The air conditioning system will not work if there is not enough freon in it. The air conditioner will overheat, which will lead to breakdown of the compressor or the entire equipment as a whole. According to experts, the required amount of freon must be replenished at least once a year, and if the car is new, after three years.
“Dealers recommend visiting a service station to check and refill the air conditioner at least once a year, this is especially true in the spring and summer. A check at a service station will include the tightness of the system itself for freon leakage from it, as well as replacing the air recirculation filter and replacing the cabin filter if necessary, plus, if such a need arises, refilling with freon and oil itself,” says auto expert Dmitry Stebakov.
Diagnostics and maintenance of the air conditioner should be carried out in accordance with the vehicle operating instructions, usually 1-2 times a year, in spring and autumn, says Andrey Vasiliev, director of the Center for Technical Expertise of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NAMI.
“A reason for additional inspection of the air conditioner may be a decrease in its efficiency. However, deterioration in air conditioner performance is not always a consequence of insufficient refrigerant. To determine the reasons, you should contact a car service center,” says the expert.
Refilling a car air conditioner in Moscow
With the beginning of the summer season, customers are increasingly asking: “refill the air conditioner.” To the question “Why?” they usually answer: “The freon has run out, the car is already five years old,” “The air conditioner has started to blow poorly,” “I fill it up every year,” etc.
Indeed, refilling a car air conditioner is required when freon has “left” the system. But, as mentioned earlier, the air conditioning system is closed and sealed, so freon is not a consumable item. It just cools the evaporator by moving inside. This means that refilling the car air conditioner in this case does not eliminate the problem itself - freon leakage.
One-time measures work temporarily.
What is included in car air conditioning service?
The climate system of a modern car, like no other device, needs constant attention and quality service. Timely maintenance of your car air conditioner will help you avoid serious breakdowns and save you from large expenses associated with large-scale repairs of the unit. At least once a year you need to visit a proven, reliable service in order to:
- perform diagnostics of the unit;
- clean the radiator from dirt;
- wash the outer surfaces of the evaporator and the drainage tube;
- replace the cabin air filter;
- check the pressure in the system and, if necessary, refill the car air conditioner.
You can perform some of these operations yourself, but it is better to entrust the service to a specialist whose competence you are confident in. Before servicing the car air conditioner, he will definitely diagnose the system and make sure that it is working properly, or identify problems and suggest a way to eliminate them.
Car air conditioner freon leak
There are different types of air conditioner leaks. For example, on some large SUV, which came in the spring with the firm confidence of refilling the air conditioner, when connecting a gas station to it, from under the wheel in the rear circuit of the air conditioner, a rotten tube or hose, with a telltale hiss, throws clouds of freon into the air, simultaneously dousing everything around compressor oil. Of course, refueling a car air conditioner with such a “hole” is simply impossible.
It often happens that the high pressure hose bursts. The system loses its tightness and it is simply impossible to refill it.
Leaks can be of different sizes, sometimes freon can last for 3 months or even six months.
Solution
First of all, freon is a chemical compound hazardous to health. Remember this! This can become a real health hazard if a refrigerant leak occurs in the cabin (rotten evaporator).
It is strange to fill a car air conditioner with freon like a gas tank with gasoline. It also happens that refilling the car air conditioner is not necessary at all, because the system has been “recharged”. This usually happens due to the lack of experience of the “refuellers”.
People tend to think that if they buy an expensive automatic station, it will do everything for them and money will flow into their pockets like a river. Thoughts about “quick happiness” are soon dispelled by the lack of knowledge and experience (would-be masters do not know all the intricacies of air conditioning systems).
Incorrect refilling can damage or completely disable the air conditioner.
Refueling the air conditioner is always carried out after proper diagnostics and quality repairs. It (diagnostics) must be carried out by a qualified specialist, a master, otherwise you risk losing your air conditioner or getting into more expensive repairs.
Need for refueling
The air conditioning system allows you to fulfill several of the driver’s most important needs:
- set the optimal temperature inside the cabin;
- adequately ventilate the air;
- maintain normal humidity levels;
- rid the interior of the car of unpleasant technical and household odors.
The air conditioner design is quite complex, so the device requires regular inspection and maintenance. If you ignore this condition, the ventilation will soon break or burn out. It is important to promptly clean the air conditioner accumulator and replace worn parts. To cool the air in hot weather, the design uses a refrigerant, which regularly requires updating and replenishment.
It is necessary to periodically check the level of this substance and refill the device. Most often, this function is performed by a specialist during a preventive inspection, but you can save time and money by filling the structure with refrigerant yourself.
Most repairs and other work cannot be performed on a car air conditioner - it may fail. But refueling is quite possible even for those who have recently purchased a car and are not very familiar with its structure. It is important to follow the sequence of operations and understand the general principle of operation of the system. The appropriate tools and experience in interacting with air conditioners, if any, will also be useful.
Diagnostics and repair of car air conditioners
Air conditioner diagnostics is a responsible process that diagnoses the air conditioning system and answers the question of why it is not working. If the problem is a freon leak, then the diagnostician must detect it and tell the client about ways to eliminate it.
