DIY car air conditioner repair

Car air conditioner repair depending on the cause of the breakdown, it can become quite an expensive pleasure that requires special equipment. The reasons air conditioner malfunctions may be different. Before contacting a service station, you can try to independently identify the problem and thereby save on the cost of repairs, and fix minor breakdowns without resorting to expensive specialist services.

Sometimes it happens that at one point the air conditioner of your car does not turn on, especially on a hot day, when it is simply necessary. Fortunately, there are some simple guidelines to guide you through car air conditioner diagnostics... These recommendations will help not only identify the cause of the breakdown, but also get an idea of car air conditioner device... As a result, it is possible not only to accurately and quickly determine the malfunction, but also in some cases to produce DIY air conditioner repair.

Tip 1: Before starting the diagnosis, make sure that the car's engine is running, the parking brake is applied, and the gearbox is in neutral. This will prevent accidents.

Sequence air conditioner diagnostics from the salon:

1. Turn on the air conditioner. Turn the knob of the fan to maximum and press the button for turning on the air conditioner A / C.

Note 1: The A / C button is backlit, which lights up when the air conditioner is on. Check if it works. If the backlight is off, it means that the button is broken or there is no current in the air conditioner power circuit.

1. Make sure there is air through the ventilation openings. If you do not feel it, then try switching the fan speed controller to different speeds, and the blower type controller to other modes. If the flow is not felt at different positions of the regulators or is felt only in certain modes, then the problem is most likely with the fan motor or its resistor.

Note 2: When the fan and / or resistor is broken, warm (cold) air is not drawn through the vents.

1. Check the blowing pressure. If air enters through the vents, make sure that the air flow increases with increasing fan speed. If the airflow at different fan speeds is weak, you should check the contamination of the cabin air filter and make sure that nothing obstructs the passage of air through the ventilation ducts.
2. Measure the temperature in the cabin. Check the air temperature supplied by the air conditioner. For measurements, use a thermometer (preferably digital), placing it opposite the ventilation grill near the side window on the driver's side. You will get an idea of ​​the temperature of the air cooled by the air conditioner.

Note 3: As a rule, air conditioners cool the air down to -2 ° C at maximum, but on a hot day, when the temperature rises to 30 ° C, the air conditioner produces a temperature of 10-15 ° C. A properly operating air conditioner lowers the temperature by an average of 10-15 ° C from the ambient temperature.

Air conditioner operation diagram

All of the above cases may be the cause of a malfunction and will require car air conditioner repair... If you have certain skills, you can troubleshoot yourself. Otherwise, it is better to contact a qualified specialist.

Car air conditioner diagnostics from the engine compartment:

1. Condenser check. Inspect the bumper grill as well as the area around the condenser to make sure nothing is blocking the airflow around the condenser fins. As mentioned earlier, debris blocks air flow and prevents the air conditioning system from working properly.
2. Checking the parts of the air conditioner. Now look under the hood and check the A / C compressor belt. Some cars have a separate drive to the air conditioning compressor. It is best to check with the engine off and the ignition key removed. Press down on the strap with your fingers to make sure it doesn't slip. If the belt is loose, check the tensioning mechanism. Replace worn parts if necessary.
3. Listen to the compressor. To do this, start the engine and return to the engine compartment. Be sure to turn on the air conditioner for full cooling and set the maximum fan speed. Listen to the sound of work air conditioning compressor electromagnetic clutch.

Note 4: It is completely normal for the compressor to switch on and off frequently. However, the clutch should not suddenly engage and disengage for a few seconds. This operation of the unit indicates a low level of refrigerant in the system.

1. Checking the fuses. If you do not hear the A / C compressor clutch cycling, check the appropriate fuses and relays to ensure they are functioning properly. Replace the fuses (relays) and test the air conditioner again.
2. Check the wiring. If the compressor clutch is working properly and there is sufficient refrigerant, then proceed to checking the compressor wiring and pressure switch with a digital voltmeter to verify that these components are working.

