Wednesday, January 25, 2012

My AC Quit Working in my Car - Is there Something Wrong with my Compressor?

The A/C Compressor does not create the cool air that comes out of your vents. It does, however, create very high pressures in the A/C Refrigerant. The pressure and temperatures directly correlate to eachother. Therefore, when you have high pressure, you have hot refrigerant. The cold refrigerant occurs elsewhere. We'll get to that soon.

The AC Compressor consists of the compressor itself and the clutch assembly. Your Air Conditioning Compressor has a Suction and a Discharge Port. The suction port is always the larger diameter hole. Automotive Freon enters the A/C Compressor via the Suction Port. It's then compressed inside of the Compressor, and expelled through the Discharge port, where it will then go to the A/C Condenser. Inside the compressor is a complex series of passageways, valves, bearings, and other components. There are several types of pumps, including piston type, rotary vane, and scroll.

The A/C Clutch is at the very front of the AC Compressor, and consists of a Hub, Pulley and Coil. The Hub is at the very front part of the Compressor and is what engages physically engages the internals. The Compressor Pulley is where the belt sits, and the Coil is the electronic part that engages the hub. Once the A/C Compressor is engaged, the inside components begin to move the Freon through the A/C Refrigerant system.

Your Compressor Pulley turns all the time, even if the A/C Compressor is turned off. The Pully rotates with the engine. When the Air Conditioning System is actually On, the A/C Compresor will then engage. However, if there are problems with your vehicle's a/c system, there are a few different protectionary devices that will keep the Compressor from turning on. If the refrigerant levels are too low, a low-pressure sensor will stop the Compressor A/C Clutch from engaging. Also, if the pressure is overly high, a high pressure cut-out switch will kill power to the Compressor.

Late Model cars and trucks use your defroster to clear the fog off of your front windshield as well as keeping you cool inside.

Once your AC Compressor is engaged, it brings the lower pressure freon in, and ironically compresses it. The freon then goes into the A/C Condenser. In the Condenser, refrigerant moves through the small tubes in the A/C Condenser. Moving air that travels through the AC Condenser keeps the refrigerant temperature down. When your vehicle is moving at higher speeds, the natural movement of the outside air does a good job at cooling the freon. When an automobile is not moving, the Fan Clutch or Cooling Fan Assemblies engage to move air through the A/C Condenser. Once the Refrigerant is cooled down, it then moves towards the Evaporator. Before reaching the evaporator, the refrigerant must pass through an expansion device; either an Orifice Tube or Expansion Valve. The expansion device restricts the flow of the refrigerant, letting it pass through a very small orifice. Freon then turns into a cold liquid as it passes through the orifice.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

A/C Compressor for Your 2002 Jeep LibertyDoes this sound familiar?

richardson91305-27-2007, 07:35 PM

“The A/C on our 2002 Jeep Liberty also went out. We were quoted $1900 to repair last summer. I couldn't swallow the repair price-tag, so we toughed it out through the summer. I am also convinced that the A/C can be repaired for much less. I am researching pricing for a new compressor and condenser and how much the labor would be to replace. I imagine this might come out much less than what the dealership is telling us.”

It is definitely not uncomon to hear that someone is having a 2002 Jeep Liberty AC Compressor problem. Usually one of three things will happen. The AC Compressor Clutch Coil will go out, the Compressor willl leak, or it could even lock up. None of these issues are pleasant and during the Summer, it can be quite frustrating. That said, Replacing the Compressor Coil is sometimes the cheapest solution. Unfortunately, it is definitely not the best. Simply swapping out the coil will usually void any 2002 Jeep Liberty AC Compressor Warranty. Moreover, doing so keeps your AC System running with an old AC Compressor that could fail in the near future.

Moreover, swapping out the Compressor Clutch does not mean that your 2002 Jeep Liberty A/C Compressor has been replaced. In fact, if you think about it, it still has the same mileage on it as your Liberty does. These days, many AC Compressors are not lasting more than 100,000 miles (sometimes it's quite a bit less than that).

The Aftermarket Jeep Liberty Compressor we sell is a a direct bolt-on OEM fit AC Compressor. What that means is that there is essentially no physical difference between your OEM unit and the one we provide. However, our cost to you is significantly lower. In fact, we are very proud to be one of the cheapest Jeep Liberty AC Compressor retailers in the world. Lastly, if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation where you need to replace your Compressor, make sure that you also install a new receiver drier or accumulator as well as a new expansion device. More information on that is available here: http://www.techchoiceparts.com/content/accumulator-drier.aspx

Here is a full list of Cross Reference Numbers for the 2002 Jeep Liberty AC Compressor:

Denso: 471-7026

Discount AC Parts: 60-01581RC, 60-01581NA, 60-01581NC

Frigette: 204-1578, 204-1579

Four Seasons: 67576, 68576

Jeep: 5503 7466AC, 5503 7466AE

Proliance: 1436N

Sanden: 4335, 4852

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Receiver Drier Replacement

It's easy to understand how the Accumulator and Receiver Drier can be confused, but although they are technically different, they do serve the same purpose. There will always be an Inlet Hose and there will always be an Outlet Hose and both are typically cylindrical in shape. If you have an Expansion Valve, you also have a Receiver Drier. If you want to find your Reiver Drier on your Vehicle, simply follow the High Side Line and look either near the passenger side firewall or near the AC Condenser. If you have a late model vehicle, your Receiver Drier will likely be built into the AC Condenser. If you are lucky, the Receiver Drier can be serviced and not need to be replaced with the Condenser.

