Repair 7

When youre driving down the road on a hot day, nowhere near a gas station, and your autos air-conditioning starts malfunctioning, all you can think of is why you didnt get those repair tools and put them in the trunk. If youre one of the lucky ones and you have some tools in your car, you may be wondering whether theyre the right ones. There are some basic repair tools you should know about and have available for emergency maintenance. However, it is best to leave the AC repairs to a professional because refrigerant is a hazardous substance.

Safety and Service Manual Tools

The most important tools are for your safety. You should wear safety glasses, gloves, a face shield and apron the entire time you are repairing your autos air-conditioning system. Your cars AC unit can be extremely hot and the possibility of contact with refrigerant during recharging requires caution. You also need your cars service manual to pinpoint the exact pressures and directions for the AC repair, which can vary depending on the car model.

Diagnostic and Detection Tools

You need leak-detection diagnostic tools to determine the cause of your autos AC problem. There are dyes you can insert into the system and then check the pipes for remnants of the dye to confirm a leak. You can also purchase electronic leak detectors that alert you to refrigerant leaking into the atmosphere, or LED detection flashlight tools. If your auto has an AC leak, you should take it to a repair shop for the root cause to be remedied; any superficial corrections will be short lived.

Recharging Tools

To recharge your cars AC system you will need pressure gauges, a charge hose and refrigerant. The more inexpensive way to recharge the system is with only a low-pressure gauge; however, Autos.com recommends using both a high and low pressure gauge for best results. The charge hose connects to both the gauge and refrigerant and pierces the refrigerant can so it can enter the AC system. Most cars use a R-134a refrigerant that can be bought at your local gas station or auto supply store. There are also gauge and refrigerant sets sold that contain most of the repair tools you would need for your autos AC.

Replacing the air conditioning filter, also known as a cabin air filter, in your 2002 Honda Accord is a little involved but only requires a single screwdriver to complete the repair. A replacement filter for the Accord is available from the dealer; however, aftermarket filters are also available from auto parts stores, which may be a little cheaper if you are working on a budget.

Instructions

1

Sit in the passengers seat of your Accord with the door open. Locate and remove the two locking tabs on either side of the glove compartment then remove the three mounting screws inside the box with a Phillips head screwdriver.

2

Pull the access panel below the glove compartment loose and remove the two screws below the glove compartment with the screwdriver. Pull the glove compartment out of the dash and set it aside.

3

Remove the screws from the ends of the metal bar with the screwdriver then remove the bar from the dash. Set it aside and locate the white filter behind it. Pull up the access door in front of the filter then pull the filter out of the housing. Discard the old filter.

4

Slide a new filter into the housing, slide the access door over the filter then position the metal bar onto the dash over the filter housing. Install the retaining screws and tighten them with the screwdriver.

5

Push the glove compartment assembly back into the dash and install the retaining screws under the box as well as the three screws on the inside of the box. Use the screwdriver to tighten all the screws until they are snug.

6

Depress the two locking tabs into place, one on either side of the glove compartment, then snap the lower access panel onto the dash. Close the glove compartment.