Sprinter 3500 V6-3.0L DSL Turbo VIN 45 (2007)
Condenser HVAC: Description and Operation
Plumbing - Front
Description
DESCRIPTION
The A/C condenser (1) for the front A/C-heating system is located in the engine compartment behind the front fascia. The front A/C condenser is a heat
exchanger made of rows of aluminum tubes with fins. The A/C condenser allows the high-pressure refrigerant gas that is being discharged by the A/C
compressor, to give up its heat to the air passing as it flows over the tubes and fins, which causes the refrigerant to cool and change to a liquid state.
The front A/C condenser is equipped with integral mounting tabs (2), a tapping block for the refrigerant lines (3) and the front A/C pressure transducer
(4) and a tapping block (5) for the front A/C receiver/drier (6).
Operation
OPERATION
When air passes through the fins of the front A/C condenser, the high-pressure refrigerant gas within the A/C condenser gives up its heat. The refrigerant
then condenses as it leaves the A/C condenser and becomes a high-pressure liquid. The volume of air flowing over the condenser fins is critical to the
proper cooling performance of the front A/C-heating system. Therefore, it is important that there are no objects placed in front of the radiator grille
openings at the front of the vehicle or foreign material on the condenser fans or fins that might obstruct proper air flow. Also, any factory-installed air
seals or shrouds must be properly reinstalled following radiator or A/C condenser service.
NOTE: Replacement of the refrigerant line O-ring seals is required anytime a refrigerant line is disconnected. Failure to replace the rubber O-ring seals
may result in a refrigerant system leak.
The front A/C condenser has no serviceable parts except for the O-ring seals. The O-ring seals used on the connections are made from a special type of
rubber not affected by R-134a refrigerant. The O-ring seals must be replaced whenever a refrigerant line, front A/C pressure transducer or front A/C
receiver/drier is disconnected from the A/C condenser.
The front A/C condenser cannot be repaired and must be replaced if leaking or damaged.
