FIAT MulitAir Engine

The (red) solenoid valve regulates oil pressure that opens the intake valves (FIAT500USA photo)

by Jacques Gordon

Remember the HEUI system? It stands for Hydraulically actuated Electronically controlled Unit Injection, a fuel injection system developed by Caterpillar and licensed by International Harvester (now Navistar) and used in the first-generation Ford Powerstroke engine (got all that?). In the past, unit injectors were operated mechanically by a dedicated cam lobe on the engine’s camshaft. The HEUI system operates the injectors with hydraulic pressure, supplied by a high-pressure oil pump and controlled with a solenoid valve. With this system, timing and duration of each injection event can be controlled electronically instead of being literally carved in steel.

FIAT is using a similar idea to operate the intake valves in their MultiAir engine. The single overhead camshaft has three lobes per cylinder, two for the exhaust valves and one that operates a tiny high-pressure oil pump. The oil pressure is supplied to a solenoid valve, which regulates and uses the pressure to open that pair of intake valves. With this system, intake valve timing and duration are electronically controlled.

During start-up and idle, the intake valves open late and close early. Under full load, valve opening follows the cam profile to provide maximum lift and duration. At part load, timing and duration are adjusted to minimize emissions, and under some conditions there are multiple valve opening/closing events on each intake stroke, thus the name MultiAir. This generates turbulence in the cylinder and helps to produce a flat torque curve that reaches over 90% of its peak by 2000 rpm. Overall, the MultiAir system returns a 10% improvement in emissions and fuel economy and a 15% boost in torque. Under certain operating conditions manifold vacuum will be extremely low, so the cam also operates a vacuum pump for the brake booster.

This technology was ten years in development, and today the 1.4-liter MultiAir engine is built in the U.S. for the FIAT 500 (assembled in Mexico).  FIAT’s U.S. partner Chrysler is using the same technology in the new 2.0L and 2.4L Tigershark engines. While no further applications have been announced, FIAT has made a serious investment in this technology, and it can easily be used for cylinder deactivation and to eliminate the throttle, which would dramatically improve efficiency. It’s reasonable to believe we’ll see the MultiAir system in many more engines in the future.

 

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women’s Board!

When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.

If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, http://bit.ly/10zvMYg for more information.

You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org . To locate a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here  to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.

The 34th annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Power Up  will take place January 16-18 2014 at the Sheraton New Orleans.

 

The SAE International MRB CRP, comprising a group of leading global OEMs plus Tier One suppliers, has been assessing the operating, technical and safety performance of two low GWP blended refrigerants developed by Mexichem.

 

The SAE International MAC Refrigerant Blend Cooperative Research Program [MRB CRP], comprising a group of leading global OEMs plus Tier One suppliers, has been assessing the operating, technical and safety performance of two low GWP blended refrigerants developed by Mexichem.

 

WARRENDALE, Pa.May 13, 2013

The SAE International MAC Refrigerant Blend Cooperative Research Program [MRB CRP], comprising a group of leading global OEMs plus Tier One suppliers, has been assessing the operating, technical and safety performance of two low GWP blended refrigerants developed by Mexichem. These blended refrigerants meet the requirements of the EU MAC Directive. As the world’s vehicle MAC usage increases there will be a need for additional refrigerant supply in meeting the international environmental goals.

The blends are based on R-1234ze(E) with additional refrigerants that are all currently in production.  AC5 is a mixture of R-32, R-152a and R-1234ze(E) and AC6 is a mixture of R-744, R-134a and R-1234ze(E).Details of these refrigerants and promising initial findings were shared in October 2012 at the SAE International Thermal Management System Symposium [TMSS] event in Phoenix, AZ.

Since then more in-depth work has continued and at a meeting of the MRB CRP held 14th and 15th April 2013 in Detroit, the team reviewed the progress of this work and decided there was a need to share information relevant to the public discussion about low GWP refrigerants for MAC applications.

