How to Troubleshoot Air Conditioner Compressor Problems
Many air conditionings in cars can come with or without one that has a compressor that drives a belt. The belt turns and circulates coolant around in the condenser. Theses types of compressors can cause problems in the car after a while.
Materials Needed
- Freon recharge kit
- Ultraviolet dye
- Compressor lubricant
- Black light
- Turn on the car and allow it to run for two minutes. Turn the air conditioning to the maximum setting that it can go.
- Look at the Freon recharge kit. Notice a valve at the top of the kit. It will have an adapter with a hole in it. Place the can of ultraviolet dye into that hole on the adapter and turn it clockwise to secure it into place. Do not worry that the can is sealed because there is a needle on top of the valve that will open the seal so the valve is pressurized correctly.
- Place the nozzle on the valve in the lower side of the recharge nipple on the air conditioning. Most of the nipples can be found close to the evaporator. Use your car’s manual if you are unable to locate it.
- Squeeze the trigger located on the valve. This will create a vacuum and the air conditioning system will suck the ultraviolet dye out of the can. Allow this to happen for five minutes.
- Remove the nozzle. Take off the ultraviolet dye can and put on the can of compressor lubricant. Put the lubricant on the same way as the dye and put it on the nipple in the same way. Remove the nozzle after the five minutes have passed.
- Turn off the car. Take a black light. It is a good idea to perform this test during the night hours for the best view. Look for leaks around the compressor. The color of the dye will be light green so you can clearly see where the leaks are located. There is a problem with the line gasket if leaks are only on the Freon lines that go into the compressor. If you find leaks on the casing of the compressor, you will need a replacement.
- Turn on the car and put a small amount of drive belt dressing on the air conditioning pulley and on the area where the pulley connects to other parts of the engine. This step will prevent slippage.