Automotive air conditioning
We might as well say that automotive air conditioning is standard equipment on today's vehicles. Just 15 years ago this would have been considered an option. But in today's automobiles, you would most likely have to special order a car without the system. Since this is one of the more troublesome systems on today's vehicles, it seemed only right to cover it in depth. On this page, we will start with the basic theory of operation. It is a lot easier to diagnose and repair car ac systems with the basic knowledge of how it works. At the bottom of this page will be links to articles that describe more specific operation and will address certain ac problems that you may be having with your vehicle.
Automotive air conditioning design
The automobile ac system is designed to pump heat from one point to another. And the basic theory states that heat will flow from the warmer object to the colder one. The greater the temperature difference between the two objects, the greater the amount of heat will flow. The substance used to remove the heat from the inside of an automobile is called refrigerant. On older automotive air conditioning systems, the refrigerant was all R12. An amendment to the United States clean air act has mandated that R12 be phased out as the refrigerant of choice. Since air-conditioning systems with R12 are susceptible to leaks, ozone damage and environmental concerns pushed the replacement of this refrigerant and was adopted as a requirement in 1995.
Although R 134 A air-conditioning systems operate in the same way with the same basic components as the R12 units, keep in mind the two refrigerants are not interchangeable. And they also use very different lubrication oil for the compressor. If you are unsure of what type of Freon is in your vehicle, there are under hood labels that identify which type is used in your automobile. Also the R12 service fittings are threaded connections and much smaller than their 134 counterparts that utilize a quick disconnect style service fitting.
Air conditioning system basic operationTo understand how car ac refrigerant is used to cool the interior of the vehicle, the effects of pressure and temperature on it must first be understood. If the pressure of the Freon is high so is its temperature.
If the pressure of the refrigerant is low then again so is its temperature. Therefore, changing its pressure from a high pressure to a low pressure can easily change the temperature of the refrigerant. Therefore the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant is kept low inside the vehicle circulating through a heat exchanger. This component is known as the air conditioning evaporator and contains the low-pressure Freon. The heat of the passenger compartment is transferred to this component and passed along to the Freon.
The heated refrigerant is then pumped forward to the air conditioner condenser, (another heat exchanger) were a fan is blown across it to remove that heat that was generated. The evaporator on the inside of the vehicle and the condenser on the outside of the vehicle are solely responsible for the heat transfer properties of the system. These two components are supported and operated by the other parts of the automotive air conditioning system. More in-depth description of these components will be available in the articles below.
Automobile Air Conditioning HelpAuto air conditioning systems can be one of the most dangerous systems to work on. Please take a minute to review my page about automotive air conditioning safetyThe 5 car ac components that make the air blow cold. Learn how they work together to remove the heat from your automobile. Also see one of the best simplified diagrams for automobile air conditioning Freon leaking is one of the most common problems that will cause the ac to blow warm air. Learn how to fix it and how to locate automotive A/C leaks Now that the freon leak is fixed its time to charge the system. This is a critical step in the cooling properly process. Learn the right way to recharge car ac Often the first indication of an AC problem is a strange noise. Some sounds are completely normal while others need diagnosis. I wrote this article to help sort out the good from the bad air-conditioning noises Electrical problems with car air conditioners can cause the same complaint of my air blows hot. Learn what to look for and see how a little corrosion can cause air conditioning electrical problems Speaking of ac electrical problems one complaint that is common is interior fan noise or poor air flow. This next page gets you up to speed on diagnosing the blower motor Now that the air is blowing what can we do when the air flow is weak or coming out of the wrong vents. This next page should help with your car ac airflow problems When it comes to replacing failed ac parts on your car a compressor is one of the most expensive. Learn the proper replacement procedure and how to protect your new car ac compressor A lot of people have had problems with converted from R-12 car air conditioners. Usually this has to do with improper conversion methods. If you want your cold air to last then learn the proper procedure for retrofitting auto ac systems A review of why recovering and pulling a vacuum on the AC is so important for max cooling and reliability. Also see an interesting combo tool package for charging car ac Repeat complaints of the AC blows warm is a common problem. See some common causes of comebacks when it comes to auto AC repair Look through both of my auto repair websites at the same time.  Custom Search If you need one on one help with your automobile air conditioning problem you can visit the page for car repair help Find out what else is covered on this auto repair website and also more about the mechanic that built it on the home page. This next link takes you from automotive air conditioning to more auto repair advice
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