Summertime and the living is easy. This is not so if your air conditioning system of your vehicle ' be it car, truck or whatever else you are driving is on the fritz. It's no fun at all driving in hot sticky auto come summertime. Simple as that.
Looking at the sight glass - overall nothing should be visible. It should appear "empty". If it does and cold air is circulating in the passenger compartment , then you can bet the system is more than sufficiently charged. Step one can be checked off. Perhaps it's the challenge to the backyard mechanic, perhaps it's the cost, or perhaps it's just that its summertime and you are hot, hot, and hot and the repair shop is backed up with work till next month.
In years gone by it was only luxury cars that had the luxury of auto air conditioning and cooling. An air conditioned car in the summer heat was a luxury had by only a very privileged few reports auto industry analyst M.A. Labovitch. Today we take such luxuries almost for granted. It is not only cars that have factory air systems installed Trucks and even semi trailer tractors now have air conditioning cooling systems as a matter of routine and course. Never ever overcharge an air conditioner - be it a stand alone outdoor unit , a window unit or a car mobile auto cooling system. Adding too much refrigerant can damage the compressor and thus reduce system performance and reliability and integrity. Checking the clutch . Start the engine with the parking brake set and the transmission in park mode. Set the air conditioning controls to maximum cooling and fan levels. Open the hood and be sure that the entire compressor-clutch assembly is being turned by the air conditioner belt. Put on your safety goggles and work gloves. Now you have it made it the shade.U.V. or bus. Never try to fix an air conditioner propellant coolant leak yourself. You risk injury and worse. The system is under great atmospheric pressure and must be discharged before any hose connections are loosened or opened. The system must be evacuated with a vacuum pump after repairs are made to remove all traces of air and moisture that can cause corrosion and interfere with cooling performance. If the system is an older one - and still contains genuine Freon rather than the newer replacement - this must be removed and disposed of by a highly trained professional in a legal specified manner. Stiff fines and penalties await those who think that they can simply dissipate the exhaust freon into the air and "no one will know". Today most mobile automotive air conditioners are factory units built in , that come with the new vehicle . This makes the job of diagnosis by the mechanic or auto air conditioning specialist much easier. Factory manuals , diagnostic steps and parts are easily afforded online. Expertise can be had. Years ago few new vehicles were equipped with factory cooling devices. It was a hodge podge of 3rd party units - each air conditioning system and its install being radically different and thus a lot harder to work on. It does look like a fan belt, but if you look carefully there will be a belt lower front of the engine that may or may not go around the fan pulley and on to the air conditioning system compressor. Have a helper in the garage switch the air conditioning control to the Off position and then alternatively to the "On" setting. Meantime look , inspect and listen for the typical sounds of the clutch assembly both engaging and disengaging. Some sight glasses of mobile air conditioners have a protective cover made of cardboard or stiff paper. Remove the cover on the air conditioning unit sight glass - if there is one. On some cars and trucks , the sight glass is not on the receiver-drier, but on the line between the condenser and expansion valve.
A professional mechanic can find the leak for you by using an electronic leak detector - now available to home users at some big box retail stores. Alternatively an older - yet very effective low cost method can be used - that is using soapy water and watching for the bubbles. Bubbles indicate leaks. Alternatively if the sight glass is clear and there is no cold air circulating in the passenger compartment , then the system may be empty of refrigerant and coolant. Take your vehicle - be it truck , S.U.V. or standard car to a competent air conditioning specialist , shop or dealer service center. Experts note that if the sight glass show bubbles that look like moving water bubbles , then you can bet that without changing and replacing the refrigerant you are going to be driving in the depths of heat and humidity. If the clutch is not engaging - then check the whole system. There are really no quick or easy fixes for diagnosing and repairing auto air conditioning systems in a pinch. On top of that it can be downright dangerous. It is best to seek out a pro at your local air conditioning shop or service department of your local or regional auto or truck dealership. This pulley rotates while the car or auto's engine is running. It is also important to remember , that if your air conditioner is low , it most likely reinforces the call by your mechanic or refrigeration technician that there is a leak somewhere else. Recharging the system temporarily restores cooling - which is good in mid July, but the coolant fluid and gas will eventually leak out unless the leak is properly and fully repaired.
The quickest way to tell if your air conditioning system is low on refrigerant is to check the system through the watch glass. Typically the "watch glass" is located on the outlet side of the receiver-drier. Pleasant summer driving.
Author Resource:-
Terry S. Vostor Derrick Dodge Edmonton Online Please contact our internet sales team about ordering a new vehicle at the lowest guaranteed pricing. Or visit the used vehicle center and search through our selection of quality pre-owned vehicles. If you would like to visit our Original website go to Derrick Dodge Alberta Chrysler