Opel Frontera UE. Manual - part 1233

HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC)

1A–53

Leak at Refrigerant Line Connections

1. Check the torque on the refrigerant line fitting and, if

too loose, tighten to the specified torque.

• Use two wrenches to prevent twisting and

damage to the line.

• Do not over tighten.

2. Perform a leak test on the refrigerant line fitting.

3. If the leak is still present, discharge and recover the

refrigerant from the system.

4. Replace the O-rings.

• O-rings cannot be reused. Always replace with

new ones.

• Be sure to apply the specified compressor oil to

the new O-rings.

5. Retighten the refrigerant line fitting to the specified

torque.

• Use two wrenches to prevent twisting and

damage to the line.

6. Evacuate, charge and retest the system.

Leaks In The Hose

If the compressor inlet or outlet hose is leaking, the
entire hose must be replaced. The refrigerant hose must
not be cut or spliced for repair.

1. Locate the leak.

2. Discharge and recover the refrigerant.

3. Remove the hose assembly.

• Cap the open connections at once.

4. Connect the new hose assembly.

• Use two wrenches to prevent twisting or damage

to the hose fitting.

• Tighten the hose fitting to the specified torque.

5. Evacuate, charge and test the system.

Compressor Leaks

If leaks are located around the compressor shaft seal or
shell, replace or repair the compressor.

Recovery, Recycling, Evacuation and
Charging of HFC-134a

Air conditioning systems contain HFC-134a. This is a
chemical mixture which requires special handling
procedures to avoid personal injury.

• Always wear safety goggles and protective gloves.

• Always work in a well-ventilated area. Do not weld or

steam clean on or near any vehicle-installed air
conditioning lines or components.

• If HFC-134a should come in contact with any part of

the body, flush the exposed area with cold water and
immediately seek medical help.

• If it is necessary to transport or carry any container of

HFC-134a in a vehicle, do not carry it in the

passenger compartment.

• If it is necessary to fill a small HFC-134a container

from a large one, never fill the container completely.
Space should always be allowed above the liquid for
expansion.

• HFC-134a and R-12 should never be mixed as their

compositions are not the same.

• HFC-134a PAG oil tends to absorb moisture more

quickly than R-12 mineral oil and, therefore, should
be handled more carefully.

• Keep HFC-134a containers stored below 40

°

C

(100

°

F).

WARNING:

• SHOULD HFC-134A CONTACT YOUR EYE(S),

CONSULT A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.

• DO NOT RUB THE AFFECTED EYE(S). INSTEAD,

SPLASH QUANTITIES OF FRESH COLD WATER
OVER THE AFFECTED     AREA TO GRADUALLY
RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE
REFRIGERANT ABOVE THE FREEZING POINT.

• OBTAIN PROPER MEDICAL TREATMENT AS

SOON AS POSSIBLE. SHOULD THE HFC-134A
TOUCH THE SKIN, THE INJURY MUST BE
TREATED THE SAME AS SKIN WHICH HAS BEEN
FROSTBITTEN OR FROZEN.

SECTION

1A–54

HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC)

Refrigerant Recovery

The refrigerant must be discharged and recovered by
using the J-39500 (ACR

4

:HFC-134a Refrigerant

Recovery/Recycling/Recharging/System) or equivalent
before removing or mounting air conditioning parts.

1. Connect the high and low charging hoses of the

ACR

4

(or equivalent) as shown below.

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EndOFCallout

2. Recover the refrigerant by following the

Manufacturer's Instructions.

3. When a part is removed, put a cap or a plug on the

connecting portion so that dust, dirt or moisture
cannot get into it.

Refrigerant Recycling

Recycle the refrigerant recovered by J-39500
(ACR

4

:HFC-134a Refrigerant Recovery / Recycling /

Recharging / System) or equivalent.
For the details of the actual operation, follow the steps in
the ACR

4

(or equivalent) Manufacturer's Instructions.

Evacuation of The Refrigerant System

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EndOFCallout

Explained below is a method using a vacuum pump.
Refer to the ACR

4

(or equivalent) manufacturer's

instructions when evacuating the system with a ACR

4

(or

equivalent).
Air and moisture in the refrigerant will cause problems in
the air conditioning system. Therefore, before charging
the refrigerant, be sure to evacuate air and moisture
thoroughly from the system.

1. Connect the gauge manifold.

• High-pressure valve (HI) — Discharge-side.

• Low-pressure valve (LOW) — Suction-side.

