1996 HONDA CIVIC replace

lllustrated Index
A/C PRESSURE SWITCHWhen the refrigerant pressure is below 200 kPa {2 0 kg7cm',
28 psi) due to ;frigerant leakage or above 3200 kPa (32 kgf/cm''
455 psi) due to refrigerant blockage, the lVC pressure swrtch
SERVICE VALVE
{LOW.PRESSURE SIDE)
EVAPORATORReplacement, page 22-28
Overhaul, page 22 29
Beplacement, Page 22'44
opens lhe circuit to ihe AVC switch and stops the air condilioning
to protect the comPressor'
RECEIVER/DRYER
COMPRESSORSANDENIReplacement, Page 22 30
CIutch Inspection, Page 22 33
Thermal Protector Inspection, page 22 33
Clutch Overhaul, Page 22'34
Thermal Protector Replacement, page 22 36
Refief Vafve Replacemenl, page 22'36
DENSO:Replacement, Page 22-37
Clutch Inspection, Page 22-40
Clutch Overhaul, Page 22_41
Relief Valve Replacement, page 22-42
A/C THERMOSTATTest, page 22 21
22-3

Condenser Fan
CONDENSER FAN RELAY 4P SOCKET
JUMPERwlRE
(cont'd)
22-9
Conden3er fan does not run at all.
Check the No. 56 (20 A) fuse in the
unde.hood frJse/relaY box, and the
No. 17 (7.5 A) fuse in the under-
dash fuse/relay box.
Reolace the fuse{s), and techeck
Remove the condenser lan rclaY'
and test it (see page 22 21i
Replace the condensei fan relav.
Check the under-hood tus6/relaY
Measure the vohage between the
No. 2 terminalofthe condenser fan
relav 4P socket and bodv ground.
ls there battery voltage?
Check the condenser lan Powersupply circuit:Connect the No. 1 and No. 2 teF
minals of the condenser fan relay
4P socket with a jumper wire
Does the condenser fan run?To page 22-10
Io page 22 11

Troubleshooting
Compressor
COMPRESSOR CLUTCH RELAY.P SOCKET
JUMPERWIRE
check the No. 56 (20 A) fuse in theunder'hood fuse/relay box, and theNo. 17 (7.5 A) fuse in the under,dash fuse/relay box.
Replace the fussls), and .echeck.
Remove the compressor clutchrelay, and test it {see page 22 21).
Check th6 und€r-hood tu3e/reby
Measure the voltage between theNo. 2 terminal of the compressorclutch relay 4P socket and bodyground.
Check the compressor clutchpow€r supply circuit:Connect the No. 1 and No. 2 termi-nals of the compressor clutch relay4P socket with a jumper wire.
Does the compressor clutch click?fo page 22-13
To page 22 14
22-12

Troubleshooting
('99 00 models)
From page 22 18
Check lor an open in the wire:1. Turn the ignition switch OFF,then disconnect the ju mper
2. Disconnect the heater controlpanel 20P connector.3. Turn the ;gnition switch ON{

i.4. Measure the voltage betweenthe No. 11 terminal of theheater control panel 20P con-nector and body ground.
Ropai. opan in tho wira batwaonthe A/C thermostat and thehoater control oanol.ls there battery voltage?
Check the push switch:1. Turn the ignition switch OFF.2. Disconnect the push switch12P connector.3. Check for continuity betweenthe No. I and No. 10 terminalsof the push switch 12P con-nector with the A/C switch ON.
Check for loose wi.es or poor
connections el the hgater controlpanel 20P connector and pushswitch 12P connector and at theA/C thermostat 3P connector. Ittha connections are good, substi-tute a known-good heatea con-trol pan€|, and recheck. lf thesymptom/indication goe3 away,replace lhe original healer con-trol oan€|,
HEATER CONTROL PANEL anP CONNECTOR
Wire side of temale terminals
PUSH SW]TCH 12P CONNECTOR
Wire side of female terminals
,/1,/156
7819t01112
I
I
I

A/C ThermostatRelays
Test
1.Remove the Ay'C thermostat (see page 22-29).
Connect baftery power to the No. 3 terminal, ground
the No. 2 terminal, and connect a test light between
the No. 1 and No. 3 terminals.
NOTEr Use a 12 V,3 W- l8 W test light.
Dip the IVC thermostat into a cup filled with ice water,
and check the test light.
Serp6ntine-type evaporator
The light should go off at 36 - 39'F {2 - 4"C} or less, and
should come on at 39 - 41"F (4 - 5"C) or more
Laminale-type evaporator
The light should go off at 39 - 43'F (4 - 6'C) or less, and
should come on at 43 - 45"F (6 - 7'C) or more
lf the light doesn't come on and go off as specified,
replace the PVC thermostat.
12V,3W-18W
Test
There should be continuity between the No, 1 and No.2
terminals when power and ground are connected to the
No.3 and No. 4 terminals, and there should be no conti-
nuitv when Dower is disconnected.
2
Condenser fan relay
Compressor clutch relay
a
a
,I Ib
In Io'r I
t\----,'
t:n
,,l[4..-.
22-21