Automotive Air Conditioning Compressor Location

Testing procedure and car air conditioner maintenance:

1. Stop the car engine and open the hood.
2. Inspect for visible damage to aluminum tubes and hoses.
3. Locate the sensors on the high and low pressure lines of the air conditioner.
4. According to the instructions for the maintenance of your car, connect a tester to them and turn on the air conditioner in the maximum cooling mode.
5. Check pressure readings. Depending on the outside air temperature in the low-pressure line, the indicators are, as a rule, 2.5 atm., And in the high-pressure line, they vary from 11 to 17 atm. These figures are approximate and depend on the outside temperature and the volume of the air conditioning system.
6. Check the table for possible faults. If both pressure readings are outside the specified ranges, then the air conditioner is out of order.

Air conditioner maintenance - diagnostic table

1. If there is little or no refrigerant in the air conditioner circuit, then the tightness of the system is broken. Find and repair the leak as soon as possible. Typically, condenser leaks occur due to its location just behind the bumper grille. It is damaged by stones or other road debris. Leaks can also appear in the air conditioner tubing and hose connections. Typically, oily dirt will be visible in these areas. If the depressurization of the system could not be detected visually, then the damage is hardly noticeable or is located inside the dashboard. Hidden refrigerant leaks can only be found by a qualified technician.
2. Repeated refueling car air conditioner... As soon as you find a leak and fix it, the system must be charged with the required amount of refrigerant and checked.

Identifying a breakdown of an air conditioner is only the first step in the subsequent repair process. It is better to entrust complex repairs to an experienced master who will carry out it competently and quickly.Still, it is worth noting that after reading the article material, you have enough knowledge to more accurately diagnose the malfunction and provide your technician with more accurate information on it in order to carry out targeted repairs.

Each driver strives to choose a car where he will always feel pleasant and comfortable, with different gadgets and certain amenities. These include a directional on-board computer, a radio tape recorder and an air conditioner that saves us from the heat. Anyone who is used to using an air conditioner in a car will go crazy if it becomes unusable one day. Therefore, it is worth knowing in advance what to do if the car air conditioner stops working, and how to repair the air conditioner with your own hands of climate technology.

A large number of car owners who have a car air conditioner under the hood of their car, with the onset of heat, rush to turn it on. But only a few of them succeed. It's time to worry about the "health" of the air conditioner as soon as the cold weather recedes. Its inoperative state is quite simple to determine: if, after turning on the button on the control panel, no visible results occur, that is, nothing comes from the ventilation system, then it does not work unambiguously.

But you shouldn't worry ahead of time: before repairing the air conditioner, you should carry out diagnostics, open the hood and carefully examine all the tubes of the air conditioner in search of freon leaks. If you find oily discharge on the metal tubes, it means that freon has leaked out, and the compressor has turned off automatically.

Dangerous engine vibrations are usually to blame for refrigerant leaking out of the system. Of course, all pipes in an auto-air conditioner have their own adapters - rubber hoses, which are distinguished by high pressure, from the clamps of which freon sometimes seeps out. To understand which parts will have to be replaced, and which are suitable for further operation, you will have to pump up freon.

The situation when it is necessary to replace a failed air conditioner compressor is usually associated with neglect of the rules for the installation and operation of a car air conditioner. Often, after detecting darkening of the thermal insulation or a refrigerant leak, service services are limited to installing a filter on the liquid line, refilling the air conditioner or eliminating the leak, although at this time radical measures are required to repair the air conditioner compressor.

The need to save the compressor arises in such cases: when moisture enters the freon circuit or when the freon circuit loses its tightness. Urgent resuscitation will help prolong the life of the air conditioner. For flushing the compressor, it is customary to use freons R-113, R-11 or carbon tetrachloride. Washing is carried out in two stages.

First, the refrigerant must be evacuated using an evacuated cylinder. First flush until the liquid is clear and drains from the compressor. After that, the compressor must be filled with a mixture of half oil and half of flushing liquid, and turn on the compressor for 10-15 minutes. Then drain this mixture and flush if necessary until the bad oil is completely removed from the compressor.

