Chrysler Town, Dodge Caravan. Manual - part 522

MANIFOLD GAUGE SET CONNECTIONS

CAUTION: Do not use an R-12 manifold gauge set
on an R-134a system. The refrigerants are not com-
patible and system damage will result.

A manifold gauge set may be needed with some

recovery/recycling/charging equipment (Fig. 33). The
service hoses on the gauge set being used should
have manual (turn wheel), or automatic back-flow
valves at the service port connector ends. This will
prevent refrigerant from being released into the
atmosphere.

• LOW PRESSURE GAUGE HOSE - The low

pressure hose (Blue with Black stripe) attaches to
the suction (low side) service port. This port is
located on the suction line, near the compressor at
the front of the engine compartment.

• HIGH PRESSURE GAUGE HOSE - The high

pressure hose (Red with Black stripe) attaches to the
discharge (high side) service port. This port is located
on the liquid line near the filter-drier at the rear of
the engine compartment.

• RECOVERY/RECYCLING/EVACUATION/

CHARGING HOSE - The center manifold hose (Yel-
low, or White, with Black stripe) is used to recover,
evacuate, and charge the refrigerant system. When
the low or high pressure valves on the manifold

gauge set are opened, the refrigerant in the system
will escape through this hose.

STANDARD PROCEDURE - REFRIGERANT
SYSTEM CHARGE

WARNING: REFER TO THE APPLICABLE WARN-
INGS AND CAUTIONS FOR THIS SYSTEM BEFORE
PERFORMING

THE

FOLLOWING

OPERATION.

(Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - WARNING - A/C PLUMBING)
and (Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - CAUTION - A/C PLUMBING).

After all refrigerant system leaks have been

repaired and the refrigerant system has been evacu-
ated, a refrigerant charge can be injected into the
system. For the proper amount of the refrigerant
charge, refer to REFRIGERANT CHARGE CAPAC-
ITY . A R-134a refrigerant recovery/recycling/charg-
ing station that meets SAE Standard J2210 must be
used to charge the refrigerant system with R-134a
refrigerant. See the operating instructions supplied
by the equipment manufacturer for proper care and
use of this equipment.

REFRIGERANT CHARGE CAPACITY

The R-134a refrigerant system charge capacity for

this vehicle is:

• Single or Dual Zone (Front Unit Only - with

2.5L Turbo Diesel)0.79 kilograms (1.75 pounds or
28 ounces)

• Single or Dual Zone (Front Unit Only) - 0.88

kilograms (1.94 pounds or 31 ounces)

• Three Zone (Front and Rear Units) - 1.21

kilograms (2.69 pounds or 43 ounces)

NOTE: Always refer to the underhood HVAC Speci-
fication Tag for the latest fill specification for the
vehicle being serviced.

CHARGING PROCEDURE

(1) Evacuate the refrigerant system. (Refer to 24 -

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/PLUMBING -
FRONT/REFRIGERANT

STANDARD

PROCE-

DURE - REFRIGERANT SYSTEM EVACUATE).

(2) A manifold gauge set and a R-134a refrigerant

recovery/recycling/charging station that meets SAE
Standard J2210 should still be connected to the
refrigerant system.

(3) Measure the proper amount of refrigerant and

heat it to 52° C (125° F) with the charging station.
See the operating instructions supplied by the equip-
ment manufacturer for proper use of this equipment.

Fig. 33 Manifold Gauge Set - Typical

1 - HIGH PRESSURE GAUGE
2 - VALVE
3 - VACUUM/REFRIGERANT HOSE (YELLOW W/BLACK STRIPE)
4 - HIGH PRESSURE HOSE (RED W/BLACK STRIPE)
5 - LOW PRESSURE HOSE (BLUE W/BLACK STRIPE)
6 - VALVE
7 - LOW PRESSURE GAUGE

24 - 88

PLUMBING - FRONT

REFRIGERANT (Continued)

(4) Open both the suction and discharge valves,

then open the charge valve to allow the heated
refrigerant to flow into the system.

(5) When the transfer of refrigerant has stopped,

close both the suction and discharge valves.

(6) If all of the refrigerant charge did not transfer

from the dispensing device, open all of the windows
in the vehicle and set the heater-air conditioner con-
trols so that the compressor is engaged and the
blower motor is operating at its lowest speed setting.
Run the engine at a steady high idle (about 1400
rpm). If the compressor will not engage, test the com-
pressor clutch control circuit and repair as required.

(7) Open the suction valve to allow the remaining

refrigerant to transfer to the refrigerant system.

WARNING: TAKE CARE NOT TO OPEN THE DIS-
CHARGE (HIGH PRESSURE) VALVE AT THIS TIME.

(8) Close the suction valve and test the system

performance. (Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CON-
DITIONING - STANDARD PROCEDURE - A/C PER-
FORMANCE TEST).

(9) Disconnect the charging station and manifold

gauge set from the refrigerant system service ports.

(10) Reinstall the caps onto the refrigerant system

service ports.

