Car air conditioner radiators - how to maintain serviceability?
Content
Today, almost all cars are equipped with cooling systems, few people know their device, hence not everyone knows how to solve problems that arise, so in this article we will consider car air conditioner radiators and their repair, since this detail is practically the main one in the operation of the entire unit.
Why might an air conditioner radiator need to be repaired?
The radiator, or rather, its good condition is very important, since it is this part that is responsible for ensuring heat exchange between the environment and the coolant. The principle of operation of this mechanism is to convert gaseous freon into liquid, while releasing heat. The refrigerant vapors are heated in the compressor, rise to the top of the radiator and give off their heat to the tubes through which they pass. Accordingly, heat exchange is carried out, as a result of which the gaseous freon is cooled and forms drops. It turns out that in the upper part of the condenser there is steam, and in the lower part there is liquid, which enters the evaporator.
If the system does not operate at full capacity, then it is quite possible that a radiator repair is necessary for the car air conditioner. Sometimes the cause is light mechanical damage due to an accident or microcracks resulting from the destructive effect of corrosion and various reagents, which is quite common, because heat exchangers are mainly made of aluminum. In this case, you just need to weld the depressurized places with argon welding or solder them. In case of more serious damage by the same corrosion, the radiator should be completely replaced with a new one.
In addition, it very often collects various debris, dust, dirt, which leads to a violation of the heat transfer process. That is why it is regularly necessary for the car to flush the radiator of the air conditioner. Please note that any failure of this element will lead to more serious malfunctions of the entire climate system as a whole. Therefore, we will consider in more detail how not to bring the situation to a critical moment. Let's start with prevention, that is, we will learn how to clean this knot.
Flushing the radiator of a car air conditioner on your own - is it real?
As soon as an unpleasant smell appears in the car interior or the cooling system begins to function poorly, you should immediately pay attention to the contamination of the radiator. In principle, you can go to a professional station, where they will clean it for a fee, however, you can do it yourself. Just keep in mind that for any car, washing the air conditioner radiator requires some care, so take your time so that the rush does not lead to irreparable consequences.
To make it easier to get to this element, it is better to remove the front grille of the car. Also note that the design of the radiator itself is quite fragile, so you should make the water pressure minimal, otherwise you can bend the ribs of the honeycombs. And if the cooling system has been serving for a long time, then a strong jet will completely damage the fragile surface of the heat exchanger. Cleaning the radiator of a car air conditioner consists of several operations: the elimination of debris from the internal cavities, hoses and tubes of the system.
And if a jet of water will help us from the outside, then for other areas you will need a special device, but you can buy the necessary flushing kit, and the instructions for it will help you master the operation.
When can you fix car air conditioner radiators yourself?
Sometimes you can’t do without the help of a professional, but in some cases, repairing car air conditioner radiators will be within your power. For example, when the air outlet tube popped out, it should simply be installed in its original place, and then the whole system will function as before. Another thing is cracks and deformation of elements, here you will most likely have to work hard. In case of serious damage, the part is changed entirely. To dismantle the radiator, it is necessary to remove the bumper, for this, the fender liner, radiator mesh and bumper mounts are disconnected. The amplifier, TV from the spars and the panel are also removed. And only after that it becomes possible to get close to the two-pin connectors, which are located below, they also need to be disconnected, and then, by unscrewing the five torx fasteners, you can dismantle the radiator.
If small cracks are found on its surface, then the soldering of the car air conditioner radiator will save the situation.. You will need a soldering iron, rosin, solder and sandpaper. We carefully clean the area to be treated and apply iron rosin and flux (flux) to it. Then we dip a well-heated soldering iron into rosin, take a little solder with its tip and, as it were, smear it over the desired area. At the same time, you can’t rush in any case, and in order for the seam to turn out to be even and uniform, the soldering iron must be warm enough. It is also important to destroy the oxide film, so some iron filings should be added to the tin. After all operations, the repaired or new unit is installed back in its place.
