Service Procedures Refrigerant Oil Level; Refrigerant Recovery; Refrigerant System Charge; Refrigerant System Evacuate - Dodge 2000 DURANGO Service Manual

24 - 28 HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING
SERVICE PROCEDURES
REFRIGERANT OIL LEVEL
When an air conditioning system is assembled at
the factory, all components except the compressor are
refrigerant oil free. After the refrigerant system has
been charged and operated, the refrigerant oil in the
compressor is dispersed throughout the refrigerant
system. The evaporator, filter-drier, condenser, and
compressor will each retain a significant amount of
the needed refrigerant oil.
It is important to have the correct amount of oil in
the refrigerant system. This ensures proper lubrica-
tion of the compressor. Too little oil will result in
damage to the compressor. Too much oil will reduce
the cooling capacity of the air conditioning system.
It will not be necessary to check the oil level in the
compressor or to add oil, unless there has been an oil
loss. An oil loss may occur due to a rupture or leak
from a refrigerant line, a connector fitting, a compo-
nent, or a component seal. If a leak occurs, add 30
milliliters (1 fluid ounce) of 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.
Refrigerant oil must be added when a filter-drier,
evaporator coil, or condenser are replaced. See the
Refrigerant Oil Capacities chart. When a compressor
is replaced, the refrigerant oil must be drained from
the old compressor and measured. Drain all of the
refrigerant oil from the new compressor, then fill the
new compressor with the same amount of refrigerant
oil that was drained out of the old compressor.
Refrigerant Oil Capacities
Component
A/C System 4.7 L
(Front Only)
A/C System 4.7 L
(Front & Rear)
A/C System 5.9L (Front Only)
A/C System 5.9L
(Front & Rear)
Filter-Drier
Condenser
Evaporator (Front)
Evaporator (Rear)
Compressor
ml fl oz
165 5.5
240 8
180 6.1
240 8
30 1
30 1
60 2
30 1
drain and measure
the oil from the old
compressor - see
text.

REFRIGERANT RECOVERY

WARNING: REVIEW THE WARNINGS AND CAU-
TIONS IN THE GENERAL INFORMATION SECTION
NEAR THE FRONT OF THIS GROUP BEFORE
RECOVERING REFRIGERANT.
A R-134a refrigerant recovery/recycling/charging
station that meets SAE Standard J2210 must be
used to recover the refrigerant from an R-134a refrig-
erant system. Refer to the operating instructions sup-
plied by the equipment manufacturer for the proper
care and use of this equipment.

REFRIGERANT SYSTEM CHARGE

WARNING: REVIEW THE WARNINGS AND CAU-
TIONS IN THE GENERAL INFORMATION SECTION
NEAR THE FRONT OF THIS GROUP BEFORE
CHARGING THE REFRIGERANT SYSTEM.
After the refrigerant system has been tested for
leaks and evacuated, a refrigerant charge can be
injected into the system. See Refrigerant Charge
Capacity in the Service Procedures section of this
group for the proper amount of the refrigerant
charge.
A R-134a refrigerant recovery/recycling/charging
station that meets SAE Standard J2210 must be
used to charge the refrigerant system with R-134a
refrigerant. Refer to the operating instructions sup-
plied by the equipment manufacturer for the proper
care and use of this equipment.
REFRIGERANT CHARGE CAPACITY
The R-134a refrigerant system charge capacity for
this vehicle is: Single Unit: 0.793 kilograms (28 ounc-
es), Dual Unit: 0.907 kilograms (32 ounces).

REFRIGERANT SYSTEM EVACUATE

WARNING: REVIEW THE WARNINGS AND CAU-
TIONS IN THE GENERAL INFORMATION SECTION
NEAR THE FRONT OF THIS GROUP BEFORE EVAC-
UATING THE SYSTEM.
If the refrigerant system has been open to the
atmosphere, it must be evacuated before the system
can be charged. If moisture and air enters the system
and becomes mixed with the refrigerant, the com-
pressor head pressure will rise above acceptable
operating levels. This will reduce the performance of
the air conditioner and damage the compressor.
Evacuating the refrigerant system will remove the
air and boil the moisture out of the system at near
room temperature. To evacuate the refrigerant sys-
tem, use the following procedure:
DN