1

Service Fittings
and Pressure
Gauges
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Service fittings
• Service fittings are connectors in the A/C system that
allow the system to be evacuated [vacuumed] and
recharged with both refrigerant and oil.
• The service fittings also permit gauges to be connected
to the system for diagnosis.
• All automotive A/C systems have at least two service
fittings.
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Service fittings for R-134a systems
• A/C systems on cars built since 1993 have
push on service fittings similar to air hose
couplers.
• The design of the fitting allows the A/C
system to be connected to a gauge,
vacuum pump, refrigerant tank or A/C
service machine with almost no loss of
refrigerant.
• After the coupler is attached to the service
fittings the knob on the coupler is rotated
clockwise until tight.
• This prevent accidental disengagement
and ensures a tight seal between gauge
assembly and A/C system.
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Service fittings for R-134a systems
• The high side and low side service fittings
for R-134a are two different sizes. This
ensures that the service hoses and gauges are
not attached to the wrong side of the system.
[Idiot proof]
• In normal operation the service fittings are
covered by a dust cap that is treaded onto the
fitting’s internal thread. The dust caps are
color coded [Red=high side Blue+ low side]
and also have a letter H or L on the face of
the cap.
• The cap has an o-ring and is designed to
prevent leakage if the valve in the fitting
fails.
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Service fittings for R-134a systems
• The low side service fitting is located on the
suction line and the high side fitting is on the
discharge line at a point where they are easily
accessible.
• The valve inside the service fitting is non-
serviceable so locating the fitting on the hose
makes repair of a leaky fitting relatively
cheap and easy.
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Service fittings for R-12 vehicles
• Prior to 1987 all A/C service fittings had an
7/16-20 externally threaded fitting on both
the low and high side.
• The same size connection was used for 30
lbs. refrigerant tanks, gauges and hoses.
• Between 1987 and 1993 the high side
service fitting was changed to 3/8-24 for
most domestic systems to try to make them
idiot proof.
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Schrader valves
• Both high and low fittings used a Schrader
valve similar to the type found on a tire
valve to seal refrigerant leaking out of the
fitting.
• The Schrader valve can usually be
removed with the same tool used to
remove Schrader vales in tires.
• Tire valves should never be used in an A/C
system as they are not designed to work
with the refrigerants and refrigerant oil.
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Service fittings for R-12 vehicles

• The problem with the threaded fittings and Schrader

valves on R-12 systems was that every time you
connected and disconnect service hoses to the fittings
an ounce or two of refrigerant was lost to the
atmosphere.
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Pressure gauges
• A set of stand alone pressure gauges can be
directly connected to the A/C system for
diagnosis, evacuating and recharging.
• Most shops will use the pressure gauges
built into the A/C service machine.
• Gauges can be mechanical or digital.
• Digital gauges have more bells and whistles
but mechanical gauges are more robust and
inexpensive to replace if damaged.
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Pressure gauges
• High side and low side pressure can be
displayed simultaneously on a digital
pressure gauge systems.
• Mechanical pressure gauges have a low side
gauge that reads from 30 inches vacuum to
120 psi.
• The high side gauge reads from 0 to 500 psi.
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Measuring vacuum

• Vacuum is pressure that is lower than the surrounding

atmospheric pressure.
• The most common unit of measure of vacuum is inches
of mercury [ in. hg. ]
• A perfect vacuum will suck mercury up a glass tube a
vertical distance of 30 inches, at seal level.
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Measuring pressure
• The standard unit of measuring pressure in the USA is
in PSI [pounds per square inch]
• There are 3 common metric pressure units:
– BAR
• 1 BAR is the same as standard atmospheric pressure [15 psi]
• Used by most European manufactures
– Kg/cm [Kilograms per square centimeter]
• Commonly used by Asian manufacturers
– Kp [Kilopascals]
• Used mostly by domestic manufacturers
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Gauge pressure vs. absolute pressure
• Most pressure gauges are designed to read zero when
exposed to normal atmospheric pressure.
• Some gauges are designed to read zero when they are
exposed to a near perfect vacuum and will read 15 psi
or one BAR when exposed to atmospheric pressure.
This type of gauge is called an absolute pressure gauge.
• The scale of the gauge will be labeled PSI A .
• Regular gauges that read zero at normal atmospheric
pressure are labeled PSI G or just plain PSI.
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Manómetro de baja
• El manómetro del lado de
baja normalmente mide
presiones bajas entre 0 y 120
PSI
• También mide presiones de
vacío, para estas mediciones
la caratula del dial esta
pintada de verde.
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Manómetro de baja

