Mechanics Tool Supply

With the advent of onboard diagnostics, mechanics received a new way to diagnose automotive problems.  Where past efforts required years of skill and experience in order to diagnose problems with considerable accuracy, technology now allows mechanics to pinpoint individual problems within many systems of a vehicle.  The days of incorrect repairs and costly errors are mostly a memory for the automotive repair industry.

Different systems within the car interact with diagnostic systems in different ways.  Fuel systems are more complex then electrical problems and therefore require more data and information to diagnose properly.  This is the primary inspiration behind scanners and analyzers that retain information during repair procedures.  Having information handy during the repair process eases the work process.

With these principles in mind, Robinair Air Conditioning RO16900 Refrigerant Identifiers retain information about air conditioning systems during repair.  They display the percent of air in the A/C system or tank and feature a visual hydrocarbon alarm.  This data increases the mechanic’s chances for a safe and successful repair.  Equipping your shop with an electric identifier is a great way to increase your onboard diagnostic capability.

Yesterday we looked into refrigerant leaks and some helpful tips in trying to find and repair them.  Today, we will continue with this and look at intermittent cooling.

I do not know what is worse - when you go to turn on your air condition and it simply has decided to completely malfunction, or when it intermittently works and then doesn’t work, given you false hope in between that you may get a cool blast on a terribly hot summer day.  The likely cause of the latter is that your system is freezing up.  This is a relatively easy problem to fix, so do not be alarmed.

Air and moisture has collected in the air condition system and, with the coldness within, has formed into ice and subsequently has blocked the orifice tube.  Using a vacuum pump will most likely do the job of clearing this excess air and moisture out.  You want to make sure the air in the system is only at about 2%.  If you have a leak in the system, air can more easily seep through.  You can use a refrigerant identifier to determine if there is air or other contaminants in the system.  Besides air being in the system, various electrical problems can also result in the issue of intermittent cooling.

Stay tuned tomorrow as we continue with the series with a focus on air condition flushing.