All vehicles will have either a Receiver Drier or an Accumulator; never both. The Accumulator is found on the Low Side of the AC System and the Receiver Drier is found on the High Side. Both basically function the same, but AC Accumulators are usually larger in size. All accumulators are partnered with an Orifice Tube.

There will always be a Dessicant Bag inside of either your Accumulator or Receiver Drier . As mentioned before, the purpose of the Dessicant Bag is to filter out both moisture and debris. When you take your AC System apart, you are allowing moisture to enter the System. This moisture is very harmful to the Dessicant because it diminishes its ability to filter properly. Because of this, it is highly advisable that you always replace eithe ryour Receiver Drier or Accumulator when opening the Air Conditioning System.

One of the easiest ways to understand why we change out the Accumulator or Receiver drier is looking at how you get an oil change. Anytime you get an oil change, you also get the filter replaced, because it's industry standard to do so. This is also industry standard for your air conditioning system. When performing any job where the Freon is evacuated and the system is opened up, it is imperative to replace the Drier/Accumulator along with any faulty parts. This will keep your warranty intact for a full year.
Sometimes customers confuse both the Receiver Drier and the Accumulator, but both are filters for the AC System. There will always be an Inlet Hose and there will always be an Outlet Hose and both are typically cylindrical in shape. You'll always find your Receiver Drier with an AC System that comes with Expansion Valve. If you want to find your Reiver Drier on your Vehicle, simply follow the High Side Line and look either near the passenger side firewall or near the AC Condenser. If you have a late model vehicle, your Receiver Drier will likely be built into the AC Condenser. If you are lucky, the Receiver Drier can be serviced and not need to be replaced with the Condenser.

All vehicles will have either a Receiver Drier or an Accumulator; never both. The Accumulator is found on the Low Side of the AC System and the Receiver Drier is found on the High Side. Both basically function the same, but AC Accumulators are usually larger in size. All accumulators are partnered with an Orifice Tube.

There will always be a Dessicant Bag inside of either your Accumulator or Receiver Drier . As mentioned before, the purpose of the Dessicant Bag is to filter out both moisture and debris. When you take your AC System apart, you are allowing moisture to enter the System. This moisture is very harmful to the Dessicant because it diminishes its ability to filter properly. Because of this, it is highly advisable that you always replace eithe ryour Receiver Drier or Accumulator when opening the Air Conditioning System.

Any reputable parts distributor will (or should) tell you that you need to replace your Accumulator or Receiver Drier when performing any major work on your AC System. We've already covered the reasons why, but it's also important to note that replacing these parts is necessary to keep your warranty. Keep an eye out for any company that does not require you to replace these parts. Moreover, if a repair shop does not think it is necessary to replace your Receiver Drier , watch out for them. Almost all manufacturers maintain that if the Accumulator or Receiver Drier is not replaced, the warranty will then become void.

Thoughts on Replacing your Receiver Drier

The A/C Drier, or Accumulator is basically exactly what its name describes. It is a filter for the Air Conditioning syste. Filter Driers or Accumulators are usually shaped like a cylinder and have both an inlet and outlet. Technically, receiver driers are always paired with an AC System that also has an Expansion Valve. Accumulators are technically, always paired with an Orifice Tube. If you want ot find your Receiver Drier , always look on the high-side of your AC System. The Accumulator will be on the Low Side of the A/C System. Furthermore, in most later model applications, you'll also notice that the Receiver Drier is also built into the Condenser.

Air Conditioning Accumulators are just like Filter Driers. They are both filters. The AC Accumulator is found on the low side, whereas the Filter Drier is found on the High Side. If your system has an Accumulator, you will also need to replace the Expansion Device for the system. In this case, it will always be an Orifice Tube.

The AC Accumulator or Receiver Drier will always have what is called a Dessicant Bag inside of it. This bag is activated by both refrigerant and oil, and absorbs water and debris. When the Air Conditioning System is opened, the humidity outside will get into the AC System. When this happens, the dessicant inside of the Accumulator or Orifice Tube will then make the bag useless. When the dessicant has trouble absorbing more moisture, it can no longer serve its purpose. Furthermore, there is also a reaction between the moisture and the Air Conditioning Refrigerant that can sometimes break up the AC O-Rings. When this happens, there is a much higher chance that your vehicle may leak Refrigerant.

One of our favorite analogies we use to help consumers understand why it is important to change out the Receiver Drier and/or Accumulator is the Engine Oil example. Anytime you get an oil change, you also get the filter replaced, because it's industry standard to do so. This is also industry standard for your air conditioning system. Always replace your Accumulator or Receiver Drier with any failed parts, when the AC System is opened By doing the job properly, you also will keep the warranty for the 12 months offered!