Automobile air conditioning systems are a closed pressurizedIt consists of a compressor, condenser, accumulator that is sometimes called a receiver dryer, and an expansion valve or an orifice tube and finally an evaporator. These components work together in your automotive ac system to create an output air temperature in the low 40° Fahrenheit range. When you boil it down, the most important function of the automobile air conditioning system is to turn a high pressure Freon to a low-pressure refrigerant and this is done by the orifice tube or theIn the picture to the right the low pressure side is highlighted in blue and the high pressure sideMost systems today use the orifice tube type systems. will find some vehicles that use an expansion valve instead of theAn example would be heavy equipment, large trucks and a lot of Chrysler vehicles use the expansion valve. will have either one or the other but not both. In a basic air-conditioning system, the heat is stored and

transferred in the following steps. The refrigerant leaves the belt driven clutch operated compressor as a high pressure, highIt is moved towards the condenser, where the vapor becomes a high pressure, high temperature liquid. from a gas to a liquid by the heat that is removed by the condenser component and the condenser fan that blows across it.The r134a stop leak freon pictured to the right should only be used on a system with a very slow leak on the low side. It will not seal large refrigerant leaks. sure to follow the directions that come with the kit carefully so you don't make things worse. the condenser the refrigerant is then circulated to the accumulator or receiver dryer where moisture and contaminants are removed. where most of the Freon is stored until it is needed. expansion valve or orifice tube controls the flow of the refrigerant into the evaporator that is mounted inside the passenger compartment. It's this step that converts the freon from a high pressure to a low one.

This is where the auto AC system is the coldest. In fact if this step is not controlled properly the evaporator can turn into a block of ice. Many manufacturers place a probe on or near this part so they can monitor exactly how cold the evaporator coils are.how to install window mounted ac unit may have heard people talk about low out put of cold air due to ice andprices on window ac units not really understand why. service my ac unitYou would think ice is a good thing on a hot day! If the evaporator freezes airflow through it is actually reduced and along with it the air temperature from the ducts is not as cool as it could be. Heat absorption from the air inside the passenger compartment by this low pressure Freon causes the liquid to vaporize and move out of the

evaporator as a gas. The refrigerant then returns to the compressor as a low-pressure gas, where it is compressed into a high-pressure vapor as the system starts another cycle. note when you understand this flow and operation of the automobile air conditioning system you have also learned how your home ac works as well To understand the operation of the five major components of an automotive A/C system remember that the air-conditioning unit is dividedThe high side of the system and the low side of theThe high side of the system referrers to the parts that are under high pressure and highThese components are identified by smaller diameter tubing and very hot to the touch components. The low side of the system referrers to low pressure components that are larger in diameter as far as the hoses and tubing and these components will be ice cold to theThis is very handy for diagnosis. If you have a high-pressure line that is warm and then turns cold in line or even a

frozen spot, this will indicate that there is a clog in this component. page was meant as an overview for a better understanding of your carsPlease return to the Main page that will provide more information on diagnosis and repair and a more detailed description of individual components of your Give this resource page a bookmark or share with a friend having car problems. Then explore some more air conditioning information. If you would like diagnostic tree charts and component locations for your specific AC system, visit my page aboutThe homepage is up next and provides a run down of the auto repair content you can find on this automotive website. You can also learn more about the mechanic that thinks you can perform your ownEdit ArticleHow to Recover Freon from an Air Conditioning Compressor "DISCLAIMER" (READ THIS FIRST!!!) The steps found in this article must only be performed by a licensed HVAC Technician. Please note that it is against EPA Regulations for anyone that HAS NOT obtained a Section 608 Type 1,2,3, or Universal License to;

buy or work with any type of Refrigerant. If you are not Section 608 Certified, do that first before continuing any further! Locate the information panel of the unit you are working on and identify which type of refrigerant it uses. Be sure you know which one your unit use before proceeding. Hook up your gauges to the low side then the high side. Purge your hoses of any air that might have gotten inside so it. Hook up your yellow hose to the "IN" side of your recovery unit. Hook your extra yellow hose up to the "OUT" port of your recovery unit. Just like with your gauges you're going to want to purge your recovery unit as well so once you hook up the yellow hose just release some gas from the low side for 1 second. Hook up the other end of the yellow hose to the Liquid side of your recovery tank. Open the low side on your gauges. Turn on the recovery unit and wait for your gauges to drop to zero psig. Dealing with refrigerant can be very dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.