What is this attention-grabbing "Air Conditioner Refresh"?
Air conditioner refresh is attracting attention from many car enthusiasts. Air conditioners are a necessity during the summer, but do they really need to be maintained regularly? In this article, we will introduce the contents of air conditioner refresh services and talk about their benefits.
I use this special machine!
The latest machine "PS134PRO" from the luxury tool brand "Snap-on" is used for the air conditioner refresh service. Air conditioners compress a refrigerant called R134a with a compressor and create cool air by changing the pressure. In car air conditioners, the amount of refrigerant, called gas, is strictly specified in grams.
There is a sticker under the hood or in the engine bay that indicates the type of refrigerant and the appropriate amount. The PS134PRO collects the gas in the system, increases its purity, and fills it with the correct amount.
Clean the refrigerant and check the pressure loss at the same time
Refrigerants can contain moisture or fine dust, which can lead to clogging of pipes and valves. By using clean refrigerants, such problems can be prevented.
In addition, after recovery, we can also check for pressure leaks in piping, etc., which is useful for identifying the cause of a malfunction.
It is important that the amount of refrigerant is correct.
When used for a long time, the refrigerant often naturally decreases, but conversely, there may be cases where the refrigerant is overfilled. If there is too much refrigerant, the pressure may increase too much and the compressor may automatically stop, or it may become less effective.
On the other hand, if there is a shortage, the compressor will always be operating at full capacity, which will affect fuel efficiency. Hybrid vehicles use a special oil (POE) with high insulating properties, and the PS134PRO is compatible with this as well.
We tried it on an F56 JCW
This was done on Ishikawa Engineering's demo car, the F56 JCW. Before the work, the outlet temperature was 6 degrees, and the amount of gas collected was 460g. The specified amount is 480g±10g, so it was slightly short, but it was properly adjusted and filled to the specified value. As a result, the outlet temperature dropped to the 3 degree range.
By lowering the temperature of the cold air, it takes less time to reach the set temperature and the compressor has to operate for less time. This also improves fuel efficiency and reduces the risk of breakdowns by removing internal impurities.
Afterword...
During the interview, Mr. Ishikawa kindly applied the product to my BMW. To be honest, I had no complaints before the application, but it seemed that the amount was below the regulation amount, and on the way home after the application, I felt a clear difference.
Even with the temperature set to 20-22 degrees it feels cold, and the temperature set to 24 degrees feels just right. The dehumidification performance has also improved, and the windows are less likely to fog up. And the fuel economy has improved from 7.8km per liter to 8.1km per liter. The difference may have been clearer because I had neglected the maintenance.