Replacing the radiator of the air conditioner with your own hands

Today it is difficult to imagine a modern car imported and even domestic production without climate control systems or air conditioning. In the first foreign cars, which were just beginning to be sold on the territory of Russia, the presence of an air conditioner was considered a luxurious and additional option, for which it was necessary to pay a lot. Maintenance of the climate system also flew to the owner in a serious amount of money. And it does not matter what was installed - a clever climate or an ordinary air conditioner. Today the situation has changed a little - now these systems are equipped with domestic cars, even in the basic configuration. But, as they say, there is nothing eternal. Conditioners sooner or later fail. Most often, compressor repair, refueling, replacement of the air conditioner radiator is required. You can service the climate installation in the service, or you can with your own hands. Let's find out how.

Typical malfunctions of auto-conditioners

What is a modern car air conditioner? It is a climate system that provides cold air supply and cooling of the passenger compartment. This device works thanks to a coolant that moves in a closed system. Regardless of the brands of cars and their market value, the design of the air conditioner for all cars is one, with the exception of only minor elements. The principle of the system is always the same. Despite the perfection and simplicity of this climate device, air conditioners sometimes break down, and then repairs are required, including the replacement of the air conditioner radiator. Consider the most frequent breakdowns.

Malfunction associated with the compressor

The main factor by which the owner understands that the compressor is out of order is significant noise during operation and oil leakage on the device surface. This problem often occurs if the system is depressurized for some reason, and the refrigerant flows into the atmosphere. Also, the compressors fail due to wear or loosening of the tension of the drive belts. Another system comes out because of getting into the mud. Often, the compressor breaks down due to problems with the electrician.

Condenser

The function of this component is to cool the refrigerant that is needed to lower the air temperature. If this element is too dirty, then the system does not work efficiently. As a result, the air conditioner will turn off. It is necessary to clean the condenser immediately, otherwise the radiator of the air conditioner will need to be replaced after a while. This pleasure is not cheap. In addition, because of overheating, the pressure in the system is significantly increased.

Evaporator

If there is a decrease in the efficiency of the climate device, dampness in the passenger compartment and an unpleasant smell, the problem here is to be found precisely in the evaporator. The cause of the malfunctions is very simple - corrosion processes have started due to contamination or plugging of the drain pipe.

Working with the radiator of the air conditioner

It is this part that, most often, after the compressor, is the cause of the idle system. The radiator can be clogged or damaged. To restore his work, simple cleaning and washing can help. In neglected cases - only the replacement of the radiator of the air conditioner.

The radiator system in each specific brand of the car is installed and fixed in different ways. Some automakers mount this element behind the radiator of the cooling system engines, others - before. You need to pay attention to the tubes that lead to the condenser or radiator - they have a special insulation, which is better not to remove and even more so try to damage. The fact is that it is almost impossible to acquire it, and it is very difficult to put it back. Replacing the radiator of the air conditioner with your own hands involves removing the part. Often, dismantling on most car brands is done from the bottom of the car. This is very convenient - to remove the radiator you do not need to disassemble the half of the machine.

How to remove the radiator of an air conditioner

The first step is to dismantle the motor protection. Many foreign cars also need to remove the front bumper, as well as the radiator grille. There are models of cars where the radiator of the air conditioner is removed only from above - for this it will be necessary to unscrew the optics and the radiator grille. Since in each car the removal process is carried out in different ways, we will consider the most popular cars and the algorithm for dismantling the condenser.

"Ford Focus"

The air conditioner in these cars is a fairly thin device that requires care, monitoring the correctness of the work and regular prevention. The external unit of the device is a radiator with a cooler, which is located under the hood at the front.

A radiator is a fragile detail. Even slight damage can lead to refrigerant leakage. In this case, the air conditioner can not perform its tasks, and the owner is waiting for the replacement of the radiator of the air conditioner (Ford Mondeo is no exception).

To replace or repair the radiator is clearly required. The whole procedure can be done by yourself. As practice shows, it takes about 40 minutes. To dismantle the radiator you will need an ordinary set of motorist tools. The first thing to do is to lift the car with a lift. Then remove the fasteners and remove the headlights. Then with a curved screwdriver remove the latch of plastic parts and grilles that can block the way to the condenser. Now it remains only to remove the grate. At the next stage, turn the "on 13" switch on the pipes on the left and drain the refrigerant. Now, immediately begins the replacement of the radiator of the air conditioner ("Ford Focus 2" is repaired the same way) and it begins with dismantling works. The part is held on hinges, the two lower ones are equipped with latches. Above and below the radiator is glued to the foam inserts. If you pull the part up, the foam rubber will simply tear. The hand can not reach the condenser. In car-care centers work exactly this way - the upper layer of foam can be peeled off, and then glued again. Then the radiator can simply be removed, and instead install a new one and enjoy the comfort in the car interior.

"Opel"

Replacing the radiator of the air conditioner "Opel" practically does not differ from the same operation on the car brand "Ford". The first step is to remove the bumper. It is shot simply. Machines need to be lifted on the lift or installed on a jack - it's more convenient to do from the driver's side. The bumper is held on four screws - two of them are located in the arches of the front wheels. Also keep the bumper special chopping under the bottom. But that's not all - the bumper is pressed to the body by the radiator grille. It is fixed on three screws and is additionally restrained on the bumper with plastic clips.

So, the bumper is removed, and the car owner will see the fixing of the radiators. Two of them, which are on the left, hold the condenser. Also you need to unscrew the two fasteners on the right. These mounts could oxidize, so it is recommended to use additional tools. After removal, you can install a new part.

"Priora"

On the car of this model the manufacturer installs various air conditioning systems. Often, the condenser is located in the same block as the radiator of the heater. Consider how the radiator is replaced by an air conditioner with your own hands. At the first stage, remove rubber seals from the lining on the windshield. Then remove the noise insulation - some screws are in very uncomfortable places. But with the application of patience, everything will necessarily happen. After remove the foam pad on the system nozzles. Now you can dismantle the plastic radiator cap - you need to unscrew the three screws that hold it. Then remove the nozzles. It does not need to drain the coolant completely. The pipes must be damped.

Then the radiator is replaced. "Priora" with air conditioning is being repaired quickly. All operations will take about 1.5 hours. Carrying out the dismantling, do not rush, so as not to accidentally damage something important.

"Niva Chevrolet"

The replacement of the radiator ("Niva Chevrolet" with air conditioning) is performed as follows. The first thing to drain antifreeze - you need it to come out completely. To do this, blow into the expansion tank. Then remove the earth terminal from the battery, perform the dismantling glove box. After that, the center console is removed together with the radio tape recorder. In the next step, the body panels are flipped from each of the front posts. Also removes the decorative panel from the center console on the side of the warrior, the instrument cluster is disconnected. It is necessary to loosen the fasteners of the panel, where the gearshift lever, and the two screws that are closest to the panel, must be completely unscrewed. Then the cover of the steering column is removed, and with it the paddle switches, the panel fastening bolts are removed. Remove the handles of the climate system, dismantle the unit to control the heater. Then the steering column is loosened and lowered to the driver's seat. After that, you can remove the air ducts behind the torpedo, remove all the cables, the frame of the instrument panel. Then turn off the bolts that hold the metal frame of the panel, and remove it. Further, the evaporator shell and the radiator of the stove will be visible. They are connected - they must be disconnected. After the successful replacement of the element, the assembly must be carried out in the reverse order.

So, we have found out how the radiator of the air conditioner is replaced with our own hands.