Specifically the MRB CRP wants to ensure that information that it has generated regarding the performance, flammability and risk assessment of these low GWP blended refrigerants is available to be included in the important discussion regarding replacement of MAC system refrigerant.  Based on a detailed fault tree analysis AC6 offers a risk profile that is equal to or better than that of R-1234yf in all significant respects.   AC5 is comparable to R-1234yf

MRB CRP members delivered, at TMSS 2012, several presentations on different technical aspects of AC5 and AC6 including performance, risk assessment and materials compatibility showing that AC5 and AC6 were technically credible low GWP refrigerants. [These presentations are available on the SAE International website: http://www.sae.org/standardsdev/tsb/cooperative/mrbpresentations.htm .  Since late 2012 MRB CRP has been focusing on the low GWP blended refrigerant AC6 and has already reported on its reduced flammability compared to R-1234yf at TMSS 2012.

In order to ensure that information generated by the work of MRB CRP is available the CRP has now decided to issue a preliminary report reflecting these presentations as well as updated information and expects to issue further reports as the project progresses before MRB CRP members present final reports on the risk assessment, first fill, servicing and flammability work at the 2013 TMSS in October, 2013 in Troy, Michigan.

———————————————————————————————————-

Inquiries about the MRB CRP, its membership, the scope of the work being carried out and the fluids under assessment should be directed to Enrique Peral (Chair)(enrique.peral-antunez(at)renault(dot)com) and William Hill (Technical Advisor)(hillmich50(at)aol(dot)com).

———————————————————————————————————-

MRB CRP is a Cooperative Research Program administered by SAE and comprising the following companies: Behr, Bosch, Chrysler, Cinetic Filling, Daimler, Denso, Doowan, General Motors Company, Halla Visteon Climate Control, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Mexichem, Nissan, PSA, Renault, SAIC Motors, Sanden, Schrader International, Texa and Volvo Cars.

SAE International is a global association of more than 138,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International’s core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International’s charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™.

• http://www.sae.org -

Why It Costs So Much

by Jacques Gordon

If his customer ever questions the labor cost, Chuck Braswell uses pictures like this to explain why some jobs just take a little longer. At Rocky Mount Radiator and A/C, Inc, technician Sammy Barnes had the distinct pleasure of replacing the evaporator in this Mazda RX 8. That job often requires removal of the instrument panel, dash, insulators, and steering unit, but Chuck said removing the rear seats, console and shifter “provided an extra challenge we don’t normally see. Mitchell gives 3 1/2 hours, and I would really like to meet the guy who can R&R this one in 3 1/2 hours!” Chuck thinks the job should pay 8 hours.

Rocky Mount Radiator and A/C, Inc. in Rocky Mount, NC was founded in 1927. They started doing A/C in the late 60′s, have been a MACS member since 1987, and Chuck’s father, the late Charlie Braswell, was a former MACS President, Board Chairman and a MACS Pioneer. The shop has 16 bays (10 inside, 6 outside) and although they are a full-service shop, they also specialize in automotive, truck and heavy-duty cooling systems, radiators, A/C, and heater repairs. Chuck says they install A/C “on anything – dump trucks, fire trucks, industrial, whatever.” They are also a NARSA Certified Heavy Duty radiator shop.

With that background, Chuck says they’ve become the go-to shop for all the “hard” evaporator and heater jobs in their area, so they’re not afraid of this type repair. “Although this one was tough, we have done more difficult jobs, like a Mercedes 300D and a 450SL, a BMW 750il. These make you long for a 2008 Caravan or F150 to come in!”

The factory time for evaporator R&R on this Mazda is 2.6 hours. AllData allows 4.0 hours plus an additional 1.5 for refrigerant recovery/recharge. It’s reasonable to think this job should pay more labor, and both Mitchell and Alldata have systems in place to ‘challenge’ their labor time listings. Still, even with all the time in the world, don’t try this at home: jobs like this one are for experienced professionals only.

 

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women’s Board!

When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.

If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, http://bit.ly/10zvMYg for more information.

You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org . To locate a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here  to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.

The 34th annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Power Up  will take place January 16-18 2014 at the Sheraton New Orleans.

Dealing with corroded fittings

By Paul DeGuiseppi, MACS manager of service training

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women’s Board!

When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.

If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, http://bit.ly/10zvMYg for more information.

You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org . To locate a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here  to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.

The 34th annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Power Up  will take place January 16-18 2014 at the Sheraton New Orleans.

Endorse Me

en·dorse

/enˈdôrs/

Verb Declare one’s public approval or support of. Recommend (a product) in an advertisement.

