Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE 15-1 As you inspect a drive belt, roll a V-belt so you can check the sides and inner face (a). Check the inside ribs of a multi-V belt (b). Any signs of possible failure mean the belt should be replaced.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE 15-2 The condenser should be checked for debris at the front and rear of the core (a). Debris can be removed using a denture brush (b). (a courtesy of Everco Industries)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE 15-3 Refrigerant must not be released or vented into the atmosphere.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE 15-4 A recovery unit removes refrigerant vapor from the vehicle. It then filters the refrigerant before compressing it so it condenses and can be stored as a liquid in the storage tank.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE 15-5 Three service units/recovery full-service machines: an older machine (a), and two modern 2788-approved machines (b and c). (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE 15-6 A refrigerant identifier uses a refrigerant sample to determine what it consists of (a and b). The results are displayed by a digital image or flashing lights. Some include a printer; this model will also display what SNAP refrigerant is in the system. (a reprinted by permission of Yokogawa Corporation of America; b and c courtesy of Neutronics Inc.)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE 15-7 This printout from an identifier shows that the R-12 in this system is cross-contaminated with 3.8% R-134a.This refrigerant is unusable.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE 15-8 A sealant detector set (a) includes a flow meter, hose, two system couplers, and test plugs. A sealant in the system is indicated if the refrigerant flow drops during the 3-minute test period. (Courtesy of Neutronics Inc.)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE 15-9 A Recycle Guard can remove sealant, dye, and oil from the refrigerant as it is being recovered. (Courtesy of Airsept)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE The flow diagram for a recovery/ recycling machine showing the internal components and the path that refrigerant takes during recovery and recycling. (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE The container used for recovered refrigerant must be approved by the DOT; the connections to the recovery unit are shown here. (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Some recovery units use a single hose connection for the center service hose of a manifold gauge set (a). A full-service unit has two service hose connections to the low and high sides of the A/C system (b). (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE The control panels vary depending on the capabilities of a particular recovery-only, recovery and recycling (a), or full-service (b) machine. (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE During the recovery process, oil from the system is separated into a container so the technician will know how much oil was removed. (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE A single-pass recycling machine (a) cleans and filters the refrigerant as it is being recovered. A multipass machine (b) recovers the refrigerant in one operation and then cycles the refrigerant through filters and separators in another operation.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Recycling machines have a filter and desiccant that must be replaced after a certain amount of use (a). These parts are available from various sources (b). (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This dual-gauge set has a pressure gauge and a thermometer calibrated to read the pressure that should correspond to that temperature. A comparison of the two indicates refrigerant purity. (Courtesy of Mastercool)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This automatic air purge tool can be connected to an A/C system or bottle of refrigerant. It checks for air contamination, automatically purges a small amount of gas, and repeats this process. (Reprinted by permission of Neutronics Inc.)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This condenser has been cut open to show how small the passages are when compared to an ordinary paper clip. Flushing is not an effective way to clean them.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Portions of an A/C system can be flushed to remove debris and excess oil. Adapters are used to connect a flushing unit, which pumps the flushing material through the components.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE A/C components can also be flushed using a portable tool kit and special adapters. The flush is forced through the condenser using shop air pressure.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This recovery and recycling system has an optional flushing kit that uses recovered refrigerant to flush a system clean. The refrigerant is then recycled for reuse. (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Adapters to connect the flushing unit into the system can be commercial fittings (a) or fittings made in the shop (b). (a courtesy of MACS; b courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE The power flush unit (with catch container at left) forces the flushing solvent through the lines in a pulsating manner (a); the operator of the flush gun (b) controls the flow at the nozzle. (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE In-line filters are available in different forms, depending on how they will be connected into the system (a). An exploded view of an inline filter is shown in b.(a courtesy of Four Seasons)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE The boiling point of water is reduced as a system is put into a vacuum. Microns provide a much more accurate way of measuring vacuum. (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Vacuum pumps differ in their ability to remove all of the refrigerant and water from a system.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This vacuum pump includes an oil change warning light (a). Old oil is drained out, and new oil is added to the correct level (b). (Courtesy of TIF Instruments)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE (CONTINUED) This vacuum pump includes an oil change warning light (a). Old oil is drained out, and new oil is added to the correct level (b). (Courtesy of TIF Instruments)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This digital, micron vacuum gauge can display a vacuum reading of 1 to 760,000 microns in 1-micron increments. It can also display vacuum in Pascal or millibar units. (Courtesy of INFICON)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This portable vacuum pump is connected to the center service hose. Both gauge valves are open during the evacuation process. (Courtesy of Chrysler LLC)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE After the proper amount of time at 28 Hg of vacuum, the vacuum pump is shut off and the manifold valves are closed. A tight system holds this vacuum for at least 5 minutes. (Courtesy of Nissan Motor Corporation in USA)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Some charging stations can be programmed to vacuum a system for a certain period. (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Modern vehicles include an under-hood decal that shows refrigerant type and charge level. This decal indicates a factory charge of kg (2.00 lb) of refrigerant and SP-20 PAG oil.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE The bubbles in a sight glass will disappear at a point lower than the proper charge amount. High-side pressure will increase at a point that the system is already overcharged. (Courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc.)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE System charge curves for three systems with capacities of 15, 22, and 28 ounces. Note how the highside/ head pressures, panel outlet, and suction pressures are related.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This charging cylinder has a calibrated shroud marked with the refrigerant volumes for different temperatures (a). Refrigerant is added to the cylinder from a large container ;this amount of refrigerant is then charged into the system (b). (Courtesy of Robinair, SPX Corporation)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This charging scale includes a weighing platform and a shutoff solenoid valve (a). The container of refrigerant is placed on the scale, and the unit is programmed to allow the correct amount of refrigerant to enter the system (b). (Courtesy of TIF Instruments)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This tester and adapter is designed to test GM thermal fuse circuits and to allow bypass of the thermal fuse during charging operations (a). A bent paper clip can often be used as a jumper to bypass pressure switches (b). (a courtesy of Four Seasons)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Some technicians prefer to begin the charging procedure by adding pressure to the high side; a pressure increase in the low side should begin a few seconds later as the refrigerant passes through the expansion device.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Liquid or vapor can be charged into a system depending on whether the refrigerant container is held inverted or upright (a). The liquid is normally at the bottom of the container (b).