(11) Run the HVAC Control Cooldown test to ver-

ify proper operation(Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR
CONDITIONING - DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING).

STANDARD PROCEDURE - REFRIGERANT
SYSTEM EVACUATE

WARNING: REFER TO THE APPLICABLE WARN-
INGS AND CAUTIONS FOR THIS SYSTEM BEFORE
PERFORMING

THE

FOLLOWING

OPERATION.

(Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - WARNING - A/C PLUMBING)
and (Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - CAUTION - A/C PLUMBING).

If the refrigerant system has been open to the

atmosphere, it must be evacuated before the system
can be charged. If moisture and air enters the system
and becomes mixed with the refrigerant, the com-
pressor head pressure will rise above acceptable
operating levels. This will reduce the performance of
the air conditioner and damage the compressor.
Evacuating the refrigerant system will remove the
air and boil the moisture out of the system at near
room temperature. A R-134a refrigerant recovery/re-
cycling/charging station that meets SAE Standard
J2210 must be used to evacuate the refrigerant sys-
tem. See the operating instructions supplied by the
equipment manufacturer for proper care and use of

this equipment. To evacuate the refrigerant system,
use the following procedure:

NOTE: When connecting the service equipment
couplings to the refrigerant system service ports,
be certain that the valve of each coupling is fully
closed. This will reduce the amount of effort
required to make the connection.

(1) Remove the caps from the refrigerant system

service ports and attach a manifold gauge set and a
R-134a refrigerant recovery/recycling/charging sta-
tion that meets SAE Standard J2210 to the refriger-
ant system.

(2) Open both the suction and discharge valves

and start the charging station vacuum pump.

(3) When the suction gauge has read 88 kPa (26

in. Hg.) vacuum or greater for 45 minutes, close both
the suction and discharge valves and turn off the
vacuum pump. If the refrigerant system fails to
reach the specified vacuum, the system has a leak
that must be corrected. (Refer to 24 - HEATING &
AIR

CONDITIONING/PLUMBING

FRONT/RE-

FRIGERANT

STANDARD

PROCEDURE

REFRIGERANT SYSTEM LEAKS).

(4) If the refrigerant system maintains the speci-

fied vacuum for thirty minutes, restart the vacuum
pump, open both the suction and discharge valves,
and evacuate the system for an additional ten min-
utes.

(5) Close both the suction and discharge valves,

and turn off the charging station vacuum pump.

(6) The refrigerant system is now ready to be

charged with R-134a refrigerant. (Refer to 24 -
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/PLUMBING -
FRONT/REFRIGERANT

STANDARD

PROCE-

DURE - REFRIGERANT SYSTEM CHARGE).

STANDARD PROCEDURE - REFRIGERANT
RECOVERY

WARNING: REFER TO THE APPLICABLE WARN-
INGS AND CAUTIONS FOR THIS SYSTEM BEFORE
PERFORMING

THE

FOLLOWING

OPERATION.

(Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - WARNING - A/C PLUMBING)
and (Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - CAUTION - A/C PLUMBING).

A R-134a refrigerant recovery/recycling/charging

station that meets SAE Standard J2210 must be
used to recover the refrigerant from an R-134a refrig-
erant system, whenever the refrigerant system must
be opened for service. See the operating instructions
supplied by the equipment manufacturer for the
proper care and use of this equipment.

PLUMBING - FRONT

24 - 89

REFRIGERANT (Continued)

REFRIGERANT OIL

DESCRIPTION

The refrigerant oil used in R-134a refrigerant sys-

tems is a synthetic-based, PolyAlkylene Glycol (PAG),
wax-free lubricant. Mineral-based R-12 refrigerant
oils are not compatible with PAG oils, and should
never be introduced to an R-134a refrigerant system.
There are different PAG oils available, and each con-
tains a different additive package. The 10S20H com-
pressor used in this vehicle are designed to use an
ND-8 PAG refrigerant oil. Use only refrigerant oil of
this same type to service the refrigerant system.

OPERATION

After performing any refrigerant recovery or recy-

cling operation, always replenish the refrigerant sys-
tem with the same amount of the recommended
refrigerant oil as was removed. Too little refrigerant
oil can cause compressor damage, and too much can
reduce air conditioning system performance. PAG
refrigerant oil is much more hygroscopic than min-
eral oil, and will absorb any moisture it comes into
contact with, even moisture in the air. The PAG oil
container should always be kept tightly capped until
it is ready to be used. After use, recap the oil con-
tainer immediately to prevent moisture contamina-
tion.

STANDARD PROCEDURE - REFRIGERANT OIL
LEVEL

WARNING: REFER TO THE APPLICABLE WARN-
INGS AND CAUTIONS FOR THIS SYSTEM BEFORE
PERFORMING

THE

FOLLOWING

OPERATION.

(Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - WARNING - A/C PLUMBING)
and (Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - CAUTION - A/C PLUMBING).

