A 1990 amendment to the Clean Air Act has forever changed the way air conditioning systems are serviced. It is believed that the release of CFC-12 to the atmosphere is responsible for depletion of the earth’s ozone layer.
Check your owner’s manual to see if your car has a cabin air filter. If the answer is yes you may want to make a note to check with your service professional to see if it should be replaced.
ATC systems contain what we’ll refer to as three major component groups. These are: The Controller – The “brains” of the system; The Sensors – Supply the controller with pertinent…
Inside your vehicle, beneath the instrument panel, there is a unit referred to by different names depending on the vehicle manufacturer, but often referred to by the generic names “the plenum assembly” or “the case/duct assembly.”
The expansion valve’s place in the system is at the evaporator inlet. Like any other valve, its job is to control flow; in this case, the amount of refrigerant entering the evaporator.
Receiver/driers (also sometimes called “filter/driers” or “receiver/dehydrators”) look like small metal cans with an inlet and outlet. They are only used in A/C systems that use expansion valves.
The evaporator, also sometimes referred to as the evaporator core, is one of the two (maybe three) heat exchangers in a mobile A/C system. In a typical passenger car or pickup truck, the evaporator is usually located inside the passenger compartment, quite often deeply buried in or under the instrument panel.
The compressor is a pump that moves refrigerant through your car’s air conditioning system. The refrigerant is carried by hoses and pipes from one component to another. Compressor designs vary,…
In the northern hemisphere it is the summer season and in most of North America people are experiencing record heat. The Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide wants you to remain cool and safe in your vehicle this summer. Here is a brief overview of the components that run your car’s air conditioning system. Knowing what they are can help you be aware of potential problems that might heat things up later.
Regular inspections and pressure tests of your cooling system are of utmost importance, as is good maintenance by following the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended coolant change intervals.
Your car’s air conditioning system uses a chemical refrigerant under pressure to make the interior cool. MACS Worldwide wants you to know about the environmental damage chemical refrigerants can create when the system is not serviced properly. Proper handling of these chemicals can help the environment and save you money.
