MACS Monthly Newsletter - 2017 - OCT1

Total Vehicle Climate and Thermal ManagementTM

October 2017

By Steve Schaeber, MACS Technical Editor

OUR STRUGGLE WITH OIL
One of the most troubling situations a shop technician faces is when they can't find critical service information that they're looking for to properly diagnose and repair a vehicle. This could be anything from
torque specs and bolt tightening sequence to wiring
schematics and even how to program the clock. In the
A/C world, it's most frustrating when a technician
can't find capacity information for a system they're
working on, and when they've tried everything they
can at their shop, they often reach out to tech support
specialists at their parts suppliers (and their membership organizations like MACS) to get some help.
There are many resources available to help technicians, including aftermarket information services like
Alldata, Chilton, Mitchell, and Motor, and then there's
always the OEM websites, which were made available
through Massachusetts's Right-to-Repair law. Beyond
that we're lucky here at MACS, because we have contacts with many of the most trusted OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and parts distributors in the mobile A/C industry, who often take the time to offer their advice and
guidance to a technician in need.
But sometimes we run across a situation where no
matter how much we search, and no matter how many
people we ask, we just can't seem to find definitive
answers to sometimes basic questions, like how much
oil is supposed to be in a particular system.
In some cases, we totally understand, that because a
system may have been individually manufactured and
assembled, and after a period of time the charge information label may have worn off or defaced, that there
may not be any records to search or any one person to
ask. But when it comes to major OEMs, particularly
of high volume, popular models, it seems counterintuitive that, too often, the information simply can't be
found.

(the 2-wheel drive model with a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine). He had already diagnosed the faulty compressor, flushed out the components, and had replacement
parts in hand.
We also know that he's replacing the factory compressor with an original Sanden replacement, which
is helpful information to know right from the start.
Not only is that the exact same compressor that was
removed from the vehicle, but it also has the same features, the most important of which when it comes to
oil charge is the oil separator (we'll cover that in more
detail coming up). To be exact, it's a Sanden model
4920 (aka the TRSE09 Scroll).
The technician told us that the label on the compressor says, "OIL: SP-10, OIL AMT: 80cc" which made
him wonder if that was the correct amount of oil for
the entire system, or just the amount that goes into the
compressor itself. Figuring a double-check was in order, he also read the underhood label, which said, "OIL
TYPE: Honda genuine synthetic PAG oil specifically
designed for this compressor, see Owner's manual."
It wasn't in the glove box, but a quick search online
brought it up. The only thing it mentioned about A/C
oil was, "Lubricant type: SP-10." That got him closer,
and at least confirmed what kind of oil this crossover
needs. But how much is the bigger question, and since
he couldn't find the spec online or through his parts
supplier, that was the reason for his call.
When we get calls like these we have several different sources we can reference to get the information
we're looking for. Typically, we start with one of the
online service information providers, and in this case,
it was Motor. Its A/C specs only listed refrigerant type
(R-134a) and capacity (440-490g, or 15.5-17.3 ounces),
along with oil type (SP-10) and viscosity (46). No oil
charge amounts, but at least that gets us started, and
we know a little bit more about what we're dealing
with.
Since not all of the factory specs always make
it into every aftermarket system, we decided to
check Alldata too, and see what they have listed.

THE HONDA CR-V
Let's take a look at one example, where we received
a call from a technician asking how much oil is supposed to be in the A/C system of a 2009 Honda CR-V
MACS Service Reports is the official technical publication of the Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide, Inc., P.O. Box 88, Lansdale, PA 19446. The material published in MACS Service Reports expresses the views of the contributors
and not necessarily that of MACS. Every attempt has been made to ensure

October 2017

the accuracy of the content of MACS Service Reports. MACS, however, will
not be responsible for the accuracy of the information published nor will MACS
Worldwide be liable in any way for injury, labor, parts or other expenses resulting
from the use of information appearing in MACS Service Reports.

MACS Service Reports

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MACS Monthly Newsletter - 2017