Friday, September 20, 2013
How to Change Pressure Switches When Converting to 134A
Modern car air conditioning systems have a low-pressure switch that shuts down power to the system in the event of a systems malfunction. Low refrigerant pressure can damage the compressor, but the switch will instantly shut down the system to prevent damage to the compressor. The U.S. government requires R-12 refrigerants to be replaced with a more environmentally friendly chemical known as R-134A. To save on time and labor, the pressure switch in your car air conditioning system can be changed while youre converting from R-12 refrigerant to R-134A since both tasks require removal of the existing refrigerant.
Instructions
- 1
Read your car service manual to know the location of the low-pressure switch in your car air conditioning system. Various car models have various switch locations.
2Open the hood of your vehicle, or look under the dash board and pinpoint the exact location of the switch. Look at the switch and determine the size of wrench that you will need to unscrew it later.
3Drive your car to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified professional licensed to recover R-12 refrigerant, then have the professional remove the R-12 chemical from your car air conditioning system.
4Open the hood of your vehicle, or go under its dash board to access the pressure switch once the R-12 refrigerant recover process has been completed. Unplug the electrical wire connector plugged onto the tip of the switch, then unscrew the old low-pressure switch, using a wrench.
5Slip the new o-ring supplied with the pressure switch onto the new switch, then screw the new switch clockwise onto the fitting. The o-ring seals gap between the switch and the fitting to avoid any refrigerant leakage.
6Plug the wire connector you removed earlier onto the terminals at the tip of the switch, then wipe the base of the switch dry with a dry rag.
7Tell the EPA certified professional to proceed with refilling the air conditioning system with the new R-134A refrigerant. Start your car and turn on your car air conditioner once the refilling process has been completed. Look at the switch after driving the vehicle with your air conditioner running to check if it has any leaks. Tighten the switch a little bit more if there is a leak.
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