A/C Service Tips and Precautions
The air conditioner system uses HFC-134a (R-134a) refrigerant and polyalkyleneglycol (PAG) refrigerant oil*, which are not
compatible with CFC-12 (R-12) refrigerant and mineral oil. Do not use R-12 refrigerant or mineral oil in this system, and do
not attempt to use R-12 servicing equipmenU damage to the air conditioner system or your servicing equipment will result.*Sanden SP-10:
. P/N 38897 - P13 - A0lAH: 120 ml 14ll.oz, 4.2lmp.oz)
. P/N 38899 - P13 - A0l | 40 mf 11 1/3ll.oz,1.4 lmp'oz)
Use only service equipment that is U.L. listed and is certified to meet the requirements of SAE J2210 to remove R 134a
from the air conditioner system.
CAUTION: Exposure to air conditioner ref;ige;ant and lubricant vapol or mist can irritate syes, nose and throat, Avoid
breathing the air conditioner refrigerant and lubricant vapor or misl.
lf accidental system discharge occurs, ventilate work area before resuming service.
R-'134a service equipment or vehicle air conditioner systems should not be pressure tested or leak tested with compressed
ai.
!@@ some mixtures of air and R-t3ila have been shown to be combustible at elevated pressures and can result
in tire or explosion causing iniury or property damage. Never use compressed air lo pressure tesl R-134a service equip-
ment or vehicle 8ir conditioner systoms.
Additional health and safety information may be obtained from the refrigerant and Iubricant manufacturers.
L Always disconnect the negative cable from the battery whenever replacing air conditioning pans.
2. Keep moisture and dust out of the system. When disconnecting any lines, plug or cap the fittings immediately; don't
remove the caps or plugs until just before you reconnect each line.
3. Before connecting any hose or line, apply a few drops of refrigerant oilto the O-ring.
4, When tightening o. loosening a fitting, use a second wrench to support the matching fitting.
5. When discharging the system, use a R-134a refrigerant recovery/recycling/charging station; don't release refrigerant
into the atmosphere,
6. Add refrigerant oil after replacing the following parts:
NOTE:
. To avoid contamination, do not return the oil to the container once dispensed, and never mix it with other refriger-
ant oils.
. lmmediately after using the oil, replace the cap on the container, and seal it to avoid moisture absorption.
. Do not spill the refrigerant oil on the vehicle; it may damage the paint; if the refrigerant oil contacts the paint, wash
it off immediately.
Condenser .......2o ml (2/3 fl.oz, 0.7 lmp.ozl
Evaporator .,.,.,. i[5 m{ 11 213 tl.oz,1,6lmp.ozl
Line or hose ..... 10 mf (1/3 fl.oz, 0.4 lmp.ozl
Receiver/Dryer 10 m{ (1/3 fl.oz,0.'l lmp.ozl
Leakage repair 25 m{ (5/6 fl.oz, 0.9 lmp.ozl
Comptessor ... For compressor replacement. subtract the volume of oil drained trom the
removed compressor from A, and drain the calculated volume of oilfrom the new
compressor: A - Volume of removed compressor: Volume to drain from new
comoressor.
A: SANDEN 130 mf l/t 113 ll.oz, 4.6 lmp'ozl; DENSO 140 mf {4 213 ll'oz, 1.9
lmp.oz),
NOTE: Even if no oil is drained from the removed compressor, don't drain more
than S0 m{ 112Ell.oz,1.8 lmp.oz) fromthe new compressor.
REMOVED NEW
COMPRESSORCOMPRESSOR
*DENSO ND-OlL 8l
. P/N 38897 - PR7 - A01AH: 120 ml (4 fl.oz)
. P/N 38899 PR7-A01:40mf (1 1/3fl'oz)
rereW W0000
22-22
-0_!- -0_a
Tol l00l
| | lffi 1 onrrrutrc I
fi+-sAME
LEvEr...+jEf,voLUME
J
^

