A/C Service Station, Switching Off And Disconnecting From Refrigerant Circuit
-- End the specified procedures using the A/C service station.
-- Switch off the ignition.
-- Remove (seal) the hand wheel from both service couplings.
Danger or frostbite due to refrigerant coming out under pressure.
Frostbite on the skin and other parts of the body is possible.
- Wear safety gloves.
- Wear protective eyewear.
- When loosing the service coupling longer than 1 second refrigerant leaks out of the refrigerant line, install the hand wheel and replace the faulty valve.
- Extract refrigerant and open the refrigerant circuit immediately.
- If more than 10 minutes elapse after extracting the refrigerant and the refrigerant circuit was not opened, extract the refrigerant again. Pressure can develop in the refrigerant circuit due to evaporation.
Different Versions of the Service Couplings
- On one version the service couplings is ventilated outward in the space between the version in the refrigerant circuit service connection and the valve in the service coupling when removing the hand wheel. For these service couplings when removing the service connection hand wheel first connect the valve in the vehicle service connection and the valve in the service coupling to the filler hose to the A/C service station. When further removing drain the pressure which is still in the space between both valves via an additional valve (approximately 2 cm3 refrigerant). If both of these valves (the valve on the vehicle service connection or the valve in the filler hose service connection) do not close correctly the entire refrigerant can flow out of the vehicle refrigerant circuit or the filler hose.
- On another version the service couplings is ventilated outward in the space between the version in the refrigerant circuit service connection and the valve in the service coupling when removing the hand wheel. On this version a valve is present, which on a connected service coupling is open, so that a pressure equalization between the area in the valve in the refrigerant circuit service connection and the filler hose connected on the service connection is possible. On this version no refrigerant escapes when turning back the hand wheel, for this reason the refrigerant from the filler hose must be extracted back before disconnecting the service couplings in the A/C service station. If here for example after a pressure test or the charging the refrigerant circuit a larger quantity or refrigerant is recovered (more than approximately 50 g) this indicates that a valve in one of the refrigerant circuit service connections has a leak and the refrigerant is coming out of the vehicle refrigerant circuit (extract the refrigerant and replace the faulty valve).
Before extracting back the refrigerant from the filling hoses in the A/C service station, remove the hand wheels from both service couplings all the way.
In the A/C service station a function is present which when switching off a causes defined operating condition. Via this function the entire refrigerant is extracted back out of the filling hose in the A/C service station.
If when activating this function the hand wheel of both service coupling cannot be removed, refrigerant can be extracted from the vehicle refrigerant circuit.
-- Extract the refrigerant using the A/C service station according to the corresponding Owner's Manual from both filler hoses. Refer to the A/C service station Owner's Manual.
If on an A/C service station with a service coupling, by which the pressure is not removed outward, this procedure takes longer than two minutes or a large quantity or refrigerant is extracted, this indicates a malfunction in one of the valves in the service connection.
If on an A/C service station with a service coupling, by which the pressure is not removed outward, this procedure takes longer than two minutes, this indicates a malfunction in one of the valves in the service coupling.
-- First remove (close) the hand wheels from the quick-release coupling connection.
-- The extract refrigerant from both filler hoses using the A/C service station.
-- Switch off the A/C service station (and if necessary disconnect from the power supply). Refer to A/C service station Owner's Manual.
-- Disconnect the quick-release couplings to the refrigerant circuit service connections.
-- Install the closure caps on the service connections. Refer to Refrigerant Circuit and the vehicle-specific refrigerant circuit.