When an air conditioning system is assembled at

the factory, all components except the compressor are
refrigerant oil free. After the refrigerant system has
been charged and operated, the refrigerant oil in the
compressor is dispersed throughout the refrigerant
system. The receiver/drier, evaporator, condenser, and
compressor will each retain a significant amount of
the needed refrigerant oil.

It is important to have the correct amount of oil in

the refrigerant system. This ensures proper lubrica-
tion of the compressor. Too little oil will result in
damage to the compressor. Too much oil will reduce
the cooling capacity of the air conditioning system.

It will not be necessary to check the oil level in the

compressor or to add oil, unless there has been an oil
loss. An oil loss may occur due to a rupture or leak

from a refrigerant line, a connector fitting, a compo-
nent, or a component seal. If a leak occurs, add 30
milliliters (1 fluid ounce) of refrigerant oil to the
refrigerant system after the repair has been made.
Refrigerant oil loss will be evident at the leak point
by the presence of a wet, shiny surface around the
leak.

Refrigerant oil must be added when an receiver/

drier, evaporator or condenser is replaced. See the
Refrigerant Oil Capacities chart for the proper
amount of refrigerant oil to add. When a compressor
is replaced, the refrigerant oil must be drained from
the old compressor and measured. Drain all of the
refrigerant oil from the new compressor, then fill the
new compressor with the same amount of fresh new
refrigerant oil that was drained out of the old com-
pressor.

REFRIGERANT OIL CAPACITIES

Front A/C

Front & Rear

A/C

COMPONENT

fl oz

Total System Fill

140

5.0

180

6.43

Filter-Drier

0.9

Condenser

0.9

Front Evaporator

1.8

Rear Evap. (including
underbody lines)

N/A

1.8

Compressor

Drain and measure the oil
from the old compressor -
See text above.

SUCTION LINE

REMOVAL

The front air conditioner suction line includes the

low side service port on a section of tubing located
near the compressor. On models equipped with the
optional rear air conditioner, the front air conditioner
suction line also includes a suction line hose and
tube extension that connects the front suction line to
the suction line for the rear air conditioner.

WARNING: REFER TO THE APPLICABLE WARN-
INGS AND CAUTIONS FOR THIS SYSTEM BEFORE
PERFORMING

THE

FOLLOWING

OPERATION.

(Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - WARNING - A/C PLUMBING)
and (Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/
PLUMBING - FRONT - CAUTION - A/C PLUMBING).

(1) Recover the refrigerant from the refrigerant

system. (Refer to 24 - HEATING & AIR CONDI-

24 - 90

PLUMBING - FRONT

TIONING/PLUMBING - FRONT/REFRIGERANT -
STANDARD

PROCEDURE

REFRIGERANT

RECOVERY).

(2) Disconnect and isolate the battery negative

cable.

(3) Remove the air cleaner top cover and snorkel

from the air cleaner housing located on the right side
of the engine compartment.

(4) Disconnect the drain tube from the wiper mod-

ule drain on the right side of the engine compart-
ment.

(5) Remove the nut that secures the suction line

fitting to the top of the compressor.

(6) Disconnect the suction line fitting from the

compressor suction port.

(7) Remove the seal from the suction line fitting

and discard.

(8) Install plugs in, or tape over the opened suc-

tion line fitting and the compressor suction port.

(9) Disengage the retainer that secures the suction

line routing clip to the filter-drier mounting bracket
on the side of the right front strut tower in the
engine compartment (Fig. 34).( If Equipped).

(10) Remove the nut that secures the suction line

and liquid line fittings to the expansion valve.

(11) Disconnect the suction line and liquid line fit-

tings from the expansion valve.

(12) Remove the seals from the suction line and

liquid line fittings and discard.

(13) Install plugs in, or tape over the opened suc-

tion line and liquid line fittings and both expansion
valve ports.

(14) If the vehicle is equipped with the optional

rear air conditioner, go to Step 15. If the vehicle does
not have the optional rear air conditioner, go to Step
21.

(15) Raise and support the vehicle.
(16) Cut the tie strap located just forward of the

connections between the underbody plumbing and
the engine compartment plumbing for the rear
heater and air conditioner (Fig. 35).

(17) Disconnect the suction line extension fitting

from the underbody suction line fitting for the rear
air conditioner.

(18) Remove the seal from the underbody suction

line fitting and discard.

(19) Install plugs in, or tape over the opened suc-

tion line fittings.

(20) Lower the vehicle.
(21) Remove the suction line from the engine com-

partment.

INSTALLATION

The front air conditioner suction line includes the

Fig. 34 Suction Line

1 - EXPANSION VALVE
2 - SUCTION LINE EXTENSION (REAR A/C ONLY)
3 - NUT
4 - ROUTING CLIP (If Equipped)
5 - SUCTION LINE

Fig. 35 Underbody Connections

1 - SUCTION LINE EXTENSION
2 - LIQUID LINE EXTENSION
3 - TIE STRAP
4- HEATER LINE EXTENSIONS
5 - UNDERBODY LINES

PLUMBING - FRONT

24 - 91

SUCTION LINE (Continued)

Content .. 520 521 522 523 ..