• El manómetro puede indicar

presiones de vacío
únicamente cuando el
sistema esta siendo evacuado
mediante la utilización de
una bomba de vacío, esto se
hace durante el
mantenimiento del equipo
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Manómetro de alta

• El manómetro del lado de

alta tiene un rango de 0 a 500
psi.
• Algunos manómetros tienen
una parte del dial pintada de
rojo para indicar que
presiones mayores a 350 psi
son anormales y
potencialmente peligrosas
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Normal rest pressure
Low side High side

• When the gauges are attached to the service fittings and

the engine is shut off and cooled down, the pressure
readings on both gauges should be about the same as
the ambient temperature.
Rest pressure – hot engine
18

• If the engine has been recently been running, heat from

the radiator will warm the refrigerant in the condenser –
raising the rest pressure 15 to 20 psi on both sides.
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Engine running - A/C turned on

• Both low and high side pressure will effected by ambient air
temperature.
• The low side pressure normally ranges between the mid 20s
to 40 psi.
• High side pressure ranges between 120 and 225 psi.
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Pressure when cabin temperature is
high

• A vehicle parked in the sun in summertime may have a

cabin temperature of 115 degrees or more.
• When the A/C system is started the heat from the cabin air
will boil off most of the refrigerant as soon as it enters the
evaporator.
• Evaporator pressure will be relatively high – in the mid 40
psi range while cabin temperature is high.
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Normal cabin temperature

• Once the cabin air temperature cools down to a

comfortable level the low side pressure should stabilize
around 27 psi.
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Correction for relative humidity
• More condensation forms on the surface of the
evaporator when the relative humidity is high.
• The additional amount of liquid water coating the fins
of the evaporator restrict the amount of air passing
through the evaporator – this raises the evaporator
pressure since there will be less heat absorbed.
• Some manufacture’s A/C pressure charts have humidity
compensation columns to correct for the effects of high
relative humidity.
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Measuring relative humidity

• Relative humidity is measured in percentage – where at
100% relative humidity the air is completely saturated
with water vapor and any additional water will form foe
or rain droplets.

• Relative humidity is measured with a hygrometer.

• Electronic hygrometers are the most common type.
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Wet bulb / dry bulb hygrometer

• In the past wet bulb/dry bulb hygrometer were used in
servicing A/C systems.
– Two thermometers mounted side by side – one with the bulb
surrounded by a cotton wick that was soaked in water
– The difference in temperature between the wet bulb and dry
bulb was used to determine the relative humidity from a chart
printed on the back of the hygrometer.
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Humidity - comfort range

• A relative humidity level between 50 and 60% is ideal
for most people.
• Besides cooling the cabin air the A/C system removes a
significant amount of water vapor from the air –
bringing the humidity into the comfort range
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Defrost / defog and relative humidity

• Whenever the HVAC mode is set to defrost/defog mode
the A/C compressor should be turned on.
• Cooling the air prior to heating it will allow any
humidity in the air to condense and drip out the
evaporator drain.
• Fog or frost on the inside of the windshield will be
removed faster if the air coming out the defrost vents is
both hot and dry.
• Most domestic cars automatically turn on the A/C
compressor whenever the mode selector is in defrost
mode.
High side pressure – winter operation
27

• When the A/C is turned on the high side pressure is

dependant on the ambient temperature and volume of
air passing through the condenser.
• On a cold winter day the high side pressure might not
reach 100 psi
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High side pressure – summer
operation

• In summer driving when the outside air temperature is

in the 90s the condenser will not work as effectively as
it did when the temperatures were in the 40s.
• High side pressure can go as high as 225 psi in summer
driving.
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Compressor cycling
• CCOT systems turn the
compressor on and off when
evaporator pressure or
temperature exceed specified
values.
• When the compressor kicks in on
a CCOT system the pressure in
the low side slowly drops from
around 34 psi down to the point
where it shuts off at about 24 psi.
• When the compressor is shut off
the pressure slowly rises back up
to 34 psi where it turns back on
again.
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Compressor cycling
• In hot summer weather the compressor may run more
or less continuously.
• In cold weather operation the compressor may cycle on
for a few seconds then turn off for a minute or more.
• A compressor that runs for few seconds then shuts
down for a 10 to 15 seconds is a sign that the system is
severely undercharged.
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Sight glass
Glass
lens
• A sight glass is used to
determine if the A/C system
has the correct amount of
refrigerant charge.

