Vehicle Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips by Jamie Ruf How to ensure a long,trouble-free operation of your car's air conditioning system Maintaining your air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the vehicle's air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can't cool the air as well. Keepin Cool recommends that you regularly check your vehicles air conditioner system. The obvious faults which are associated with an Air Conditioning systems breaking down are; The drive belt tension Blocked air flow through the Condenser and Radiator Visible signs of Refrigerant oil stain at the compressor,hoses,pipes or fittings. Loose or faulty compressor mounting brackets Service port caps missing Anything beyond this visual inspection then requires a full Air Conditioning Service. Only a fully qualified air conditioning technician can carry out this service.This is why car manufacturers recommend your Air-Con system is recharged with gas and lubricant every 2 years. It is good practice to get a full air conditioning service at least every two years launch x431 v plus. Try and do this before the hotter month's start,as this will ensure that you are not caught out by a sudden heat wave at the start of the season. This will enable you to keep ahead of any system faults or potential compressor failure. A poorly maintained system operating on a low amount of oil and gas will reduce your compressors capacity to run efficiently costing you extra in fuel. Maintaining A Healthy State For Your Car Air-Conditioning A car air-conditioning system can be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and fungus. This is particularly important for sufferers of asthma or allergies. Schrader valves Replace receiver drier filter Add required amount of refrigerant compressor oil Add UV dye for leak detection Evacuate system 20mins to remove moisture Charge system with recommended refrigerant type and capacity Perform leak detection procedure (UV lamp and electronic refrigerant sniffer) Performance test of A/C system Record pressure readings and temperature readings Protecting The Environment Refrigerant gas like R12 and R134a are extremely damaging to the ozone layer and any gas that is irresponsibly released into the atmosphere by owner's or backyard mechanics can harm the environment and contribute to global warming. Keepin Cool offer's a Mobile Recovery/Disposal Service for those who are doing their own air conditioning repairs. It is illegal to release Refrigerant gases into the Atmosphere. The penalty for this runs into several Thousand Dollars. By law,refrigerant gas R12 and R134a must be reclaimed and sent to bodies such as Refrigerant Reclaim Australia to be destruction by special methods saving our ozone. It is Law now that anyone that works on Automotive Air Conditioning systems throughout all States and Territories of Australia must have a Refrigerant Handling Licence. As a result a Licenced Automotive Air Conditioning Workshop must display their Trading Authorisation and Refrigerant Handling Licences at all times see Australian Refrigeration Council for more information Car Diagnostic Tool.
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