When your car’s air conditioning or heating stops working, you’re faced with some miserable driving conditions at any time of the year, whether hot or cold. Driving comfort depends on maintaining your car’s interior temperature to what is comfortable for you. This can be interrupted if hoses, compressors, condensers, or heater cores go bad. If your AC needs some TLC to blow hot and cold at the appropriate times, repair your HVAC system with quality heating and air repair parts from LKQ Online, including genuine OEM used auto parts and new aftermarket parts at affordable prices.
AC Compressor
Everything starts with the compressor, it’s the heart of your vehicle’s air conditioning system and separates the high-pressure and low-pressure sides of the system. It’s an engine-driven device that pressurizes the refrigerant and forces it through the system with a specially designed pump and control valves. At the compressor inlet, it creates a low-pressure condition to remove heat-laden refrigerant vapor from the evaporator, so the right amount of liquid refrigerant passes into the evaporator. At the same time, it compresses the low-pressure refrigerant vapor to a high-pressure vapor, increasing the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant.
AC Clutch
Compressors are equipped with an electromagnetic clutch as part of the compressor pulley assembly. The purposes of the clutch are to transmit power from the engine to the compressor and to provide a means of engaging and disengaging the refrigeration system from engine operation. The clutch coil is the electrical part of a clutch assembly and power to the clutch is supplied through an electrical relay. When electrical power is applied to the clutch coil, the clutch is engaged to start and stop compressor action.
AC Condenser
The condenser is a vital heat exchanger that is typically located in front of the radiator. It consists of coiled refrigerant tubing mounted in a series of thin cooling fins to provide maximum heat transfer in a minimum amount of space. The purpose of the condenser is to condense or liquify the high-pressure, high-temperature vapor coming from the compressor. In normal operating conditions, the condenser has a combination of hot refrigerant vapor in the upper two-thirds of its coils and warm liquid refrigerant which has condensed in the lower third of the coils. The high-pressure, liquid refrigerant flows from the condenser and on toward the evaporator.
AC Evaporator
The evaporator, like the condenser, consists of a refrigerant coil mounted in a series of thin cooling fins and assists in moving heat from the passenger cabin to the condenser. The evaporator is usually located beneath the dashboard or instrument panel and serves as a boiler or vaporizer for a regulated flow of refrigerant. The refrigerant flow to the evaporator must be controlled to contain maximum cooling while ensuring complete evaporation of the liquid refrigerant within the evaporator. Heat from the core surface is lost, cooling the core. The air passing over the evaporator loses its heat to the cooler surface of the core, cooling the air inside the car. This heat loss causes moisture in the air to condense on the outside of the evaporator core and it’s drained off as water through a tube at the bottom and outside the vehicle.
AC Evaporator Housing / Plenum
The evaporator housing, a molded plastic housing case, often referred to as a plenum, contains everything that controls the hot and cold air flow into the cabin. This includes the AC evaporator, evaporator water drain, the heater core, various ducts and air distribution doors, and the blower motor/fan assembly. The blower’s purpose is to increase airflow in the passenger compartment by drawing warm air from the passenger compartment, passing it over the coils and fins of the evaporator, and then blowing cooled, cleaned, and dehumidified air into the passenger compartment. A crack or break in the housing may reduce the cooling capacity of the air conditioner. A plugged evaporator case drain may cause window fogging.
AC Hoses
AC hoses are commonly called refrigerant lines and there are three major types, suction lines, discharge lines, and liquid lines. The suction line connects the evaporator to the compressor, the discharge line connects the compressor to the condenser, and the liquid line connects the condenser to the expansion device. Suction lines carry the low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant vapor to the compressor where it is recycled through the system. Discharge and liquid lines are always very warm to the touch and easily distinguishable from the suction lines. Through these lines, the refrigerant travels in its path from a gas state to a liquid state and then to the evaporator where it vaporizes. Aluminum tubing is commonly used where flexibility is not required, otherwise special rubber hoses are used. Typically, the compressor outlet and inlet lines are rubber hoses with aluminum ends and fittings. LKQ Online has replacement AC hoses or all types, including refrigerant suction hoses, discharge and liquid hoses, and manifold hose assemblies as well as hose adapters, clamps, and seals.
AC Receiver / Drier
Thermal expansion valve (TXV) style AC systems use a receiver/drier near the outlet of the condenser to store refrigerant and remove moisture to prevent liquid from entering the compressor. It separates refrigerant vapor and moisture and ensures a steady flow of 100% moisture-free liquid to the thermostatic expansion valve. Depending on the manufacturer, the receiver / drier may be known by other names such as filter or dehydrator, but the purpose is the same. Divided into two parts, the receiver section stores the refrigerant, and the drier section of the tank contains a filter and a desiccant or drying material to remove moisture.
Heater—AC Parts
LKQ Online carries a wide range of new aftermarket heater and AC miscellaneous repair parts, including numerous switches, valves, seals, and gaskets. Here are some of the parts available for heater and AC repair: Accumulator, Compressor Fitting Adapter, Compression Piston, Clutch Cycle Switch, Clutch Switch, Compressor Cut-Out Switch, Service Valve Compressor, AC Flush Gun Tool Kit, AC Valve Core And Cap Kits, AC System Seal Kits, AC Expansion Valve, High/Low Side Pressure Switch, Binary Switch, Compressor Cut-Off Switch High Pressure, GM Adjustable Press Switch, AC System Seal Kits, AC Thermal Capillary Tube, HVAC Super Heat Switch, Compressor Guard Kit, Compressor Guard Filter Plate, AC Incline Filter, Line Splice Repair Kit, Rear AC Block Off Kit, Small Splice Straight Connector Hose, AC Oil Injector With Sight Glass Orifice Tubes, O-Rings, Sealing Washers, Gaskets, Clutch Skims, and Service Couplers.
Heater Assembly
The basic components of your car’s heater assembly include the heater core, blower motor/fan, heater hoses, heater control valve, and HVAC control panel within the car dashboard. The parts all work together to transform the heat from engine-heated coolant into warmth for the interior cabin. The heater core acts like a small radiator that is connected to the engine cooling system. The blower motor creates the airflow that passes through the AC evaporator and then through the heater core. Various ducts and doors inside the HVAC system distribute the warm air to the vents as directed by the control panel settings.
Heater Core
The heater core is the main heat exchanger for the heating system, a radiator-like component through which coolant flows to warm the car’s interior. The components of the heater core include a blower motor, heater hoses, and a control valve that controls the flow of heat. Some vehicles don’t use a heater control valve; rather, a heater door controls how much heat is released into the passenger compartment from the heater core.
Heater Housing
The heater housing is also called the heater box and is basically the same as the evaporator housing. Everything that controls the hot and cold air flow into the cabin is housed in this box, including the AC evaporator, evaporator water drain, the heater core, the blower motor/fan assembly, and various ducts and air distribution doors which divert air to the various AC/heater vents—floor, midway, and upper or windshield defrost.
Affordable Air Conditioning and Heater Repair
Repair your HVAC system with quality auto parts from LKQ Online. There is no reason to take your car to the dealer and pay high prices for parts and installation when LKQ Online offers one of the best selections of heating and air replacement parts in the industry. Find the parts you need at budget pricing and have them shipped directly to you or to your trusted auto shop mechanic. Each heating and air new or high-quality used part from LKQ Online is backed by LKQ’s industry-leading warranty to give you peace of mind.
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