Serving Our Community Since 1984

Run: PV Style April/May 2005 Issue

by Dave Carney

Many people do not realize that their cars have two cooling systems—one that cools the engine and another that cools the passenger compartment, and you. This may seem odd, but it’s really quite simple. Let me explain.

When your car is running HOT, you need to have the engine’s cooling system checked; namely the radiator, water pump and thermostat. When you are hot, because the air conditioner isn’t blowing adequate cool air into the passenger compartment, you need to have the passenger air conditioning system (A/C) checked.

You cannot check or fix the passenger A/C on your own, because it is a sealed system of refrigerant gas under pressure. You must have it checked at a shop that has the equipment to check it.

Air conditioning service is a 3-step process, and it generally takes an hour to perform. First, the system is vacuumed. Next, the system is pulled to a negative vacuum, which is held for about 20 minutes in order to detect any leaks. If a leak is detected a repair is necessary before the Freon can be added. If the system holds the vacuum, a programmed amount of 134a Refrigerant gas is added back to the system. To check for leaks most technicians prefer the Ultraviolet System, where a technician injects dye into the A/C system. He then uses an ultraviolet light to follow the hoses that the gas flows through both under the hood and under the dashboard. The combination of the ultraviolet light, which illuminates the dye, and the bright yellow plastic glasses worn by the technician, makes spotting leaks easy. This system is virtually fail proof!

Generally speaking, all cars 1993 or newer, use an environmentally safe refrigerant called 134a, instead of Freon or R12, which pre-1993 cars use. The good news is that most shops are able to convert an old R12 system over to an R134a system. This change-over is not cheap, but in many cases it is preferable to using R12 because of the cost of the R12.

When supplies of the existing R12 are depleted, all older A/C systems will have to be converted, as they are not making R12 anymore.  Most shops that do A/C work stock conversion kits, and have plenty of experience in doing the conversions.

Questions?  Please feel free to give me a call at Hillside Automotive, 310/373-7676. Our Automotive Center is located on the corners of Hawthorne Blvd., and Newton Street in Torrance. Our six ASE-certified technicians are at your service Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  All auto repairs are AAA-Approved and Guaranteed.

Happy, safe motoring!

Dave Carney