Automotive Repair-How To Understand Your Vehicle’s Air Conditioning System
Most vehicles today have an air conditioning system that makes the ride in the summer months most enjoyable. In the Deep South it is almost a must to have a good air conditioner in your vehicle and when it quits, the driver and occupants really suffer. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in five o clock traffic with no air conditioner.
Even though it’s not a good way to conserve fuel, you may have to run the AC in the middle of summer. If the car overheats, dangerous things can happen, but if the driver is overheated, road rage can happen. The AC requires almost 8 horsepower to run. This consumes fuel. However, when on the open road where the speed limit is sixty, running the air conditioner is probably a better financial choice than having the windows open. The wind causes a drag on the vehicle when the windows are wide open that uses up more fuel than it takes to run the air conditioner.
How does it all work?
Your air conditioner for your automobile works in the same way your window A/C works. Freon gets sealed. Then, a compressor pressurizes the Freon. As this happens the heat around the unit is absorbed. Hot gas is then absorbed and passed through a series of tubes at coils. The system doesn’t let out cool air, but it takes away heat. The gas gets extremely cold and turns into a liquid when pressure is reduced. There are now environmentally friendly Freons that are used in newer models. You cannot work on these without a license.
The operation of the coolant system for the air conditioning of your vehicle is simple but does use several different components:
There is the compressor which is the main part of your air conditioning system. The compressor does just what it says and compresses the Freon used to create cooling. The compressor is connected to the engine by a belt. The clutch is in the compressor and gets turned on when you flip on the AC.
The A/C unit has a condenser that is like a tiny radiator usually located next to the vehicle’s big radiator. The radiator pushes cool air in the car. This air might get freezing cold, so there is a thermal expansion valve to control it. That is why you can choose how cold you want the air to be that blows into your vehicle. There is an accumulator that acts as a safety for your system, a filter to collect sludge that collects from the system and different sensors depending on the manufacturer of the vehicle.
