Checking the cooling system
If you have any doubts about the health of the cooling system, you must carry out the following checks:
Check the outer surfaces of the heatsink and condenser cores to make sure they are free of dirt, lint, or other foreign matter. Be sure to check the areas between the condenser and the radiator, as well as the outer surfaces.
Look for obstructions or kinks in the condenser core, hose pipes, etc.
Check blower fan operation.
Check all air ducts for leaks or obstructions. A low airflow rate may indicate that there is an obstruction in the evaporator core.
Check if the compressor clutch is slipping.
Is the tension of the drive belt relative to the compressor correct?
How to perform a quick check in case of insufficient cooling
To roughly determine how charged the air conditioning system is with refrigerant (provided that the air temperature is above 21°C) on most models, you can use the method «Touch your hand». This test can be done in a matter of minutes and can make it easier to troubleshoot a system by pinpointing that insufficient refrigerant was the cause and eliminating that cause, avoiding a general check of all parts.
- The engine should be warm and running at normal idle.
- The hood and body doors are open.
- Mode select button) set to the middle position.
- Temperature controller - for cooling.
- Blower - at high speed.
«Check with your hand» the temperature of the evaporator suction pipe and downstream of the outlet pipe as well as the surface of the accumulator, while the compressor must be turned on. The normal situation is when the temperature at the evaporator suction pipe (behind the exhaust pipe) and on the surface of the battery is the same, and it is several degrees below the ambient air. Check if there are any other faults If a leak is found, discharge and repair the air conditioning system.
ATTENTION: We recommend that all operations that require depressurization of the air conditioning circuit be carried out in specialized workshops.