The compressor is evacuated to completely remove the flushing liquid from the unit. After that, you should start filling the air conditioning compressor with oil. Remember that refrigeration oils are highly hygroscopic and can easily absorb moisture from the air, thereby deteriorating the properties of the oil. To prevent this, contact between oil and air must be kept to a minimum. Therefore, after refueling, purge the compressor with gaseous refrigerant or dried nitrogen and plug its pipes with plugs.

One of the main parts of a car air conditioner, as you already understood, is the compressor. Regardless of its type, the compressor design includes an electromagnetic clutch that separates it from the drive pulley. Remember that it is common for different types of clutch to use the correct oil to lubricate the mechanism.

As for replacing the air conditioner clutch, many motorists are accustomed to doing this on their own. To diagnose a breakdown of this unit, it is necessary to understand the process of its correct operation. During operation, a functional clutch rotates continuously thanks to the belt. At the beginning of the clutch operation, a small click is heard, which dates its clutch, and then it moves in a circle.

If the air conditioner unit is faulty and the air conditioner clutch needs repair, then the following is observed: when the clutch rotates, extraneous noises are heard, which indicate bearing damage, the smell of burning is felt in the air. If you do not hear the click of the clutch clutch after turning on the air conditioner, then this is not the case.

In any case, the diagnosis of a malfunction is carried out only with the help of special equipment at the repair station. A big problem is associated with a malfunction, when the air conditioning compressor only simulates the functioning of the clutch, which moves freely at the same time. At the same time, a click is heard, but the interior of the car is not filled with cold air.

I am glad that the couplings have a rather long service life due to the peculiarities of their structure. The main thing is to notice the malfunction of the unit in time in order to prevent additional costs. And the purchase of a serviceable clutch itself is not difficult.

It is customary to repair the radiator of an automobile air conditioner by spraying or using argon-arc welding. After repair work, it is necessary to check for tightness with a pressure of up to 20 atm. To repair the radiator of an automobile air conditioner, it must be removed from the car.

It should be noted that the repair of the radiator is considered advisable only in cases where corrosion has not done its job, for example, after minor mechanical damage or after a minor accident. In a situation of depressurization of the radiator of a car air conditioner due to corrosion, it is worth replacing it.

The price of an original radiator and, accordingly, the price of repairing an air conditioner for some cars reaches several hundred euros. In this case, you can replace the radiator with a non-original unit of European quality. It is also possible to fit a universal spare part with some tube alterations.

Repair of pipes and hoses of a car air conditioner allows you to eliminate defects in the operation of the air cooling system and ensure its resistance to high refrigerant pressures. Many car models are assembled in such a way that the hoses leading to the compressor pass near the exhaust manifold, and in turn this provokes their gradual drying, cracking and burnout.

During winter, hoses and pipes can become clogged when dirt fills the space between the engine cooling radiators and the car air conditioner. Dirt builds up in many pipes, which clogs the lines and prevents the refrigerant from circulating well by mixing with moisture.

Aggressive environmental factors affect the structure of aluminum from which the tubes of a car air conditioner are made. Changes in temperature, increased humidity and exposure to reagents lead to the destruction of spare parts. A mixture of harmful substances can accumulate in aluminum tubes and contribute to their oxidation and decay.

The mobility of the components and assemblies of the system in combination with vibration loads causes the destruction of the contour formed from non-plastic elements. Due to accidents, driving on bumpy roads or violations of installation rules, hoses or pipes are frayed or twisted mechanically. An additional factor is the drying out and aging of the O-rings and rubber gaskets.

If the repair of the air conditioner pipes and its hoses is not carried out in a timely manner, then such malfunctions will provoke a compressor depressurization. If the machine is operated with damaged hoses and pipes, the oil will drain, the expansion valve and the compressor will corrode. This leads to clogging of the climate system with particles of the compression rings.

Depending on the location of the malfunction and the level of destruction of the damaged system part, the following types of work are performed related to the repair of air conditioner hoses and tubes: replacing O-rings, flushing the air cooling system in a car, crimping a torn hose, restoring complete tube tightness using argon welding, replacing a tube or hose completely.

