DIY car air conditioner radiator repair

In detail: do-it-yourself car air conditioner radiator repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

As practice shows, a breakdown of an air conditioner in a car occurs at the most inopportune moment, when there is no time or money to visit the service. In such cases, there is only one option left - self-repair by identifying the defect and eliminating it with your own hands. One of the most common reasons for a non-working air conditioner is a faulty radiator, so you need to start looking for probable reasons with it. How to repair a car air conditioner radiator, you will learn in this article.

The work of the air conditioner radiator (RK) is to change the state of freon, that is, from gaseous to liquid. Forced circulation occurs in the system, against the background of which the heat transfer process occurs. The refrigerant circulates through the system using a special pump.

Air conditioner radiator device

Note! The RK includes special ultra-thin channels, which are designed to improve the processes of heat transfer and condensation of the refrigerant. Typically, the heatsink is made of an aluminum alloy, although other materials can be used.

Additional fans can be installed in the design of the RK to improve airflow. The radiator itself is, in fact, a very vulnerable part of the air conditioning system, which is often subject to corrosion and mechanical damage.

There are many different factors contributing to the failure of the RC. Often, the device breaks down due to untimely cleaning, mechanical damage or improper care. As a result of such negligence, cracks of different sizes appear on the surface of some radiator elements. Such malfunctions are considered easy, so you can deal with them on your own without resorting to the services of specialists, because the prices for repair work are quite high.

Video (click to play).

It also depends on the region, since the cost of repairs in cities such as Moscow or St. Petersburg will be significantly higher than, for example, in Tobolsk, Snezhinsk or other small cities. In almost all cases, the repair of the radiator is justified, it can be useless only in one case - when the RK is rusted. In this case, a complete replacement is required.

In case of serious damage or corrosion, the RK must be replaced

For a thorough diagnosis and identification of possible damage, the radiator must be removed from the vehicle. During disassembly, extreme care is required so as not to damage the ribbed surface of the product. The ribs are quite sharp, so gloves are recommended for safety reasons.

Among all the possible signs of a faulty radiator, it is worth highlighting the increased noise that occurs during the operation of the air conditioner. As a rule, third-party noises indicate a depressurization of the system. Also, the operation of the air conditioner may be accompanied by a ringing or whistling sound that comes from the system. The driver needs to pay attention to the level of tension of the drive belts or to the condition of the compressor.

Symptoms of a malfunctioning air conditioner radiator

Additional signs of an air conditioner radiator breakdown include:

poor air cooling in the car;
decrease in the efficiency of the system;
the appearance of an unpleasant odor or dampness in the cabin;
fogging of windows, especially in rainy weather.

If at least one of the above symptoms appears, it is necessary to diagnose the air conditioning system for faults.If the problem is in the radiator, then you can fix the problem at home. The level of complexity of repair work directly depends on the type of damage.

There are several types of RC repair, the choice of which depends on the severity of the device breakdown. Internal repairs are underway using epoxy glue and argon welding. Let's take a look at each of these methods separately.

This type of repair is carried out with minor damage to the radiator case. For work, it is necessary to remove the RK from the car, dry it thoroughly, and then fill in a special sealant produced in the form of a powder and fill it with clean water (warm water is required for the sealant to work properly). After the agent used reacts with water, it will swell strongly, thereby closing all cracks in the radiator housing.

Car radiator sealant

Internal renovation has its drawbacks. First of all, unreacted powder particles remain in the radiator, and later they enter the system, which causes it to become clogged. As a rule, clogging occurs when using low-quality mixtures that harm the car more than benefit. Therefore, when choosing a product, you need to look not at the price tag of the product, but at its quality.

Another effective way to repair a radiator. To begin with, the damaged areas of the part must be cleaned and only after that a special compound purchased from a car dealership is applied. Even large cracks can be bridged with this method, so this method is used for serious damage.

For repairs, it is necessary to make a plate according to the size of the crack, using a sheet of tin as a material. Cover the desired place with the resulting patch and fix it with glue. The procedure is quite complicated and time-consuming, but the result is worth it.

The result of using special glue

More serious damage that cannot be repaired with glue is repaired with argon welding. In rare cases, gas-dynamic spraying is used. But this requires filler material, as well as skills in working with such equipment. The material for work is selected based on what metal was used in the production of the radiator.

On a note! Welding is effective only in cases where the damage to the body of the part is small. Otherwise, for example, if the formed crack goes along the entire pipe of the RK, then it is easier to replace the part. For easier dismantling of the tube, it is necessary to heat it with a soldering iron.

Argon welding of aluminum radiators.

In order not to face the need to repair the air conditioner radiator in the future, it must be properly serviced and periodically cleaned. Also, experts recommend using chemical aerosols to protect RK from corrosion. Such tools can be easily found on the Internet or at the nearest auto shop in your city. Follow all of the above recommendations, and you can forget for a long time what an air conditioner repair is.

