Refrigerant Oil: Testing and Inspection
REFRIGERANT OIL LEVEL CHECKWARNING: REFER TO THE APPLICABLE WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS FOR THIS SYSTEM BEFORE PERFORMING THE FOLLOWING OPERATION.
CAUTION: The refrigerant oil used in this R-134a A/C system is ND-8 PAG R-134a refrigerant oil. Only refrigerant oil of the same type should be used to service the system. Do not use any other type of refrigerant oil. Always refer to the underhood A/C System Specification Label for the correct oil designation.
It is important to have the correct amount of lubricant in the A/C refrigerant system to ensure proper lubrication of the A/C compressor. Too little lubricant will result in damage to the compressor. Too much lubricant will reduce the cooling capacity of the A/C system and consequently result in higher discharge air temperatures.
The lubricant used in the compressor is polyalkalene glycol PAG lubricant. Only the refrigerant lubricant approved for use with this vehicle should be used to service the system. Do not use any other lubricant. The lubricant container should be kept tightly capped until it is ready for use. Refrigerant lubricant will quickly absorb any moisture it comes in contact with.
It will not be necessary to check the oil level in the A/C compressor or to add oil, unless there has been an oil loss. An oil loss may occur due to component replacement, or a rupture or leak from a refrigerant line, connector fitting, component or component seal. If a leak occurs, add 30 milliliters (1 fluid ounce) of the recommended 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.
When an air conditioning system is first assembled at the factory, all components (except the A/C compressor) are refrigerant oil free. After the refrigerant system has been charged with (R-134a) refrigerant and operated, the oil in the A/C compressor is dispersed through the lines and components. The A/C evaporator, A/C condenser and the accumulator or receiver/drier (depending on application) will retain a significant amount of oil. Refer to the A/C Component Refrigerant Oil Capacities table. When a component is replaced, the specified amount of refrigerant oil must be added. When a new A/C compressor is being installed, drain the lubricant from the used compressor, measure the amount drained and discard the used lubricant. Drain the lubricant from the new A/C compressor into a clean container. Return the amount of lubricant measured from the used compressor, plus the amount reclaimed from the system back into the new A/C compressor. When a line or component has ruptured and oil has escaped, the accumulator or receiver/drier (depending on application) must be replaced along with the ruptured component.
COMPRESSOR REFRIGERANT OIL LEVEL CHECK
NOTE: Most reclaim/recycling equipment will measure the lubricant being removed during recovery. This amount of lubricant should be added back into the system. Refer to the reclaim/recycling equipment manufacturers instructions.
1. Recover the refrigerant from the system.
2. Disconnect the refrigerant lines from the A/C compressor. Cap open lines to prevent moisture from entering the system.
3. Remove the A/C compressor from the vehicle.
4. From the suction and discharge ports on the A/C compressor, drain the lubricant from the old A/C compressor into a clean container.
5. From the suction and discharge ports on the A/C compressor, drain the lubricant from the new A/C compressor into a clean container.
6. Install new lubricant back into the new A/C compressor in the amount measured from the used compressor, plus adding any amount of lubricant lost when the refrigerant system was reclaimed.
7. Install the A/C compressor and connect the refrigerant lines. Then evacuate and charge refrigerant system.