How to restore leaks in the air conditioning system

Repairing an air conditioner leak in a car is very important because the air conditioning or climate control system of a car is a key element to achieve environmentally friendly conditions inside the cabin. Thanks to this, driving comfort is significantly increased, in order to enhance driving experience and safety.

A malfunction of this system may affect driver capabilities. Fatigue, drowsiness, lack of visibility, fogging of glasses, etc., when the ambient temperature becomes extreme, this can lead to an increased risk of accidents.

One of the most common reasons why this system does not work properly is freon gas leakage. To fix this problem, it's important to find and fix any Freon leaks in the car's A/C system.

Frequent Leak Zones freon

The air conditioning and climate control circuit is closed and airtight, it has a continuous cycle through which refrigerant gas (R134a and R1234yf) circulates, which is not consumed. If you find that the gas level is lower than intended, then you need to find the gas leak points of freon to fix the leak in the air conditioning system and to avoid its incorrect functioning and breakdown.

Despite the fact that the circuit is designed to be airtight and does not have freon leakage, usually over the years, the channels through which gas circulates and rubber seals that ensure the tightness of the joints wear out. This leads to leaks of varying complexity, which cause a progressive loss or sudden loss of interior cooling rate. Also, leaks often occur through valves.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that the loss of coolant volume may be due to malfunctions of other components of the circuit, such as a compressor, expansion valve, condenser, fan, filter or electrical system, including.

How to detect leaks in a circuit

Since refrigerant gas is a colorless substance, it is not possible to detect air conditioning leaks with the naked eye. Thus, it is necessary to apply professional methods that will allow you to identify for sure where the leaks occur. The detection methods are as follows:

• Through the use of dye and UV lamp
• Using detector
• By checking the pressure in the circuit

Through the use of dye and UV lampsы

This leak detection method is the oldest of the three above. It consists in adding a fluorescent dye that mixes with coolant and oil, which adds gas pressure to the weak areas through which coolant leaks.

After a few minutes of running the circuit (5 minutes minimum), you can already look for losses. To do this, it is necessary to direct the lamps and draw along all channels and connections. Goggles that protect against UV radiation and help detect leaks are a must. Further, where a greenish spot is observed and there is a refrigerant gas leak that needs to be fixed.

Their main disadvantage is that they are not able to detect microcracks. Therefore, when using such a system, it is not always possible to find losses and eliminate leaks of the air conditioning system in the car.

Using detector

This is a system capable of detecting refrigerant gas leaks immediately and without the need for any dyes. The device has a sensor with adjustable sensitivity, which allows you to detect very small losses (up to 2 g / year approximately).

To check for leaks, it is necessary to bring the probe closer to the possible loss zone and wait, after which the device returns a certain acoustic signal, light and / or visually on the display (depends on the type of detector). At the time of occurrence, the operator knows that there is a leak at this particular point. Detectors of more modern models indicate the type of leak, placing them by levels to find out more precisely what real system losses are per year.

By checking the pressure in the circuit

In this case, the identification method is to purge the conditioning circuit and fill with nitrogen or gas (composed of 95% nitrogen and 5% hydrogen) at about 12 times the pressure. It takes about 10 minutes to see if the pressure stays stable or leaks occur. If the pressure does not stay at the same level, this is due to the fact that there is a leak somewhere in the circuit.

The exact location of the leak is made by using detectors, electronic or using aerosols specific for detecting leaks in various possible damaged areas to detect losses due to the formation of foam.

The equipment for this check consists of a set of valves to which various hoses are connected and the gas station of the air conditioner itself, with which vacuum, charging and checking the circuit and operating pressure are performed.

How to fix damaged leaks of an air conditioning system in a car

After a leak is detected, there are two ways to repair an Air Conditioner leak in a car:

• Replacing damaged parts
• Introducing air conditioning sealants

Both options can be applied at the same time, which will guarantee a complete correction of the problem, first you need to replace the damaged parts. To do this, first clean the circuit. And then replace the damaged parts, and the process of evacuation and charging of the refrigerant is carried out.

However, certain products are also sold to fill small leaks. They are sold as an economical solution for these specific cases. To repair the leakage of the Air Conditioner in the car with the help of air conditioner seals, you must follow the manufacturer's instructions. Although, in general, for frequent, it is enough to introduce the product into the low pressure circuit when the air conditioning system is working, and then perform the loading with the help of refrigerant gas.

Conclusion

The car's climate control system directly affects comfort and visibility for the driver while driving, so its effect on active safety is important and must be taken into account. The most common cause of air conditioning malfunctions are circuit leaks. To fix the problem, you need to find a place for gas loss with a reliable detection system, and then fix it. It is advisable to replace damaged parts.

In addition, air conditioning systems in cars tend to generate odors and accumulate a lot of bacteria and germs, so it is highly recommended to use cleaning products, disinfectants to improve the atmosphere in the cabin.

Questions and answers:

How is freon leak checked? For this, special equipment is used. First of all, a leak is detected by measuring the pressure in the system using a gauge station.

How to find a freon leak in a car air conditioner? The easiest way is to spray soapy water on the tubes of the conditioner from a spray bottle. Bubbles will form at the leak.

Where can there be a freon leak in the car? At the joints of the system, in the compressor oil seal (microcracks) or in other sealing elements of the line. Aluminum tubes passing under the bottom of the car.