As soon as the repair is completed, it is necessary to clean the air conditioning system. For this purpose, special foam is used, which is produced in small cans. Below is a step-by-step cleaning instruction, following which even a beginner can cope with this seemingly complex process.

Step 1. Prepare everything you need to clean your system. If you are in doubt about the choice of foam, then it is better to seek the help of specialists.

Prepare all materials for repair

Step 2. Remove the flexible hose from the drain connection, which is located at the bottom behind the plastic panel.

Step 3. Connect the hose from the cleaner to the drain connection, and then pull the hose up until it stops.

Connect the drain connection to the hose

Step 4. Start the car, but first you need to prepare a special container for collecting foam. During the cleaning process, foam will collect in a prepared container, then it must be disposed of.

Prepare a special container

Step 5. Turn on the air conditioner to test its operation. It is recommended to select recirculation mode first.

Perform a test switch on the air conditioning system

After you have started the engine and foam has begun to circulate throughout the air conditioning system, let it run for about 10-15 minutes. This should be enough for the foam to spread throughout all the cavities of the air conditioner radiator. Upon completion of the cleaning procedure, reassemble everything in the reverse order and, replacing the fluid in the air conditioner, re-diagnose the system.

As noted earlier, the cost of renovation work can depend on many factors. But first, the car service workers carry out diagnostics (300-600 rubles). On average, the repair of the RK costs from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles (argon welding, the use of special hermetic means or replacement of a damaged radiator). Also, the price of repairs will depend on the vehicle model, the inaccessibility of the radiator and the selected restoration method.

Air conditioner radiator repair

Upon completion of the repair procedures, when the leak in the radiator is eliminated, the specialist will install the part back to its original place. In this case, the tightness of all units of the auto air conditioning system will be checked. For this, a gauge station is used.

According to the law of meanness, a breakdown of an air conditioner occurs at the most inopportune moment, when there is neither time nor money to go to a car service. In this case, you can look under the hood yourself. Often the reasons for the breakdown should be looked for in the radiator of the car air conditioner - we will start with it!

A car air conditioner radiator is a device that lets liquid through its pipes and cools it down. The radiator consists of aluminum tubes on which plates, the so-called fins, are soldered. The reasons for a breakdown of an air conditioner radiator may be different. This is mainly mechanical damage or untimely cleaning and maintenance. All this leads to the appearance of various cracks in the structure of the radiator. These are minor breakdowns that you can fix yourself.

Repairs may be useless only if the radiator is corroded - unless a complete replacement will help.

To thoroughly inspect the device for breakdowns, you need to remove the radiator of the car air conditioner before starting the repair. This should be done carefully so as not to damage his ribs. We advise you to work with gloves to avoid injury.

For minor damage or blockages, a so-called internal repair is used. The principle of operation in this case is quite simple - the removed radiator must be dried, then filled with a powder chemical agent (the so-called sealant) and filled with hot water. When interacting with the liquid, the powder will swell and close the cracks in the radiator. Image - DIY car air conditioner radiator repair

There is also a drawback in using this method - the elements of the powder that have poorly seized can get into the system and clog it. This most often happens with cheap mixtures that can do more harm than help.

The second way is exterior renovation. It is carried out using cold welding or epoxy glue. Places of the radiator that have leaks or damage must be cleaned before starting work, and only then apply the selected composition. This method is good because it allows you to close up fairly large cracks. In this case, a plate cut from tin is applied to the place of the leak. This method is very effective and efficient, although it takes a little longer.

Another repair method is to weld or solder the radiator.Basically, to perform such types of work, argon welding or gas-dynamic spraying is used. True, you will need to have skills in using such equipment, as well as filler material for work. This material is selected depending on what metal the radiator of the car air conditioner consists of. Image - DIY car air conditioner radiator repair

The soldering point must be well degreased. Welding or brazing is convenient to use if the damage is not large. If the crack, for example, goes along the entire tube, then it is better to replace it completely. The tube is heated with a soldering iron, which makes it easy to dismantle.

Car air conditioner radiators need to be properly maintained, cleaned on time, and treated with chemical aerosols, which will protect it from corrosion. You can buy them at any car dealership. Adhere to these recommendations, which will allow you to do without repairing the car air conditioner for a very long time.

If a car's radiator leaks, then most of us resort to replacing it. However, in most cases it is possible not to change, but to repair the radiator. Sometimes no skills are required, but sometimes it is impossible to do without knowledge in the field of welding or soldering. We learn to determine the condition and try to restore the radiator with our own hands.

The most common problem is when the radiator leaks due to old age. Coolant (coolant) runs out of the joints between metal and plastic, which automatically leads to overheating of the engine. It is not always possible to find a replacement radiator, and repairs will cost at least 2 times cheaper than a new one.

