Air Conditioning System

General Information The air conditioning system may be installed on some models. It lowers the temperature and humidity of the air in the passenger compartment, prevents windows from fogging, and makes driving the vehicle more comfortable.

The cooling section of the system works like an ordinary household refrigerator. Refrigerant in gaseous state enters the compressor, which is driven by a belt from the crankshaft. The compressed gas then enters the condenser, installed in front of the radiator, where it is cooled and turns into liquid. The liquid passes through the expansion valve into the evaporator, where it turns back into gas. This change is accompanied by a drop in temperature and cooling of the evaporator. The gas returns to the compressor and the cycle repeats. Air blown through the cold evaporator enters the air distribution housing, where it is mixed with warm air that has passed through the heater in a set proportion to achieve the desired temperature in the passenger compartment. The heating section of the system works in the same way as on models without air conditioning. The system is controlled by an electronic control unit. All system malfunctions must be repaired only at an authorized service station.

Do not operate the air conditioning system if refrigerant leakage is known to have occurred, as this may damage the compressor.

A/C Components WARNING: Do not attempt to disconnect the refrigerant circuit! The only task the vehicle owner can easily perform without disconnecting the cooling circuit is replacing the compressor drive belt. All other system maintenance and repair must be performed by a qualified service station.

To provide access to other engine components, if necessary, the compressor can be removed by unbolting it without disconnecting its flexible hoses.