Get A Free Quote” button at the top or bottom of this screen. You can also use our mobile app to book an appointment or even reach out via phone call or email. No matter how you choose to book your AC Evacuate and Recharge appointment, we will need to ask you a couple of questions about your car and its needs. This information will help us better prepare for your appointment so we can get you back on the road in the most efficient way possible.
The first thing we will need to know is what kind of car you have. You will need to fill out a short form that will provide us with information such as the VIN, license plate number, color, year, make, and model of your car. We will try to match you up with a mobile mechanic that has experience with your kind of car, especially if it is an exotic or classic vehicle.
Then we will send you a confirmation message and our mobile mechanic will arrive shortly at your preferred location. All you will need to do from that point on is sit back and enjoy your AC Evacuate and Recharge appointment with Wrench! We are excited to service your car soon!
