Precautions on Servicing A/C System

Precautions on Servicing A/C System

WARNING:

Contact of liquid HFC-134a (R-134a) refrigerant with skin and eyes will cause frostbite. The refrigerant cools the surface coming in contact with it to a temperature much lower than the freezing point of water.

Avoid contact with HFC-134a (R-134a) refrigerant and wear goggles and gloves whenever handling the refrigerant. Should the refrigerant happen to contact your eyes or skin, immediately take action as described below to prevent aggravating the condition:

- In the event of eye contact, do not rub the eye you're your hand. Instead, pour fresh cold water over the eye to gradually raise the temperature. After washing the eye thoroughly with water, receive medical attention as soon as possible.
- If liquid HFC-134a (R-134a) contacts your skin, wash the affected area thoroughly with water. Since the skin may have been frostbitten, receive medical attention.

Handling Refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a)

- Always wear goggles to protect your eyes.
- Avoid direct contact to liquid refrigerant.
- Do not heat refrigerant container higher than 40 °C (104 °F).
- Do not discharge refrigerant into atmosphere.
- Do not expose bright metals to liquid refrigerant. Refrigerant combined with moisture is corrosive and tarnishes surfaces of bright metals including chrome.

- Never use heat for bending pipes. When bending a pipe, try to make its bending angle as smooth as possible.
- Keep internal parts of air conditioning free from moisture and dirt. When disconnecting any line from system, install a blind plug or cap to the fitting immediately.
- When handling recovery and recycling equipment, be sure to follow the instruction manual for the equipment.
- Check local governmental regulations regarding working with refrigerator systems and its tooling.
- When connecting hoses and pipes, apply a few drops of compressor oil (refrigerant oil) to O-ring.
- Replace O-ring with new one once hoses, pipes and parts disconnected.
- When tightening or loosening a fitting, use two wrenches, one for turning and the other for support.
- Route drain hose so that drained water does not make any contact to vehicle components.
- If pipes or hoses are replaced, replenish specified amount of compressor oil to compressor suction side referring to "Replenishing Compressor Oil" in Service and Repair Operation Procedure for Refrigerant Charge:Manual A/C.

Refrigerant Recovery

When discharging refrigerant out of A/C system, always recover it by using refrigerant recovery and recycling equipment because discharging refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a) into atmosphere would cause adverse effect to environments referring to "Recovery" in Service and Repair Operation Procedure for Refrigerant Charge:Manual A/C.

Refrigerant Charge

After performing compressor oil replenishment and evacuation, charge a proper amount of refrigerant to A/C system referring to "Charge" in Service and Repair Operation Procedure for Refrigerant Charge:Manual A/C.