Precautions when working with the air conditioning system (Range Rover 3)

General remarks

The air conditioning system contains operating fluids and components which, if mishandled, pose a risk to operating personnel and the environment. The following instructions are intended to familiarize service personnel with the hazards involved in working on an air conditioning system and to demonstrate the consequences of mishandling the system.

In the relevant sections "Guides" we have taken extra precautions.

All instructions must be read prior to system repair.

The air conditioning system uses HFC-134a refrigerant (fluorinated hydrocarbon) R134a.

WARNING: Only personnel who are familiar with the device of the system and special equipment for its filling and maintenance are allowed to service the air conditioning system. All operations must be carried out in well ventilated areas, away from sources of open flame.

WARNING: R134a refrigerant is a potentially hazardous liquid and can cause serious injury if not handled carefully. To work with the air conditioning system, you must have special protective clothing: heat-resistant gloves, face protection, rubber boots and a rubberized apron or special coat.

Urgent assistance to the victim

If there was an accident associated with the ingress of R134a refrigerant to unprotected areas of the body, then:

• If R134a gets into your eyes, do not rub them with your hands. Gently flush the injured eye with a special liquid to raise the temperature. If a special eye wash is not available, flush the eye with clean, cold water. After rinsing the eye, apply a clean swab to it and seek medical attention immediately.
• If R134a comes into contact with skin, flush the area with plenty of water to raise the temperature. If you have touched the drain cylinders, also flush the skin area with plenty of water. Wrap the affected areas of skin in woolen blankets and seek medical attention.
• If weakness is felt and ingestion of R134a fumes is suspected, move immediately to fresh air. If the person is unconscious, then immediately take him out of the contaminated area to fresh air, perform artificial respiration and (or) let it breathe in oxygen. After providing first aid, contact a medical facility.

WARNING: Due to the low boiling point, R134a must be handled with extreme care. If R134a refrigerant gets on unprotected skin, it causes instant frostbite. The bleed cylinders during bleed can also cause frostbite on the skin.

Maintenance Precautions

When working on the components of the air conditioning system, follow these instructions:

• Do not pull or lift system components by hoses, piping, or capillary tubes.
• Hoses and pipelines should not be subjected to small radius bends and mechanical stresses; the cooling capacity of the system in the presence of nodes or any additional resistances will be reduced. Before tightening the nuts, make sure that the hoses are correctly positioned, the components must be secured with all the provided fasteners.
• Flexible hoses must not be located in close proximity to the exhaust pipe (closer than 100 mm) in the absence of special thermal screens.
• After installation, make sure that there are no loose touches of pipelines on metal panels. Loose touch points can cause noise.
• Use a special torque wrench to tighten the connecting nuts of the pipelines. An additional wrench should be used to hold the piping or unit from turning while tightening the nuts.
• Before connecting a hose or pipe, lubricate the O-ring seats with special oil, DO NOT LUBRICATE the threads of the connection.
• The safety plugs should only be removed before connecting the components directly.
• Before disconnecting the pipelines, hold the car until its temperature equals the temperature of the box. This will prevent the condensation of water vapor from the air that enters the system when the pipelines are turned off.
• Openings must not be left unplugged for more than 15 minutes. If reassembly of the system is not possible within this time, plugs should be installed.
• After removing the pipelines, immediately plug their ends to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the system.
• The receiver and drier assembly contain a desiccant that absorbs moisture. When unscrewing the pipelines, plug the connecting fittings immediately. A dryer receiver assembly left unplugged must be replaced with a new one.
• The receiver and dryer assembly should be connected to the system last. This will ensure maximum protection of the system from moisture.
• In all cases, when removing any components of the air conditioning system, the receiver and dryer assembly should be replaced.
• Use a lint-free cloth dampened with alcohol to clean dirty connections.
• Components used for repair must be marked for use with R134a refrigerant.

After a major overhaul of the system, it is necessary to carry out pressure testing. How to do this is described in the section "Air conditioning system" this guide.

Special oil used in the air conditioning system

The special oil used in the air conditioning system is very hygroscopic. It cannot be stored for a long time. Do not pour unused oil back into the container. Use only recommended brands of oils.

Lubrication system

When replacing air conditioning components, drain the special lubricating oil into a graduated container. When installing new components, fill them with the same amount of oil.

Compressor

New compressors supplied as spare parts are hermetically sealed and filled with nitrogen. When installing a new compressor, carefully unscrew the sealing plug. At this time, you should hear the sound of escaping gas.

CAUTION: New compressors supplied as spare parts must be hermetically sealed and can be filled with nitrogen. Remove sealing plugs slowly and carefully to avoid lube oil spills. Remove the sealing plugs immediately before installing the compressor on the vehicle.

Rapid refrigerant leakage due to an accident or breakdown

If the air conditioning system is depressurized as a result of an accident, the refrigerant evaporates completely. It happens spontaneously within a very short time. As a result, most of the lubricating oil is carried away with the refrigerant. In this case, remove the compressor and drain all the oil from it. Then refill the system with oil as described in section "Air conditioning system" this guide.

Precautions for removing refrigerant, preparing it for further use and charging the system

Before filling the air conditioning system with refrigerant, the existing refrigerant must be removed from the system and prepared for reuse. After that, the system should be filled with the required amount (by weight) refrigerant and lubricating oil (by volume).

WARNING: The refrigerant must be cleaned before it can be reused. The refrigerant purification technology must comply with regulatory requirements and provide the required degree of purity.

Preparation of refrigerant for reuse must be carried out using equipment certified by Underwriter Laboratory Inc. for compliance with the requirements of SAE J1991. If the equipment used does not meet this requirement, then there is no guarantee that the refrigerant will be purified to the required degree of purity.

The service station for air conditioning systems with R134a refrigerant must not be used to service air conditioning systems that use a different refrigerant.

R134a refrigerant, which is commercially available and intended for domestic use, is not suitable for use in a car's air conditioning system.

CAUTION: Removing the refrigerant must be done immediately before charging the system. Do not leave the system uncharged.

Air conditioning compressor replacement

The new compressor supplied as spare parts is fully charged with lubricating oil (X cm³).

Refueling tanks

Before installing a new compressor, the calculated amount of oil must be drained from it. To calculate how much oil to drain from a new compressor, follow these instructions:

• 1. Remove the drain plug on the removed compressor.
• 2. Turn the compressor over and drain the oil by gravity into a calibrated container. Turn the compressor shaft by the clutch to make sure that the oil from the compressor is completely drained.
• 3. Record the amount of oil drained (Y cm³).
• 4. Determine how much oil to drain from the new compressor using the following formula: X cm³ — (Y cm³ + 20 cm³) = Q see³
• 5. Remove the drain plug from the new compressor and drain Q cm³ of oil. Replace and tighten compressor drain plug.