If the cause is a faulty compressor, then the diagnostician must make an appropriate conclusion. The reason may lie deeper. We often see clients who come to us for repairs after a garage gas station and the client is unable to explain what to repair.
Freon is bled off, for example, during body repairs or when dismantling the engine, but after this procedure, leaks are still diagnosed, because in order to put the system back together, you need experience and knowledge, which is often lacking.
There is another way to diagnose leaks (and we cannot bypass it) - this is to fill the system with freon with the addition of oil and ultraviolet dye. It is done in exceptional cases when the freon leak is negligible and the leak detector (leak detection device) is not able to find the leaky line.
In this case, the system is charged with freon as usual, but compressor oil and a special pigment (ultraviolet dye) are added to the freon. The car drives for some time, and its owner uses the air conditioning as usual, until he begins to realize that the freezing has become worse.
Diagnostics of a car air conditioner using ultraviolet light.
After this, the owner of the car comes to our technical center and a specialist, under the light of a special ultraviolet lamp, wearing polarized glasses, carefully examines all the highways. The defective area is painted with dye squeezed out from the inside. Thus, it is possible to accurately determine the location of the freon leak (the source of the problem) and carry out the necessary repair and restoration work.
Air conditioning device in a car
First of all, it is necessary to clarify exactly how the ventilation system in the car works - this will help clarify the principle of operation of the air conditioner. All devices that function for cooling have a common basis for the entire design.
The refrigerator, the refrigerator in cargo trucks, and the air conditioner have similarities and common basic features - refrigerant is present everywhere. The difference is only in scale and purpose.
Each type of cooling system includes the following elements:
- capacitor;
- compressor;
- evaporator;
- control valve;
- highways directing air flows.
Additional elements may be present, but the above ones play a major role. The main type of refrigerant in such systems is freon gas, which creates the temperature in the cabin and removes heat.
The structure itself is a closed loop, which includes the main elements. They are connected by two lines that move freon between the elements under conditions of high and low pressure.
The principle of operation of a car air conditioner
Starting the air conditioner engine simultaneously starts the compressor, which begins to create pressure in the entire system. Freon gas begins to heat up under the influence of pressure. The refrigerant gradually begins to move in the direction from the compressor to the condenser along the corresponding line.
At this moment, a sharp cooling process of freon occurs inside the condenser, which is converted into a liquid state and acquires the property of condensation. In the process of turning into a liquid, it moves along the compressor line under high pressure conditions and reaches the control valve.
Thus, the entire supply of liquid freon to the evaporator tank is regulated. It is the evaporator that creates the appropriate climate and temperature level in the cabin. The greater the volume of freon released in the evaporator, the more the air in the cabin is cooled.
The valve is also responsible for spraying freon in liquid form. Spraying, the refrigerant enters the evaporator, where it again acquires a gaseous state. During the conversion process, freon actively absorbs heat from the air, cooling the interior.
Car interior cooling
The procedure continues - freon in the form of gas again goes to the compressor, but now along a different line, with low pressure. From the compressor the entire cycle is repeated, gas flows again into the main line with strong pressure, and so on.
The main service element in this case is freon, which performs the cooling function. But as a result of the entire cycle, an inevitable gas leak occurs, which cannot be eliminated. During annual operation, freon is lost in an amount of approximately 15% of the original volume. This means that approximately every three years it is necessary to fill the resulting gaps and refill the air conditioner.
Car air conditioner device
Leakage occurs naturally as gas is used, and not due to the presence of any breakdowns, cracks or defects in the structure of the air conditioner. If such damage is present in miniature, the leakage will be rapid. Fixing broken highways will not help. While noticeable defects are easy to find and repair, microscopic cracks cannot be identified and cannot be detected. But there are some ways to detect a leak.
Why you shouldn't charge your air conditioner yourself
Refueling the air conditioner is carried out according to certain rules, deviation from which may cause a breakdown. If less than half of the freon remains in the system, water and air may enter it. In this case, vacuum cleaning will be required, and simply adding refrigerant will only make the situation worse. Remaining foreign substances lead to water hammer, corrosion, and excessive wear on the compressor.
For your information! Some gas stations refill cheap analogues, passing them off as original material.
When doing repairs yourself, it is difficult to ensure the tightness of the system. Without a special tool, it is impossible to crimp high-pressure hoses, and the use of homemade bandages and fittings does not give the expected effect. The high fluidity of freon imposes its limitations on the tightness of connections of all system components. If the compressor is completely depressurized, you will need to add oil to the compressor to lubricate the rubbing parts.
Air conditioner maintenance cost
The cost of maintenance of air conditioners is calculated individually, which depends on various factors: the type and power of the equipment. For example, maintenance of industrial air conditioners is more expensive than maintenance of household models.
The cost of work may also increase if the split system units are located in hard-to-reach places or if an industrial climber is required. You can find out the exact cost of professional maintenance in your city by calling the service center and indicating the power parameter and other characteristics according to the passport of the climate control device.