Further we will talk about car radiators in general and it does not matter if it is a repair of a heater radiator, an air conditioner radiator or a radiator of the engine cooling system.

Repair of a radiator with chemistry. Minor damages can be repaired with special products known on the market as radiator refurbishing fluid, radiator sealant, or powder reductants. The principle of operation is approximately the same: pour the radiator reductant into the engine cooling system (SOD). The resulting mixture will seal cracks when exposed to air.

Chemistry is different from chemistry, therefore, it is impossible to answer for the quality of such a method as a whole. For example, a low-quality reductant may not help, but, on the contrary, harm it by clogging up the entire SOD. For example, the stove will stop heating and it will be necessary to flush the SOD or change the radiator of the stove. Better chemistry is able to eliminate radiator leakage only for a while (from several days to several months). Thus, chemistry for repairing a radiator is only a temporary solution to the problem.

There is a popular method for repairing radiators. It consists in patching holes using cold welding (a material similar to plasticine, which hardens after use). It is better to close up a small hole in the radiator after degreasing the work surface well. If the hole in the radiator is large, then a piece of tin can be used as a patch, which is again glued with cold welding.

We repair the radiator honeycomb with a mixture of epoxy resin and hardener. Degrease and pour the substance into the damaged honeycomb and level it with a spatula. Now the holes in the radiator are 100% sealed.
In general, the folk method involves the use of many materials for sealing, I just showed the main ones. Whether this approach can be called a high-quality radiator repair, decide for yourself.

The following instruction assumes knowledge of basic welding and soldering skills.
To repair the radiator permanently, it must be removed, but before that, the coolant must be drained from it (described in detail in the article on cleaning the radiator). Now that the radiator is dismantled, we can determine its condition, whether the radiator can be repaired or replaced with a new one.

Repair the radiator by soldering. We clean the place that will be restored well and solder a piece of sheet brass (brass radiators). Here you need to resort to using a gas torch and a soldering iron.

If the radiator tubes are cracked, then it is better to replace them with new ones. We heat the solder until it becomes soft and take the tube out of the tank. In its place we solder a new one. The disadvantage of this method is the effect of high temperatures on the elements of the radiator, which leads to its internal deformation. Therefore, it is better to use argon arc welding (argon welding).

Repair of a radiator with argon welding. The filler material here is a special welded aluminum wire. Special equipment is indispensable here. It should be noted that places treated with argon will be protected from oxidation.
Repair of a radiator using gas-dynamic spraying. When a special powder is accelerated along the inside of the radiator at a very high speed, a 1-1.5mm thick coating forms on the damaged surface. It makes no sense to describe these two methods, because they cannot be done at home.

There are various ways to repair a car radiator, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. In one case, there will be a short-term repair of the radiator, and in the other for a long time. If you doubt your abilities, then it is better to entrust the mission of restoring the radiator to specialists and argon welding. They will not only repair, but immediately clean the radiator and, if desired, install a brass tank.

If the radiator is damaged after a frontal collision of the car, then repairs will cost a pretty penny. It is more correct in this case to buy a new high-quality radiator.

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 is clearly not working.

In this case, open the hood of the car and carefully inspect all 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 appears to be 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.

Air conditioner radiator device

In case of serious damage or corrosion, the RK must be replaced

Among all the possible signs of a faulty radiator, it is worth highlighting the increased noise that occurs during the operation of the air conditioner.As a rule, third-party noises indicate a depressurization of the system. Also, the operation of the air conditioner may be accompanied by a ringing or whistling sound that comes from the system. The driver needs to pay attention to the level of tension of the drive belts or to the condition of the compressor.

Symptoms of a malfunctioning air conditioner radiator

Additional signs of an air conditioner radiator breakdown include:

poor air cooling in the car;
decrease in the efficiency of the system;
the appearance of an unpleasant odor or dampness in the cabin;
fogging of windows, especially in rainy weather.

If at least one of the above symptoms appears, it is necessary to diagnose the air conditioning system for faults. If the problem is in the radiator, then you can fix the problem at home. The level of complexity of repair work directly depends on the type of damage.

Car radiator sealant

The result of using special glue

Argon welding of aluminum radiators.

Step 1. Prepare everything you need to clean your system. If you are in doubt about the choice of foam, then it is better to seek the help of specialists.

Prepare all materials for repair

Step 2. Remove the flexible hose from the drain connection, which is located at the bottom behind the plastic panel.

Step 3. Connect the hose from the cleaner to the drain connection, and then pull the hose up until it stops.

Connect the drain connection to the hose

Step 4. Start the car, but first you need to prepare a special container for collecting foam. During the cleaning process, foam will collect in a prepared container, then it must be disposed of.

Prepare a special container

Step 5. Turn on the air conditioner to test its operation. It is recommended to select recirculation mode first.

Perform a test switch on the air conditioning system

Air conditioner radiator repair

Video (click to play).

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