A/C System Service
Pressure Test Chart
NOTE: Performance Test is on page 22-24,
Test resultsRelated symptomsProbabl€ causeRemedy
Discharge (high)
pressure aDnor-
mally high
After stopping compressor. pres-
sure drops to about 200 kPa
{2.0 kgflcm,,28 psi) quickly, and
then falls gradually.
Air in systemRecover, evacuate, and
recharge with specified amount.
Evacuation: see page 22-45
Charging: see page 22-46
Reduced or no air flow through
condenser
. Clogged condenser fins. Condenser fan not work-
ing properly
Clean.
Check voltage and fan rpm.
Check fan direction.
Line to condenser is excessively
hot.
Restricted flow of refriger-
ant in system
Restricted lines
Discharge pres-
sure abnormally
High and low pressures are bal-
anced soon after stopping compres-
sor, Low side is higher than normal.
. Faulty compressor dis-
charge valve. Faulty compressor seal
Replace the compressor.
Outlet of expansion valve is not
frosted, low pressure gauge indi-
cales vacuum.
. Faulty expansion valve. Moisture in system
. Replace,. Recover, evacuate, and
recharge with specified
amount.
Suction (low)
pressure abnor-
mally low
Expansion valve is not frosted, and
low oressure line is not cold. Low
pressure gauge indicates vacuum.
. Frozen expansion valve. Faulty expansion valve
ReDlace the exoansion valve.
Discharge temperature is low. and
the air flow from vents is restricted.
Frozen evaporatorRun the fan with compressor
off. then check A,/C thermostat.
Exoansion valve is frosted.Clogged expansion valveClean or replace.
Receiver/dryer outlet is cool, and
inlet is warm (should be warm
during operation).
Clogged receiver/dryerReplace.
Suction pres-
sure abnormally
hig h
Low pressure hose and check
joint are cooler than the tempera-
ture around evaporator.
. Expansion valve open too
long. Loose expansion capillary
tube
Repair or replace.
Suction oressure is lowered when
condenser is cooled bv water.
Excessive refrigerant in sys-
tem
Recover. evacuate, and
recharge with specified amount.
High and low pressure are equal-
ized as soon as the compressor is
stopped, and both gauges fluctu-
ate while running.
Faulty gasket
Faulty high pressure valve
Foreign particle stuck in
high pressure valve
Replace the compressor.
Suction and dis-
charge pres-
sures abnormally
h igh
Reduced air flow through con-
denser.
. Clogged condenser fins. Condenser fan not work-
ing properly
Clean condenser.
Check voltage and fan rpm.
Check fan direction.
Suction and dis-
charge pressure
abnormally low
Low pressure hose and metal end
areas are cooler than evaporator.
Clogged or kinked low pres-
sure hose parts
Repair or replace.
Temperature around expansion
valve is too low compared with
that around receiver/dryer.
Clogged high pressure lineRepair or replace.
Refrigerant leaksCompressor clutch is diny,Compressor shaft seal leakingReplace the compressor.
Compressor bolt{s) are diny.Leaking around bolt(s)Tighten bolt(s) or replace com-
pressor.
Compressor gasket is wet with oil.Gasket leakingReplace the compressor.
22-26

Evaporator
1.
Replacement
4.
Move the temperature control to "HOl"
'96-98: Slide the temoerature control lever.'99-00: Turn the ignition switch ON (ll), then turn
the temperature contol knob. Turn the ignition
switch off.
Remove the battsry.
Rgcover the refrigerant with a rocovery/recycling/
charging station (see page 22-271.
Remove the bolts, then disconnect th6 suction 8nd
receiver lines from th6 evaoorator.
NOTE: Plug or cap the lines imm€diatoly after dis-
connecting them to avoid moisture and dust con-
tamination.
6xl.0mm9.8 n*ln ll.0 tg6m.7.2 lbt frl
RECEiVER UNE
Remove the glov6 box (see section 20).
Removo the self-tapping scr€w and the passeng€r's
dashboard lower cover. Removs the bolt. the nut
8nd the kn€e bolst6r, th6n r6mov6 th6 fiv6 bolts and
the glove box frame.
6.
srrcrrc u E
22-28
7. Disconnect the connector from th€ Ay'C thermostat,
and r€movs the wire harness from the ovaporator.
Remov6 tho four self-tapping screws, tho mounting
bolt and ths mounting nut. Disconnect th€ drain
hose, then remov€ th6 avagorator.
6 x l.0.nm9.8 l$m lt.o ldm, 7.2 bl.tt)
Install in the reverse order of removal. Make note of
th€ following items.
o lf you'r6 installing a new evaporator, add rofriger-
ANt OiI {SANDEN, SP-10 Or DENSO, ND-OIL 8)
lsas page 22-221.
. Replace the O-rings with now ones 8t 68ch titting,
and apply 8 thin coat of r€frlgersd oil before
installing them.
NOTE: Be sure to use the right O-rings for HFC-
134a (R-134a) to avoid loakago.
. Apply s€alant to tha grommets.
. Mske sure that ther€ is no air leakage.
. Chargs ths system {s€€ page 22-161, and tost its
performance (see pags 22-211.