The Trainer #52 - A/C System Inspection and Testing

It’s getting close to that time of year again. The time of year when your customers quit complaining about being too cold in their car and start complaining it’s too hot. As professionals, we can head off those complaints by offering to inspect their air conditioning systems at the first sign of a break in Old Man Winter’s reign.

And as is true with every other system on the car, the air conditioning system is constantly evolving - meaning your service and inspection procedures should be as well.

Some of the steps you need to take while performing a professional a/c system inspection that we’ll share in this month’s edition of the Trainer is not new. For example, one of the first steps you should take before connecting your gauges or service equipment is to sample the refrigerant in the car you are working on to make sure it’s correct and not contaminated. We’ve been repeating this message for years, yet many shops still fail to perform this simple step. The end result is a contamination of the vehicle’s charge and of the shop’s refrigerant supply. Depending on the type of contamination, personal injury could also result from servicing a “dirty” car.

Checking for the presence of sealants is another, industry recommended, procedure that is often overlooked. When introduced into your service equipment, it can result in costly downtime and repairs. If your a/c service season is short, do you really want to lose revenue while waiting for a part?

These steps and a lot more are all included in this month’s video, as technical editor Pete Meier walks you through a routine a/c system performance inspection.

For more information on the tools shown in this video, visit:

Neutronics (sealant detector, refrigerant identifiers): http://refrigerantid.com/

Robinair (refrigerant identifier, gauge set): http://www.robinair.com/

Bright Solutions International (hygrometer/thermometer): http://www.brightsol.com/

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Due to factors beyond the control of Motor Age, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. Motor Age magazine (Advanstar Automotive Group) assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Motor Age recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Motor Age, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Motor Age magazine or its corporate parent, Advanstar.