The most common cause of a car air conditioner malfunction is a freon leak, which is a drop in the level of refrigerant in the system, which can cause a compressor failure, the price of which reaches half the cost of the unit itself. Freon leakage is normalized or caused by poor-quality installation. For a person, the leak does not bring danger, because freon is classified as inert gases, is not poisonous, has no odor and color.

However, the refrigerant used in car air conditioners is heavier than air, and therefore displaces air and accumulates in the room, and also releases phosgene, which is dangerous when it comes into contact with open fire. Therefore, if signs of freon leakage are detected, it is necessary to stop using the car air conditioner and eliminate the malfunction in a timely manner.

A car air conditioner is a fresco refrigeration machine, the elements of which are connected to each other by threaded freon lines. When exposed to temperature changes and vibrations, the properties of such seals change, as a result of which freon gradually evaporates from the system. This is why the car air conditioner needs to be refueled periodically.

On a new car, the refrigerant must be refilled once every couple of years, after 5-7 years the leakage rate increases and refueling is required once every one year, even if there are no obvious defects. It is customary to lubricate all elements of the auto-air conditioner with oil, which is added to the refrigerant, and this is precisely why the recommendations to turn on the air conditioner in the car in the winter season for ten minutes are connected.

Timely repair of a car air conditioner will save you nerves and health. Agree that endless traffic jams spent in the heat are pretty exhausting. And the coolness in the car interior is the result of timely maintenance, refueling and repair of the car air conditioner.

Diagnostics of the air conditioner operation begins with turning it on. If after pressing the button for turning on the air conditioner nothing happens - the cooled air does not enter the cabin from the ventilation system, then the air conditioner clearly does not work.

In this case, open the hood of the car and carefully inspect all the piping of the air conditioner and its radiator. If there are oily spots on them, this may indicate a leak from the refrigerant (freon) system, which leads to an automatic shutdown of the compressor.

Leaking refrigerant is the result of engine vibration. These vibrations can cause the clamps on the transition rubber hoses to loosen, causing refrigerant to seep out.In order to determine which elements are still operational and which ones require replacement, you will have to pump refrigerant into the system.

Also, one of the reasons why the air conditioner does not work is the breakdown of the electromagnetic clutch.

If, when the air conditioner is turned on, a characteristic click is not heard in the clutch, indicating its adhesion to the drive pulley, or, conversely, a grinding sound is heard and a burning smell is felt, then this indicates a bearing failure.

In this case, the coupling must be replaced.

Cases when it becomes necessary to replace a compressor are most often associated with a negligent or incorrect installation of an air conditioner and its improper operation. Often, at service stations, when a refrigerant leak is detected, or the color of the insulation changes (darkening), they are limited to simply installing filters on the system line, refilling with refrigerant or eliminating the leak. This requires a more substantial and radical compressor repair.

The compressor must be rescued if moisture gets into the system or the tightness of the pipelines is broken. In these cases, urgent resuscitation is required, which includes flushing the entire system.

Flushing takes place in two stages and is carried out with freons R-11, R-113 or carbon tetrachloride. First, it is necessary to remove the contaminated refrigerant from the system using an evacuated canister. Then the system is flushed until the liquid flowing out of the compressor becomes clear. After this operation, the system is filled with a mixture of oil and flushing fluid in a 1: 1 ratio and is put into operation for a run for a period of 10 to 15 minutes. This mixture of oil and flushing fluid is then drained off. Repeat this operation if necessary.

After flushing the system, the compressor is evacuated again to completely get rid of the flushing liquid. Then comes the turn of refueling the car air conditioner with special oil. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the high hygroscopicity of this oil (the ability to absorb moisture from the air). To do this, the air contact of the oil should be minimized. And at the end of all these works, in order to prevent the presence of moisture in the system, the system should be purged with a gaseous refrigerant or dried nitrogen.