Synonyms indorse – approve – sanction – confirm – back

by Jacques Gordon

Last month I found an old Rolodex hiding at the back of a desk drawer. Even though they’re still available and used by more than a few businesses, younger people may have never seen a Rolodex. When e-mail became common, people began ignoring their vast collection of business cards in favor of an electronic address book. Business cards are still as common as ever, but it’s been years since I flipped through them looking for contact information.

Mark Zuckerburg wasn’t the first to create a user-generated, web-based contacts database and communication tool, but he showed the world how to make it work. His idea was emulated by LinkedIn, often described as ‘Facebook for professionals.’ LinkedIn has positioned itself as a social networking tool for business, used by individuals and by businesses themselves. It’s designed as a place to post a comprehensive resume (profile) that can be updated any time, and to research other peoples’ resumes. It also lets people contact and communicate with others in the same field or profession. Barely ten years old now, LinkedIn claims over 200 million subscribers in more than 200 countries. As a business tool, there’s no denying its potential.

I’ve been a subscriber for more than half of its existence, but since I’m not looking for a job I tend to ignore LinkedIn. They must have noticed, because in recent months LinkedIn has begun sending daily e-mail invitations to visit the Website. Even though third party introductions have always been possible, suddenly I’m getting daily connection requests from people I don’t know and have never met or done business with. Well that’s part of why it exists, but in addition, an increasing number of people are “endorsing” me without knowing anything about my skills. For example, a long-time personal friend has just endorsed my skills as an editor. He’s in a completely different business and he’s never read a single article of mine, so he knows nothing about my professional skills. But LinkedIn invited him to endorse me as an editor, so he did.

LinkedIn is stirring the pot to get people to visit the Website, and they’re doing it by encouraging pollyanna-like behavior that deflates its value. I use LinkedIn to expand and organize my database of professional contacts, and I value endorsements from other professionals who know me and are familiar with my work. But by actively soliciting those endorsements, LinkedIn has made it impossible to know if they are genuine or if they’re made out some a sense of obligation or professional courtesy, or in hopes of reciprocation.

An up-to-date personal database of business contacts that I can access and connect with from anywhere in the world is an amazingly powerful tool, and I’ll never give it up, but I’m not happy about the increasing signal-to-noise ratio. Still, I haven’t forgotten that it’s a free service, paid for by advertising that provides useful business information. Hey wait; I’m in that business too! I wonder if LinkedIn will endorse me?

 

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women’s Board!

When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.

If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, click here for more information.

You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org or visit to find a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here  to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.

The 34th annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Be the Best of the Best will take place January 16-18 2014 at the Sheraton New Orleans.

Reporting Counterfeit Parts

by Jacques Gordon

You can help stop the spread of counterfeit parts.

Soon there will be a new tab on the home page of the MACS website (www.macsw.org) called “Counterfeit Product Reports.” This will be on the public section of the Website that can be viewed by anyone.

If you’re a manufacturer or supplier and you know your brand name is being counterfeited, tell us what you know and we’ll post the information. If you’re a tech and suspect you have purchased a counterfeit auto part or service product, look for a report on our Website. If you don’t see one, please file a report yourself.

Provide as much information as you can. Include the (purported) brand name, a description of the product and whatever details you have about where and when it was purchased. If possible, take photos showing the differences between the counterfeit and known-good parts and packages. If the part or product was installed, tell us what happened next: did it perform properly or did it fail or cause something else to fail? Is there a characteristic symptom or failure that will help a tech recognize a counterfeit part has been installed? Be as thorough as possible, help us see the difference between the counterfeit and the real thing.

Make sure you understand the definition of “counterfeit.” In the auto parts business, it’s not the product that’s being stolen by counterfeiters, it’s the brand. Copying a product and selling it under another name without license from the party that created or holds the patent on that product is intellectual property theft. Copying the brand, package, label or trademark that leads the customer to believe they’re buying a brand-name product is counterfeiting.

To file a Counterfeit Product Report, contact me through email (jacques@mcasw.org) and tell us what you know. We’ll check with the manufacturer and post all the details we can find in ‘Counterfeit Product Reports’ on our Website.

 

 

 

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women’s Board!

When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.

If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, click here for more information.

You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org or visit to find a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here  to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.

The 34th annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Be the Best of the Best will take place January 16-18 2014 at the Sheraton New Orleans.

