Car Care Tips

Air conditioning stuff
What is it? Air conditioning (A/C) is simply the process of removing heat from matter. All matter above the temperature of –459°F contains energy in the form of heat. Heat always travels from hot to cold. The function of the air conditioning system in your automobile is to improve upon the efficiency of this process of moving heat. To accomplish this, the A/C system uses three methods of removing heat from your car – Radiant, Conduction and Convection.
How does it work?
	• The heat in your automobile is blown across the evaporator coils using convection.
	• The heat is absorbed into the cool refrigerant (Freon, R-12, R-134a, etc.) inside the coils using conduction.
	• The refrigerant moves the heat to the condenser using convection.
	• This heat is absorbed into the condenser fins using conduction.
	• The heat then transfers back into the atmosphere using radiation.
Other important components are necessary. The regulation of humidity and understanding how air movement affects our comfort. Therefore, in order for your air conditioning system to be most effective it must do the following three things:
	• Remove heat from the interior of the vehicle.
	• Remove moisture from the interior of the vehicle.
	• Provide movement of air in the interior of the vehicle.

How could they go wrong?
Simply put, one of the primary components of your air conditioning system has broken down. A/C failure usually falls into one of three categories:
	• Component Failure resulting in a lack of sufficient refrigerant to remove heat from the car is the most common failure and occurs in about 60% of all A/C failures. This is usually caused by a leak and your Tuffy technician can verify this by either using an electric leak detector or by injecting ultraviolet dye into the A/C system along with using an ultraviolet light.
	• Electrical Problems represent approximately 30% of A/C failures. This can cause the compressor and fans to stop. Electrical failures could be caused by a failed sensor or the on board automotive computer.
	• Improper Refrigerant Charge causes approximately 10% of A/C problems. Simply put, for a variety of reasons, the mixture of refrigerant to oil is out of balance. How does Tuffy make it right?
Tuffy technicians have several options available to help you solve your air conditioning problems. First, there is a visual check for refrigeration leaks. If this does not identify the problem, your Tuffy technician can inject a dye into the refrigeration system that is visible under UV light. Once the leak is identified and repaired, the system can be recharged using the proper refrigerant. If your vehicle has the older R-12 refrigerant, there are also affordable retro fit conversions that will restore your air conditioning system to good working order.