How to Repair Air Conditioning in a Car

An auto air conditioner is essentially a big refrigerator in which many things can go wrong. There are five main elements of the auto air conditioner that can malfunction: the compressor, condenser, receiver-dryer, expansion valve and evaporator. By familiarizing yourself with these five parts, you can have an easy time diagnosing anything that goes wrong.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tool kit
• Safety goggles

1. Be familiar with all the major components of your air conditioning system. This includes the compressor, the refrigerant, the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator and the receiver-dryer.

2. Check to see if any of your refrigerant is leaking out. While leaks are easy to find, they can be difficult to repair. To check for leaks, simply purchase a fluorescent dye from an auto-supply store and add it to the system following the instructions on the can.

3. Check to see if the compressor is turning. Look under the hood while the car is running. The compressor will be the large pump like objects that has rubber and steel hoses attached to it. Make sure the compressor's clutch is working when you turn on the air conditioning.

4. Check for anything that needs to be replaced. This can include bad switches, bad fuses, broken wires, a broken fan belt or seal failure in the compressor.

5. Remove as much contaminated compressor oil as you can. To do this, you will have to flush the air conditioning system to get rid of the old oil. Then place new compressor oil and restart the car to see if the air conditioning starts to work.

6. Use approved flushing agents to clear out the condenser since these will evaporate quickly and won't leave a residue inside the system. Depending on the extent of the damage you may also need to replace the entire condenser.

7. Whenever you are cleaning or replacing the compressor it is also a good idea to replace the accumulators or receiver driers. You should consider the accumulator or receiver dryer to be about the same as an oil filter. These can build up with debris that can affect the performance of your air-conditioning system.

8. The expansion valve should be replaced regularly, since even small amounts of debris can affect the natural flow of the refrigerant. There is no repair for restricted expansion valves. However, you can try and test them with a replacement compressor before replacing them to ensure this is the problem.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to follow the rules for venting refrigerant that is illegal in the United States.
• Major leaks can be cold enough to freeze your skin, so act accordingly.
• Be cautious around any moving parts.

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