Tips to diagnose the A/C Refrigerant Pressure Sensor by OBD scanner

Dec 23
09:02

2011

Woody Su

Woody Su

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There is something wrong with your air conditioning when it is not pumping out cold air through the vents in your car. Most cars have a warning light on the instrument panel that alerts when the refrigerant level is low, while others rely on codes sent through the car's on-board diagnostic generation 2 (OBD 2) system.

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There is something wrong with your air conditioning when it is not pumping out cold air through the vents in your car. Most cars have a warning light on the instrument panel that alerts when the refrigerant level is low,Tips to diagnose the A/C Refrigerant Pressure Sensor by OBD scanner  Articles while others rely on codes sent through the car's on-board diagnostic generation 2 (OBD 2) system. If your car was produced before 1995, then it may use R12 refrigerant, which is no longer being produced now. But, you can have a mechanic update your older A/C system so you can use an R134a recharge kit, which can be bought at any car parts supply store.

You'll Need OBD 2 scanner for this job.

Find out the OBD 2 port on your car first. The OBD 2 port on your car is located near the steering column, it generally will be within 2 feet of the steering column and concealed behind a small panel that can be removed easily by hand. The OBD 2 port is a 16-pin connector. Every car manufactured after 1996 is equipped with this on-board computer (OBD 2).

Insert the scanner into the OBD 2 port and turn the ignition key to the "Accessories" position. Power on the OBD 2 scanner on and wait it for several seconds to read the error codes from the engine control unit (ECU).

Consult the error codes reported by the OBD 2 scanner by using a computer with Internet access to browse a table of error codes. Other websites such as AutoZone also list this information in the online repair guide for the make and model of your car. The OBD 2 code will show whether the A/C refrigerant pressure sensor is faulty or the refrigerant only needs recharging. If you are about to replace the sensor yourself, keeping in mind that the OBD 2 code does not necessarily indicate whether the sensor or the circuitry is causing the error which activated the "Check Engine" light.

Use a multimeter to check the terminals on the electrical connection leading to the A/C refrigerant pressure sensor. Disconnect the electrical connector leading to the sensor. With the ignition key turned on to the "Accessories" position, touch the probes to the terminals leading from the car's electrical harness. If the multimeter does not register any voltage coming from the terminals, it means your car's electrical system needs to be repaired, but not the sensor. If you are interested in OBD 2 scanner, I am glad to communicate with you.