How To Repair Auto Ac Compressor

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A faulty automotive air conditioner tin can exist one of the more than difficult issues to diagnose and repair. If your motorcar's air conditioner isn't blowing common cold air, the outset thing you should look for are signs of leaking or an A/C compressor that does not appoint. If the A/C organization requires substantial repairs, you may non take the equipment necessary to deport those repairs at home. If it is low on refrigerant, however, you tin recharge it using a recharge kit you can buy at a local auto parts store.

1
Offset the vehicle and turn on the air conditioner. Use the key to start the automobile and plough the air conditioner on high. Feel the air coming out of the air conditioner and assess how warm, cool, or cold it is. If the air is warm to absurd, just not cold as it should be, there may exist an effect with air menstruum.^[i]
- Check to see if the cooling fans on your radiator are running. If they are not, in that location may exist an electrical issue.
- You may demand to replace the cabin air filter in your vehicle to increment air flow. Replacing the motel filter may assistance get rid of whatever unpleasant smells in the car, as well.^[2]
2
Await to see if the A/C compressor is running. Yous volition need to ensure the air conditioner compressor is working to make up one's mind the correct course of action to make repairs if necessary. Locate the air conditioner in the engine bay and look to come across if the center of the pulley is turning along with the pulley itself.^[three]
- There is a clutch that engages when the air conditioner is working. With the clutch engaged, the center of the pulley will rotate forth with the caster itself.
- If the clutch does not engage, the A/C compressor may be broken and require replacement, or it may just demand to be filled with refrigerant.
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three
Check the wiring leading to the A/C compressor. Near compressors take a wire leading to the electric clutch. Observe the connector in the heart of that wire and unplug information technology. Accept a length of wire and run it from the compressor's wire to the positive (+) last of your battery. If you hear a loud CLACK, the electric clutch is functioning properly. If not, information technology will need to exist replaced.^[4]
- Replacing your A/C compressor may require specialized tools.
- Bring your vehicle in for repairs if the compressor or clutch needs to be replaced.
4
Look for leaks in the air conditioning system. You can buy leak detection kits to help y'all identify whatever leaks in your air conditioning organisation. These kits provide a dye that volition run through the lines and seep out of any leaks or cracks, making them visible to the naked centre.^[v]
- Connect the leak detection can to the low side service port and spray it into the air conditioning system.
- If yous spot any leaks, y'all volition need to take the vehicle to a repair shop to exist stock-still by a professional.
- If yous practice non spot any leaks, the problem may simply be low refrigerant.
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i
Purchase the correct blazon of refrigerant for your vehicle. The easiest way to determine the correct type of refrigerant for your vehicle is to check the year it was made. All vehicles congenital after 1995 use R134a. If your vehicle is older than that, it probable used R12.^[6]
- You cannot refill R12 refrigerant on your ain.
- If your vehicle uses R12, you lot should schedule an date with an auto repair specialist to convert information technology.
2
Cheque a thermometer for the ambient temperature. In club to read the guess on the refrigerant, you demand to know the current temperature in your surroundings. Refrigerant occupies a different corporeality of space within the tin can and air conditioning system at unlike temperatures, causing the gauge to read differently at different times.^[vii]
- Knowing the ambient temperature will permit you lot to effectively read the gauge on the refrigerant can.
- When refrigerant expands to take up more than space, it increases the pressure in the can.
three
Locate the depression-side service port for the ac. Your air conditioning organization will have two service ports: a depression side and a high side port. When recharging your air conditioner, you will need to locate and identify the low side service port.^[8]
- You tin can find the low side service port by following the lines from the A/C compressor until yous find a nozzle virtually the lesser of the machine.
- Refer to your vehicle's service manual to help you lot locate the port if yous are unable to.
4
Use a rag to clean the expanse around the service port. Make certain yous don't clog the service port with any crud or droppings past wiping off the port, cap, and surface area around it with a rag. Wipe the cap and the line first, and so remove the cap and wipe off the port itself.^[ix]
- You can spray brake cleaner onto the line to assistance you lot clean it if need exist.