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Many A/C service units can be programmed to operate through a leak check and evacuation procedure. If the system passes the leak check, the service unit will be programmed to charge the proper amount of refrigerant into the system.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE If using small cans, be sure to note the net weight of the can. The cans of R-12 (a) hold 14 and 15 oz of refrigerant; the cans of Freeze 12 and R-134a (b) hold 12 oz. (b is courtesy of Technical Chemical Company [TCC])

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE Three different can tappers can be used with small R-12 cans (a–c). Different adapters that thread onto the can are required for R-134a (d) and blends. (Courtesy of Four Seasons)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE System Guard seals are placed over the service ports and locked in place by shrinking them using a hot air gun. The system cannot be opened without cutting the seal. (Courtesy of System Guard)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE The R-134a molecule is smaller than an R-12 molecule, so the leak rate through the same hole is greater.

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE A procedure used to remove oil from an R-12 system before an R-134a retrofit. (Courtesy of Castrol North America)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This flowchart shows the procedure to follow when retrofitting an R-12 system with R-134a. (Courtesy of the International Mobile Air Conditioning Association [IMACA])

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE A retrofit kit can be simple and inexpensive (a) or very complete, designed for a particular vehicle (b). (a) includes oil, R-134a service fittings, decals, and new O-rings. (b) contains all of these items plus a replacement condenser, control switch, hoses, receiver–drier, and TXV. (a courtesy of Castrol North America; b courtesy of Wynn Oil Company)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE A label that shows retrofit information must be placed over the old R-12 information decal. (Courtesy of Four Seasons)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE The two most popular conversion fittings thread directly onto the R-12 service ports (a). Fittings that use a pin extension should be adjusted after installation so there is slight clearance between the pin extension and the Schrader valve (b). (Courtesy of Four Seasons)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This port is part of a saddle clamp that can be placed over a metal line; the line is then pierced and a Schrader valve is installed. (Courtesy of ACDelco)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This high-pressure cutoff switch can be installed in a high-side port and is connected into the clutch wiring so the compressor will be shut off before it reaches pressures that must be released through the relief valve. (Courtesy of ACDelco)

Automotive Heating and Air Conditioning, Fifth Edition By Tom Birch © 2010 Pearson Higher Education, Inc. Pearson Prentice Hall - Upper Saddle River, NJ FIGURE This kit contains a pressurized can of A/C sealant and a hose to attach it to the A/C system. The proper procedure should be followed when using a sealant. (Courtesy of Cliplight)