Recharging the Air Conditioning (A/C) System Fault Finding Procedure
Most of the time, one does not take much notice of the Air Conditioning unless of course something goes wrong and one may live in a very hot country. Being the UK, with varied weather and the Z3 being a convertible some may ask why bother? For me, it is down to, if it is there than it should be working and authenticity. This is when one needs to identify what and where the problem may lie, to fix the problem.
Symptoms: 1. Warm air coming through the vents (ok for heater system, no good for Cold air blowing) 2. A/C Clutch is not rotating or is intermittent (should rotate if A/C blower is on and it is ok for system to be stopping and starting via temperature changes, this is normal) 3. A/C Unit not working at all (when A/C blower is switched on, this needs to be investigated or diagnosed) 4. Auxiliary Fan not cutting in, (If A/C is on this should be working) 5. Over heating of the radiator has occurred... Therese maybe a few of the most common symptoms.
Checks to perform: 1. Fuses and Relays - Blown - need for testing and/or replacing 2. Temperature switch on the radiator or within a housing on the waterpipe for high/low fan, not working - test and/or replace 3. Auxiliary fan has burnt out or is not cutting in or out as it should - Test and/or replace 4. The A/C compressor connections are faulty - Test connections 5. The A/C compressor clutch has failed or intermittent. - Dismantle A/C clutch, check space washers and clean surface plate, reassemble and test - May need to replace component clutch assembly or whole unit.
Note: Another reason for the fans and/or the clutch not to engage maybe down to there not being enough Refrigerant within the A/C System. It maybe there is too much refrigerant and the result will be the same. One needs to check the levels by using purpose made pressure gauges to address this possibility….
If identifying the problem as being low refrigerant, one can purchase the relevant equipment, to be used, if you have reasonable garage DIY skills and experience. You will need this type of gauge connector to recharge the system, these can vary based on the problems that emerge from your diagnostic tests.
Sometimes the problem can be solved by purchasing a basic kit refrigerant and connecting the one end of the pipe to the refrigerant and the other end to the LOW intake valve, whereby the system can be charged.
If this small process fails to work, it may require a more indepth process. This could mean the system will need to be drained of refrigerant from the whole system and may require a small canister of A/C oil to help lubricate the 'O rings of the unit, (however this is not always the case as there maybe oil already within the system) preventing leaks and maintaining ongoing lubrication generally. By draining the system, this can take out any atmosphere, damp or air locks, as well as excessive amounts of oil build up within the system.
The method used to drain the system is normally through using a vacuum pump, these can be purchased in addition to the gauges in accordance to your job requirements, (as a serious DIYer; or you may wish to visit your local garage - Garages can become expensive, if faults are found within your A/C system, especially when looking at costs in parts and labour).
Two examples of kits available
The option of costs of purchasing the equipment yourself and doing the job yourself, may outway the cost of the garage costs and can prove a cheaper option in the long term, especially if you may need to do this job with other vehicles over time, in some cases. This is something you will need to decide upon. (cheapest unit advertises is around the £43+ eBay).
The following two YouTube Videos, I believe are reasonable explanations to the process. They explain the process much better than I can within the correct garage environment and will give a clear step by step process and instruction.
Title: Honda Civic - No A/C Published on 27 Jul 2015 Time: 25:32
In this video we have a look at this 2003 Honda Civic 1.7 that came in with a complaint of no A/C or blowing warm air out of the vents when the a/c was turned on. It was a fun fix because it had a little twist at the end that almost got missed but ended up being a good fix. Some times it is a little more than just being low on refrigerant.
South Main Auto Repair LLC
More to Follow - Pending.
Title: How To Recharge an Auto AC System Published on 12 Aug 2013 Time: 19:58 In this video I show you how to properly recharge an empty automotive R134a A/C system after servicing it. I can not stress safety enough when working with refrigerant gloves and safety glasses are a must. Equipment wise the bare minimum you will need is a manifold gauge set, a motorized vacuum pump, disposable refrigerant cans, and a tapping valve.
Basic Unit
Advanced Unit
If your system has ANY large amounts of refrigerant in it as indicated by your gauge set and your system is not working, you may have an airlock or there is too much refrigerant in your system. If taking the system out of your vehicle, you MUST have the refrigerant evacuated before disassembling the unit. Venting refrigerant or Co2s from the system and unit into the atmosphere is against EPA regulations or their equivalent in other countries.
With the vacuum pump and advanced gauges, the DIYer can safely evaluate whether the system needs to have the refrigerant fully purged or not. Sometimes the system may just be low. Older vehicles over time may just need a top-up, however one will need to check for any leaks within the system first. Or if a full refrigerant purge is needed from the A/C System via the gauge pipes and pump and then have it returned when fully satisfied the system reads Zero and no leaks have been identified. A further unit tank can also be purchased if storage is required to store old refrigerant and the unit either replaced or repaired. The refrigerant should be stored in an appropriate tank for correct disposal at an official disposable council site. Again - It is important NOT to allow refrigerant or CO2s into the atmosphere
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Note: One recommends reading the diary first and then linking to workshop notes to maintain the continuity of the theme...
What can fail on the Air Conditioning Circuit
1. A/C Pump Unit 2. A/C Pump Clutch only 3. A/C Poor condition or failed Pipework and/or connection points 4. A/C Fan/Temp High/Low Thermostat unit 5. A/C Condenser Unit 6. A/C Fan Unit and/or connections 7. A/C Dryer 8. A/C Relays 9. A/C Fuses 10. A/C Component Circuit Wiring 11. A/C Switch and Controllers (Dashboard/Console) 12. Fan Blower Resistor and/or connections 14. A/C Gas not high enough or empty 15. A/C Gas over full 16. A/C Poor Seals (requires replacements-correct sizes) 17 A/C System Contamination (environmental internal) - Air/Water/Grease/Oil in system 18. A/C Not/Too much 'Pag oil' in system