Download the May 2013 issue of MACS ACtion Magazine

Download the May 2013 issue of ACtion Magazine

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women’s Board!

When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.

If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, http://bit.ly/10zvMYg for more information.

You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org . To locate a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here  to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.

The 34th annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Power Up  will take place January 16-18 2014 at the Sheraton New Orleans.

Reporting Counterfeit Parts

by Jacques Gordon

In response to our blog about counterfeit parts, BVA Oils has notified us of another counterfeit. This time it’s mineral oil masquerading as POE compressor oil. Maybe it’s a good idea for everyone to share what they know about counterfeit products.

Soon there will be a new tab on the home page of the MACS website (www.macsw.org) called “Counterfeit Product Reports.” This will be on the public section of the Website that can be viewed by anyone, not just members. Anyone who suspects they may have purchased a counterfeit auto part or chemical, or any company that knows their products are being counterfeited can go there o search for and/or file a report.

If you’re a manufacturer or supplier and know your products are being copied illegally, tell us what you know and we’ll post the information. If you’re a shop owner or tech who has purchased a counterfeit part or chemical, give us as much information as you can. Include the (purported) brand name, a description of the product and whatever details you have about where and when you bought it. If possible, take photos showing the differences between the counterfeit and known-good products and packages. If the part or product was installed, tell us what happened next: did it fail or cause something else to fail? Is there a characteristic symptom or failure that will help a tech recognize a counterfeit part has been installed?

Here’s our first entry.

BVA Oils has reported that someone is counterfeiting one of their products and its container. The product is Auto 100, a 100-viscosity POE oil that is compatible with mineral oils. Although it was developed for retrofitting an A/C system from R-12 to R-134a, today it’s commonly used for servicing R-134a systems. According to the company’s lab analysis, the counterfeit is actually 10-viscosity mineral oil. They conclude that “anyone who has used this product in their compressor has probably experienced compressor failure due to lack of lubrication.”

The counterfeit 8.5-ounce “cone-top” can and label are exact copies of the real thing, but there are some tell-tale differences. Both have a black plastic cap, but the genuine product has a larger, child proof cap, and there’s also a lot number printed on the unpainted part of the can just below the cap.

When Auto 100 is mixed with RPAG 100, the company’s PAG oil, the mixture remains clear. When the counterfeit is mixed with RPAG 100, the mixture is cloudy. Although it might be tough to tell, a new can of the counterfeit oil will weigh about 20 grams less than a new can of the real thing, due to the lower viscosity of the counterfeit oil.

This information will appear in ‘Counterfeit Product Reports’ on our Website. In a few weeks there will be a form there that anyone can use to report counterfeit auto parts of all kinds, not just A/C parts. We’ll check out the report and post all the additional details we can find. Meanwhile, if you know of a counterfeit auto part, contact me through email (jacques@macsw.org) and tell us what you know.

 

 

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women’s Board!

When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.

If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, click here for more information.

You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org or visit to find a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here  to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.

The 34th annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Be the Best of the Best will take place January 16-18 2014 at the Sheraton New Orleans.

Counterfeit parts

by Jacques Gordon, managing editor MACS ACtion Magazine

If you’re involved in A/C service, hopefully you already know about counterfeit refrigerants: 30-pound cylinders used in service shops are being filled with a mixture of refrigerants and labeled as pure name-brand automotive refrigerant. They’re sold at a steeply discounted price, and they’re showing up all over the world. Unfortunately the mixture includes non-automotive refrigerants that attack aluminum, a metal that’s in all mobile A/C systems. Even worse, the mixture becomes dangerously flammable and/or explosive when exposed to air.

Bogus refrigerant is only one example of counterfeiting in the automotive aftermarket. Earlier this year the General Motors Global Investigations team, in cooperation with local officials, seized more than 50,000 counterfeit parts in the Middle East, mostly filters and wiper blades in ACDelco boxes. In similar raids last year, they found several distributors who were counterfeiting packaging and labels. According to GM, most counterfeit parts and packages are made in China and exported globally. Recent raids in New York and New Jersey by the FBI turned up counterfeit gaskets, spark plug wire sets and wheel hubs.

