Air Conditioning: Notes

The refrigerant system components include the following:

• A/C compressor
• A/C clutch assembly
• A/C condenser core
• A/C evaporator core
• Receiver/drier cartridge
• Connecting refrigerant lines
• Thermostatic expansion valve (TXV)

The refrigerant system incorporates an A/C compressor controlled by the powertrain control module (PCM) through an A/C clutch relay. The climate control assembly sends an A/C request signal to the instrument cluster module, which relays the request to the PCM. An evaporator discharge air temperature sensor is used to disengage the A/C compressor clutch when the evaporator core temperature falls below an acceptable temperature.

The A/C compressor clutch will only be engaged by the PCM if all of the following conditions are met:

• The climate control assembly is set to a mode which provides an A/C request to the PCM via the instrument cluster module (ICM).
• The evaporator discharge air temperature sensor is reading an acceptable temperature.
• The A/C pressure transducer is reading an acceptable pressure in the high side of the refrigerant system.
• The A/C compressor relay is switched to the closed position by the PCM.
• The engine coolant temperature is not excessively high.
• The PCM has not detected a wide open throttle (WOT) condition.

An A/C pressure relief valve is installed in the A/C compressor to protect the refrigerant system against excessively high refrigerant pressures.

Refrigerant flow into the evaporator core is metered by a TXV.