• Sight glasses are common in older

vehicles that use a receiver drier and
expansion valve.
• A sight glass is a window into the
pickup tube in the center of the
receiver/drier.
• The problem with the sight glass is that
a system with a complete refrigerant
charge looks almost the same as a
system that is completely empty.
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Sight glass – low refrigerant charge
Glass
lens

• If the receiver drier is

almost empty vapor
Pickup
bubbles will be seen in
tube
the sight glass as the
bottom of the pickup tube
is above the liquid level
in the receiver/drier.
Liquid
level
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Determining if the system is completely

charged
• The only way you can accurately determine if
the A/C system is completely charged is to
recover the refrigerant and measure the weight
of recovered refrigerant and refrigeration oil.
• In a system with a sight glass if there is a froth
of bubbles visible in the sight glass when the
compressor is running the system is only
partially charged.
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Undercharge

Ambient temperature
85 deg. F

• Lower than normal pressures on both sides indicate an

undercharge condition on CCOT and expansion valve
systems.
• VDOT system will have a normal low side pressure and a
low high side pressure.
Severe undercharge – engine off
35

Ambient temperature
85 deg. F

• If there is a leak in the system there may be a little bit

of residual pressure.
• When the pressure in the system is significantly less
than the ambient temperature there is no liquid
refrigerant remaining in the system.
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Overcharge

• If both sides have above normal pressure the system may be

overcharged.
• Overcharging decreases the system performance.
• The compressor can be destroyed and the hoses, condenser
and evaporator can rupture due to excess pressure.
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Low side restriction

• Restrictions in the low side… orifice tube, expansion

valve or evaporator will result in lower high side and
low side pressures.
• When inspecting the system look for a sudden drop in
temperature or ice around the lines and valves.
Compressor – defective reed valves
38

• Rapid fluctuation of either high or low side pressure

can indicate a leaking or broken reed valve.
• If the reed valve is damaged vapor will flow back and
forth in the lines instead of a normal one way flow.
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High side restriction

• A restriction in the discharge line, condenser or liquid

line will cause above normal pressure in the high side
and slightly higher than normal pressure in the low
side.
• Look for a large temperature drop or ice build up
around high side components.
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Defective electric fan

• An inoperative electric fan can cause the high side

pressure to rise to dangerous levels in less than a
minutes A/C operation.
• The electric fan should be running whenever the
compressor is running.
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Non-condensable gasses
Engine off and cooled
down to ambient
temperature
Ambient temperature
70 deg. F

• Air trapped in the A/C system will not condense into a

liquid when cooled.
• Any air trapped in the system will raise the system
pressure and prevent the pressure regulating controls
from working correctly.
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Gauge and hose set
• A gauge and hose set is often used
to perform A/C diagnosis and
service.
• An A/C service machine is needed
to recover and recycle refrigerant
Low side High side
service service but if the A/C system has lost all of
hose hose
it’s refrigerant charge the gauge and
hose set can be used in conjunction
with a vacuum pump to evacuate
and recharge the system after
repairs have been made.
Vacuum and
charging hose
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Hand valves

• The gauges are always

connected to their
respective hoses.
• When the red [high side]
hand valve is opened the
red hose is connected to
the yellow hose.
• If the yellow hose is
connected to a vacuum High side
hand
pump the high side will valve

be evacuated. Vacuum and

charging hose
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Hand valves

• When the blue[low side]

hand valve is opened the
blue hose is connected
to the yellow [center]
hose.

Low side
hand
valve
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Hand valves

• Both hand valves can be

opened at the same time.
When the system is
being evacuated both
valves are opened so
that air and moisture in
both the high and low
sides of the system is
High side
removed Low side
hand hand
valve valve
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Gauges and hose - vacuum pump
connection
Low side
service
fitting
High side
service
fitting

Vacuum
pump

• When evacuating the system the vacuum pump is

connected to the center of the gauge manifold.
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Charging using gauges and hose set
Low side
service
fitting

High side
service
fitting

30 lbs.
refrigerant
container

• The system can be charged by connecting a tank of

refrigerant to the center hose.
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Charging is done through the low side only
• When charging an A/C system the high
side hand valve must be closed whenever
the engine is running.
• Opening the high side
valve with the engine
running can cause the
refrigerant container High side
hand
to explode..! valve