5
Attach the charging hose to the low side service port. Take the hose that comes with the refrigerant refill kit and connect information technology to the depression side service port you lot identified earlier. Make sure the opposite cease of the hose is continued to the nozzle on the can.^[x]
- If your tin came with a gauge, the hose should be connected to the nozzle on the gauge and and then to the can.
- The hose should exist long enough to allow you to connect information technology to the port without placing the can all the way into the engine bay.
six
Use the ambient air force per unit area chart on the gauge to decide force per unit area. Read the judge brandish while taking the ambient temperature into account to decide what level the refrigerant is currently at. Once yous begin spraying, you will need to keep an centre on the guess to determine when the system is full.^[eleven]
- Go along an eye on the gauge throughout recharging the system to know when to stop.
- Read the instructions on the can if you are unsure of how to read the judge.
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1
Turn the valve until you puncture the seal on the can. Turn the valve on the meridian of the refrigerant tin can clockwise until it pierces the top and begins releasing refrigerant through the hose and into the vehicle'due south ac system.^[12]
- Some cans may crave a dissimilar method to suspension their seal. Refer to the instructions on the can for guidance if need be.
2
Hold the tin upright. As yous allow the refrigerant to pass through into the vehicle's engine, keep the tin upright and milk shake it occasionally. If y'all turn the tin can to the side, the pressure level volition drop and the can will fail to refill the system.^[xiii]
- Shaking the tin can occasionally will assistance maintain pressure as it continues to force refrigerant into the system.
- Do not turn the can or agree it upside down unless directed by the instructions on the tin can.
3
Look for refrigerant leaks. Proceed your eye out for signs of leaking in the air conditioning organisation as yous refill information technology. If you spot a leak, it will need to be repaired by a professional mechanic. Brand a notation of where the leak was to make it easier to detect and address.^[14]
- Leaks should be fairly easy to spot as you refill the system.
4
Remove the charging hose and store the tin can somewhere cool. Once the gauge reads as full, remove the hose from the service port and render the cap. If there is refrigerant left in the can, yous can keep it to recharge another vehicle or to service the aforementioned vehicle once again in the future.^[15]
- If the can is empty, you tin can throw it away.
- Be sure the tin is not leaking if you opt to shop it.
five
Bring the vehicle in for repairs if necessary. If you spotted a leak or the air conditioning compressor fails to engage, you volition need to bring the vehicle in for repairs. Replacing an A/C compressor may require specialized tools in your application, so it is frequently beyond the scope of most hobby mechanics.^[16]
- Be careful dealing with refrigerant leaks every bit the temperatures can exist cold enough to injure y'all.
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How can I become a bad scent out of a car?

Chad Zani is the Director of Franchising at Detail Garage, an automotive detailing company with locations around the U.Due south. and Sweden. Chad is based in the Los Angeles, California surface area and uses his passion for auto detailing to teach others how to do so as he grows his visitor nationwide.

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Clean the vehicle and spray an antibacterial air freshener—but spraying something that smells squeamish is non going to solve the problem. Likewise, clean the motel filter, because whatever is making the machine smell bad is probable to exist trapped in at that place, every bit well. Spray the filter with your antibacterial spray, then supercede it and run the AC on cold to flush out the air conditioner.

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If your machine'southward A/C smells bad, your A/C cabin filter may exist dirty and need to be replaced.^[17]

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Commodity Summary X

To fix your car'south air conditioner, start by turning your car on and checking to meet if the air conditioner is producing cold air. If it's not, you may demand to set up the cooling fans on your radiator or replace the cabin air filter. Yous should also check the air conditioner in the engine bay to see if the compressor is running. If information technology isn't, yous may demand to replace the compressor or refill the air conditioner with refrigerant. As well, try using a leak detection kit to cheque if your air-conditioning system is leaking, in which case yous'll need to accept it in for repairs. To learn how to add refrigerant to your air conditioner, curlicue down!

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