A/C Compressor Care And Service – The Trainer Video Series

A/C Compressor Care And Service – The Trainer Video Series

Motor Age — Air conditioning systems have come a long way in a short while. Today’s systems are more efficient, more durable and more capable of keeping the vehicle’s occupants comfortable even in the hottest of our nation’s cities. According to a recent report delivered at the annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s (MACS) training event and trade show earlier this year, compressor failures made up only a small portion of the total a/c system repair business as reported by member respondents.

And while the instances of compressor failures have gone down, other problems in the air conditioning system can put the compressor in jeopardy. Leaks, for instance, will lead to lower refrigerant levels and that can impact compressor lubrication. Clogged condensers may produce excessive heat in the compressor, similar to how a clogged radiator will lead to engine overheat.

Failure to properly repair these problems correctly can also make life harder for the compressor. Overcharging the system with refrigerant, or allowing air to remain in the system when recharging, can cause higher head pressures and heat — both bad things for the a/c system’s heart. Adding too much or too little oil, or overdosing the system with leak detection dyes, can have the same effect as it does on it’s gasoline-powered big brother.

Should a compressor fail catastrophically for whatever reason, failure to follow the correct replacement procedures (like getting all the old debris out of the system or adding inline filters as required) will almost assuredly mean that your customer will soon be back with another failed pump.

Yes, compressors on modern cars are robust units that can last the life of the vehicle. But problems in the rest of the air conditioning system and the improper repair of those problems can cause premature, and unnecessary, failure. Making sure the “heart” of your customer’s air conditioning system stays healthy is the topic for this month’s edition of the Motor Age video series, “The Trainer”.

Special thanks to:

Dave Hobbs, Instructor and Training Developer, Delphi Product and Service Solutions – https://am.delphi.com/

Steve Schaeber, Manager of Service Training, Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide – https://www.macsw.org

Source: Motor Age