Selection of equipment and tools for repair and maintenance of automobile air conditioners
Every car service manager, when clients contact them with a need for air conditioner repair, has questions: Where to buy equipment for diagnosing and repairing a car air conditioner, How to choose the right equipment and tools while spending a minimum amount of money and time. Auto-A/S is a store of tools and consumables for the repair and maintenance of refrigeration equipment of all types of vehicles. In this article we will describe what types of equipment and tools are currently on the market and what they are intended for, as well as compile a minimum list that is necessary for every car service center who plans to service car air conditioners.
The main and main equipment is a filling station for a car air conditioner (see Fig. 1) - this is a device that includes a vacuum pump, a pressure gauge station, an oil injector, hoses, electronic high-precision scales and quick-release adapters. The filling station is designed to detect leaks in the air conditioning system, vacuum and refill the car air conditioner.
Approximate prices for manual filling stations - from 30,000 rubles. and up to 70,000 rubles.
Gas stations are manual, semi-automatic and automatic. Their main difference lies in ease of use, functionality and cost. As a rule, semi-automatic and automatic stations in addition have the ability to pump out freon and oil from the air conditioning system and separate them. Also, such stations are equipped with a control unit with a database for each air conditioner (how much freon is needed for refilling depending on the make of the car) and a mini printer for displaying all the information in printed form. Approximate prices for semi-automatic and automatic gas stations - from 100,000 rubles. and up to 500,000 rub.
(Fig. 1)
Recovery station (Fig. 2) - this equipment is designed to pump out and collect freon and then refill it back into the system. This station is widely used when working with industrial air conditioners, which contain a huge amount of freon and its release into the atmosphere during repairs is economically unprofitable. A similar station can also be used when repairing car air conditioners, for example, when it is necessary to pump out freon and oil to repair the system and refill it. This is how savings are made, i.e. Freon is not released into the atmosphere and new ones are not subsequently refilled. In some cases, it is an addition to a manual filling station.
Combination of functions of a manual filling station and a recovery station = automatic filling station.
Approximate prices for recovery stations are from 40,000 rubles. up to 100,000 rub.
(Fig. 2)
Freon leak detection tool. A manual station for repairing and diagnosing automobile air conditioners is equipped with a pressure gauge manifold, which is used to determine the presence of freon leaks (you can read about this in our article). The kit also includes an oil and dye injector, with the help of which the locations of these leaks are already determined. A special dye is poured into the injector (Fig. 3) and supplied to the system. Subsequently, with the help of an ultraviolet lamp or a leak detector (which, in principle, is this lamp), the elements of the air conditioning system are illuminated and leaks are detected by the corresponding stains from the dye. To work with UV dyes and lamps, it is recommended to use special diagnostic glasses.
Ultraviolet lamp or flashlight - from 1,000 rubles. up to 2,500 rub.
Leak search - from 2,000 rubles to 33,000 rubles.
UV dye for identifying leak locations - from 1,500 rubles to 5,000 rubles.
Glasses for working with UV dyes and lamps - from 500 to 1,000 rubles.
(Fig. 3)
Additional liquids and gas. These include oil for the air conditioning system (Fig. 4) and oil for the vacuum pump (included in the manual filling station kit). Gas or freon, to refuel modern cars it is necessary to use freon R134 (Fig. 5).
Oil for air conditioning system from 900 rub. up to 3,000 rub.
Freon R134 - it is most profitable to purchase freon in a large cylinder weighing 13.6 kg, its price ranges from 5,800 rubles. up to 12,000 rub.
(Fig. 4) (Fig. 5)
When repairing a car's air conditioning system, it may be necessary to repair the compressor, air conditioning pipes, or completely replace them. After this type of replacement, it is mandatory to clean the air conditioning system from dust.
To clean the air conditioning system, you will need special washing equipment (Fig. 6) capable of cleaning in pulse mode. This equipment is a regular compressor with an expansion tank designed for filling the cleaning solution.
But as a rule, things do not often reach this level of repair, so we will not describe washing equipment and all possible tools for repairing and replacing pipes in detail and will add them to a separate list with costs.
(Fig. 6)
As practice shows, clients often turn to air conditioner repair services only to refuel the system without carrying out deep repairs. This is largely due to the fact that during the operation of the car, freon gradually evaporates naturally and as time passes, it is only necessary to refuel it.
For small car services, we recommend purchasing equipment only for refilling the air conditioning system:
Manual filling station, air conditioning oil, freon.
The approximate price of a set of equipment is 50,000 rubles.
Option for full diagnostics and refilling of the air conditioning system:
Manual filling station, air conditioning oil, freon, UV dye, safety glasses, leak detector.
The approximate price of a set of equipment is 60,000 rubles.
If customers often deal with breakdowns of the compressor or air conditioning system pipes, this kit must be supplemented with tools for repairing pipes, the compressor and equipment for cleaning the air conditioning system.
A complete set + auxiliary equipment will cost approximately from 90,000 to 130,000 rubles.
For large car services that use expensive automatic stations and a full range of tools and equipment for repairing and diagnosing car air conditioners, the price will vary greatly, so it is not indicated in this article.