2. Discharge and recover the refrigerant.

3. Connect the center hose of the gauge manifold set

to the vacuum pump inlet.

4. Operate the vacuum pump, open shutoff valve and

then open both hand valves.

5. When the low-pressure gauge indicates

approximately 750 mmHg (30inHg), continue the
evacuation for 5 minutes or more.

6. Close both hand valves and stop the vacuum pump.

Legend

(1) High Side
(2) Low Side

Legend

(1) High Side
(2) Low Side

SECTION

HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC)

1A–55

7. Check to ensure that the pressure does not change

after 10 minutes or more.

• If the pressure changes, check the system for

leaks.

• If leaks occur, retighten the refrigerant line

connections and repeat the evacuation steps.

8. If no leaks are found, again operate the vacuum

pump for 20 minutes or more.  After confirming that
the gauge manifold pressure is at 750 mmHg
(30 inHg),     close both hand valves.

9. Close positive shutoff valve. Stop the vacuum pump

and disconnect the center hose from the vacuum
pump.

Charging The Refrigerant System

There are various methods of charging refrigerant into
the air conditioning system.
These include using J-39500 (ACR

4

:HFC-134a

Refrigerant Recovery/Recycling/Recharging/System) or
equivalent and direct charging with a weight scale
charging station.

Charging Procedure

• ACR

4

(or equivalent) Method

For the charging of refrigerant recovered by ACR

4

(or

equivalent), follow the manufacturer's instruction.

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EndOFCallout

• Direct charging with a weight scale charging

station method

1. Make sure the evacuation process is correctly

completed.

2. Connect the center hose of the manifold gauge to

the weight scale.

3. Connect the low pressure charging hose of the

manifold gauge to the low pressure side service
valve of the vehicle.

4. Connect the high pressure charging hose of the

manifold gauge to the high pressure side service
valve of the vehicle.

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EndOFCallout

5. Place the refrigerant container up right on a weight

scale.
Note the total weight before charging the refrigerant.

a

Open the refrigerant container valve.

b

Open the low side vale on the manifold gauge
set. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for
a weight scale charging station.

Legend

(1) High Side
(2) Low Side

Legend

(1) Weight Scale
(2) Refrigerant Container
(3) High Side
(4) Low Side

SECTION

1A–56

HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC)

6. Perform a system leak test:

• Charge the system with approximately 200 g

(0.44 lbs) of HFC-134a.

• Make sure the high pressure valve of the manifold

gauge is closed.

• Check to ensure that the degree of pressure does

not change.

• Check for refrigerant leaks by using a HFC-134a

leak detector.

• If a leak occurs, recover the refrigerant. Repair

the leak and start all over again from the first step
of evacuation.

7. If no leaks are found, continue charging refrigerant

to the air conditioning system.

• Charge the refrigerant until the scale reading

decreases by the amount of the charge specified.

Specified amount: 650g (1.43lbs)

• If charging the system becomes difficult:

1 Run the engine at idle and close all the

vehicle doors.

2 Turn A/C switch “ON".

3 Set the fan switch to its highest position.

4 Set the air source selector lever to “CIRC".

5 Slowly open the low side valve on the

manifold gauge set.

WARNING:  Be absolutely sure not to open the high
pressure valve of the manifold gauge. Should the
high pressure valve be opened, the high pressure
refrigerant would flow backward, and this may
cause the refrigerant container to burst.

8. When finished with the refrigerant charging, close

the low pressure valve of the manifold gauge and
container valve.

9. Check for refrigerant leaks.

Checking The A/C System

1. Run the engine and close all the vehicle doors.

2. Turn A/C switch “ON", set the fan switch to its

highest position.

3. Set the air source lever to “CIRC", set the

temperature lever to the full cool position.

4. Check the high and low pressure of the manifold

gauge.

• Immediately after charging refrigerant, both high

and low pressures might be slightly high, but they
settle down to the pressure guidelines shown
below:

• The ambient temperature should be between 25–

30

°

C (77–86

°

F).       

• The pressure guideline for the high-pressure side

is approximately 1372.9–1863.3 kPa (199.1–
270.2 psi).

• The pressure guideline for the low-pressure side

is approximately 147.1–294.2kPa (21.3–42.7
psi).

• If an abnormal pressure is found, refer to

Checking The Refrigerant System With Manifold
Gauge in this section.

5. Put your hand in front of the air outlet and move the

temperature control lever of the control panel to
different positions.  Check if the outlet temperature
changes as selected by the control knob.

SECTION