Having trouble with your automobile Air Conditioning System? Each day we step into a domestic or import vehicle, put a key in and start the ignition. From time to time, a button is pressed or a switch is turned on, to either start the air conditioning or help defog a windshield. These steps are done on autopilot, in other words we don't think twice about them, until something goes wrong.
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First person we see when things go awry is the local mechanic. Technology in auto air conditioning has changed their job as well as increased the cost of fixing the a/c system. Do It Yourself repairs can definitely be considered an ancient task or obsolete.
In the past, Joe Schmoe could go to a local auto parts store and purchase R-12 refrigerant freon and add it to a vehicle. New environmental laws that govern over each mechanic no longer allows this to occur without putting a large financial burden on him/her. This is due to scientific evidence that states that the R-12 refrigerant does deplete the ozone layer. The US has collaborated with various other countries to make sure this refrigerant is no longer being manufactured.
All new regulations require guidelines, so the local mechanic must abide by the following. 1) Be certified to do auto a/c repair. 2) Be certified to carry or handle refrigerants such as R-134a and R-12. 3) Must have the proper equipment for all a/c work (Please note that this equipment is quite costly, so repair prices will be affected)
R-134a refrigerant is now found in most vehicles running on todays roads because it is the more environmental-friendly freon. It's not only nontoxic, nonflammable, CFC free, it is approved by the EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency. So, now all other vehicles on the road with R-12 still in them are what they call "retrofitting" to R-134a.
Each air conditioning system is pretty universal whether you have an import or domestic vehicle, that is, the main units that make up the whole system. Each a/c system will have at least the compressor, receiver/drier or accumulator, orifice tube or expansion valve or both, condenser, and evaporator. The next pages will introduce each item and how it works to help your a/c system.
