A/C compresores y Embragues para Dodge Grand Caravan

Dodge Grand Caravan AC Compressor Clutch

The air conditioning system in your car is essential to a comfortable ride. It is advantageous to know about potential problems and their warning signs. It is also wise to be cautious as the air conditioner compressor connects directly to the engine, and failure will cause significant damage if not handled quickly.

The compressor is critical to the overall functioning of the AC system in your Dodge minivan. It is responsible for the compressing and pumping of the refrigerant through the system. The coolant compresses into a liquid before it cools. This compression occurs inside of a buffer chamber attached to the compressor. The mechanism that does this is a simple pump driven by a rotor connected to the engine via a belt. A belt powers the driving rotor, and the belt cannot stop without stopping the entire vehicle. There thus must be a separate mechanic for shutting off the AC. The part that handles the toggling of the Grand Caravans AC system is the compressors clutch.

The clutch is responsible for a vital function: the switching of the air conditioner between the on and off states. This task is done using a system consisting of an electromagnet and two friction plates, one attached to the driving rotor and the other connected to the pump that compresses the gas. When the air conditioner is turned on, the electromagnet in the clutch activates, which magnetizes both plates and creates an attractive force between them. The one attached to the pump can move horizontally. It moves toward the other plate because of the energy generated. When the plates come into contact, the high friction between them forces the second plate to spin along with the first, which drives the pump. When the electromagnet is switched off, the loss in magnetism results in the dissipation of the attractive force. When this occurs, a spring attached to the secondary plate pulls it back from the primary one, effectively shutting off the pump and stopping the air conditioner.

There are a few warning signs that signal an impending failure of your vehicles air conditioner clutch. Get your Dodge Grand Caravans clutch checked out immediately if you notice any of the following warning signs. It may be time to replace it.

• Air conditioner stuck - If the air conditioner cannot change states from on to off or vice versa, then there may be an issue with the clutch. This situation is more likely if your air conditioner is unable to shut off, as there are very few alternative causes to this problem.
• Excessive noise - If you notice a lot of noise when you turn on the air conditioner, then a bearing may be starting to fail. A failed bearing can lead to a complete failure of the compressor.