The air conditioning system of a new car is charged with refrigerant every two years, and after 5 or 6 years of operation - annually. Also, do not forget about the need to turn on the air conditioner in winter to ensure lubrication of all elements of the system. This will ensure long and reliable operation of the air conditioner.

Regardless of the type of air conditioner, an essential element of the system is an electromagnetic clutch that connects the air conditioner shaft to the drive pulley. There are several types of drive couplings that are lubricated with their own oil. Pay attention to this to avoid damage to the coupling.

When the car engine is running, the electromagnetic clutch is constantly rotating under the influence of the belt coming from the engine. When the system is turned on, a click is heard in the clutch, indicating that it is engaged with the compressor shaft.

The absence of this click and the presence of extraneous noise in the clutch indicate a possible malfunction. However, there is a serious problem in which the clutch is, by all indications, functional, but at the same time does not transmit rotary motion to the compressor. For accurate diagnostics in this case, special equipment of service centers is required.

The positive point is that due to its design features, the electromagnetic clutch is a fairly reliable and durable unit. Also, purchasing a new clutch and replacing it is not a big deal.

The radiator of the air conditioner requires mandatory repair after minor mechanical damage or a minor accident, which led to a violation of the tightness of the radiator and a refrigerant leak.

In these cases, the radiator must be removed from the car for a detailed examination and a decision on the repair methods. Repair is carried out either by spraying or argon-arc welding. After completing the repair, a prerequisite is to check the radiator for leaks under a pressure of 20 atmospheres.

I also advise you to pay special attention to the cause of the leakage of the radiator. If the tightness is broken due to corrosion of the metal from which the radiator is made, then the repair of this radiator may be impractical. Since, for example, welding will only give a short-term effect. Radiators subject to corrosion must be replaced. This will save time and money in the future.

The cost of an original radiator for some car models can be quite high, which, as a result, will lead to high repair costs. Alternatively, you can consider purchasing a non-original radiator from a good European manufacturer. It is also possible to install a universal unit, which may require minor modifications to the pipes (pipes).

Timely diagnostics and repair of pipes, as well as connecting hoses exposed to high pressure from the refrigerant side, are the key to long-term and reliable operation of the air conditioning system.

Hoses and their connections in the air conditioner piping system are subject to vibrations from the engine side due to bumps and pits on the roads. Also, in some vehicle structures, the hoses leading to the compressor are in close proximity to the exhaust manifold, which can lead to their drying out, cracking and burnout due to the action of high temperatures.

Also one of the factors affecting the tightness is the aging of the rubber O-rings and gaskets. Aluminum piping can be subject to both internal and external corrosion. With the help of a visual inspection, you can determine the places of leaks and replace or repair the necessary elements: O-rings, pipes, hoses.

Timely inspection and care of the car air conditioner will give you comfort and good mood, keep you healthy and save money.

Training video course on diagnostics and repair of pipelines of automobile auto-air conditioners.

Most modern cars are equipped with air conditioners, which make our life much more comfortable, but sometimes it becomes necessary to repair a car air conditioner with our own hands. What these cases are, and how we should act, we will find out a little below.

The air conditioning system serves not only to cool the air in the passenger compartment, it also cleans it of various odors and moisture. Its main feature is that the work is carried out not from electricity, as is the case with household air conditioners, but from the engine. The principle of operation can be compared with an ordinary refrigerator; the system is a sealed container filled with special oil, which is necessary for lubricating the pipes and the compressor, and freon.

If in a traffic jam the car began to overheat and consume more fuel, then, most likely, the condenser of the air conditioning system has failed. In addition, oily stains may appear on it. Another alarming sign may be overheating of the engine and the entire engine compartment, slipping of the drive belt and electromagnetic clutch, as well as the appearance of unpleasant odors and water drops in the passenger compartment. This all indicates a malfunction of the evaporator.

Increased noise, poor system efficiency and oil stains on the compressor indicate that it needs to be checked urgently.You should also be alerted by frequent compressor shutdowns, freezing of the filter, evaporator tubes and outgoing hoses.