The problem is big enough that several car manufacturers are cooperating with each other and with law enforcement and customs agencies to hunt down counterfeit parts and their sources. Recently a man in Virginia was convicted of selling counterfeit GM-branded Tech 2 scan tools and Controller Area Network diagnostic interface (CANdi) modules. In a similar case last fall, a federal grand jury indicted an Indonesian citizen living in Duluth, Ga. for selling counterfeit GM and BMW diagnostic equipment, car keys and key fobs (he allegedly programmed the keys and attached a counterfeit brand emblems). Both of these men were advertising items on eBay that were manufactured in China and drop-shipped directly to the customer, a common scenario in the counterfeit auto parts business.

These ‘busts’ were reported by Operation Engine Newity, a program operated by the U.S. Department of Justice as “an international initiative targeting the production and distribution of counterfeit automotive products that impact the safety of the consumer.” The European Commission has just announced an anti-counterfeiting campaign too. While their program is aimed at stopping counterfeiting of all products, auto parts are a priority. Meanwhile in Japan, at least one auto parts manufacturer launched their own private investigation and seized over 200,000 parts from just one counterfeiter, along with the tooling used to make them.

When production moves to cultures with a different view of patents and ‘intellectual property,’ it’s hard for parts suppliers to protect OEM designs and engineering. Now counterfeiting  is costing us all money, and people are getting hurt by inferior products. There might not be an ultimate answer to this problem, but it’s the technicians on the front line who make the decision about whether or not to install a part. As inconvenient as that may be for techs and shop owners, that really is the ultimate responsibility, and the ultimate power.

 

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women’s Board!

When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.

If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, click here for more information.

You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org or visit to find a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here  to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.

The 34th annual Mobile Air Conditioning S ociety (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Power Up! will take place January 16-18 2014 at the Sheraton New Orleans.

New Safety Analysis of R-1234yf

SAE International CRP1234-4 Analysis of R-1234yf Nears Completion

WARRENDALE, Pa., April 23, 2013 – The SAE International Cooperative Research Project (CRP1234-4) team, formed last year to perform an updated engineering safety analysis of R-1234yf refrigerant, met during the SAE World Congress in Detroit. The team includes European, North American and Asian OEMs including Chrysler/Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, PSA, Renault and Toyota.

The SAE CRP has carefully evaluated the extensive testing conducted by its members. The fault tree analysis was subsequently updated with regard to actual collision scenarios and is now complete pending final review.  Based on this conservative analysis, the team believes that the R-1234yf refrigerant is safe and effective to use in automotive applications. The risk of passenger exposure to a vehicle fire associated with this refrigerant is exceptionally remote. This is consistent with the overall risk levels established by the original SAE CRP1234-3.

In September of 2012, Daimler announced that it had developed a new test method that demonstrated an additional risk of post-collision fires in vehicles using R-1234yf.  In response, SAE CRP1234-4 was formed to further evaluate the safety of R-1234yf.   All OEMs, including Daimler, were invited to participate. The SAE CRP team members have conducted numerous additional tests of various types to study ignition of an R-1234yf leak in a crash-damaged vehicle.

The SAE CRP team of OEMs has concluded that the refrigerant release testing conducted by Daimler is unrealistic and that it is not an appropriate test to verify the safety of refrigerant applications in vehicles. The Daimler testing did not include any actual vehicle collisions or the mitigating factors that occur in an actual collision.  These factors include the quenching effect of front end compartment deformation, the extinguishing effect of steam released due to radiator breakage, and dispersion of the refrigerant from the condenser outside the engine compartment.  Daimler’s refrigerant release apparatus and nozzle does not represent actual crash-damaged refrigerant lines, and was found to be artificial.

Fault tree analysis, as conducted by the SAE CRP, is the most appropriate approach for evaluating risks of new alternative refrigerants. This approach has been recommended and employed by numerous public and private organizations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, the International Electrotechnical Commission, the European Union Joint Research Centre and the United Kingdom Health and Safety Executive.

The SAE CRP is currently finalizing its report and is targeting June 2013 for publication.

SAE International is a global association of more than 138,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International’s core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International’s charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™.

 

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women’s Board!

When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.

If you’re a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, click here for more information.

You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org or visit to find a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here  to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.

The 34th annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Be the Best of the Best will take place January 16-18 2014 at the Sheraton New Orleans.