COPYRIGHT WARNING:
All pictures and texts in this web page are the property of nomaallim.com. Any use of any part of those contents without the written consent of nomaallim.com shall be subject to legal procedures as per international and local laws in the concerned country. Using the name "nomaallim" or "nomaallim com" or "nomaallim.com" in the text describing the unauthorized copied content shall not constitute an exception and shall be sanctioned in accordance to the effective laws and proceedings.
All pictures and texts in this web page are the property of nomaallim.com. Any use of any part of those contents without the written consent of nomaallim.com shall be subject to legal procedures as per international and local laws in the concerned country. Using the name "nomaallim" or "nomaallim com" or "nomaallim.com" in the text describing the unauthorized copied content shall not constitute an exception and shall be sanctioned in accordance to the effective laws and proceedings.
BEFORE YOU START
|
|
|
|
|
DISCLAIMER:
Our pictorials are of informative nature and do illustrate works carried out by ourselves at our own premises for our own use and satisfaction.
Readers who envisage to carry out similar works inspired by the below method shall do this at their own risks and liability.
Our pictorials are of informative nature and do illustrate works carried out by ourselves at our own premises for our own use and satisfaction.
Readers who envisage to carry out similar works inspired by the below method shall do this at their own risks and liability.
NOTE: Although shown on a 2016 Citroën DS3 Phase 2, this car AC diagnostic method remains similar or identical on almost any vehicle, especially european cars.
Context of this intervention
I'm showing here the fixes applied to a 2016 Citroën DS3 which A/C had two faults:
- A permanent smell coming from exhausts of surrounding cars in heavy traffic, even when the air recirculation button is activated
- A blocked air flow from all aerators from time to time, resulting in the AC blower operating normally without having any air conditioned air flowing inside the vehicle, thus a total inefficiency of the air conditioner when such blocking occurs.
|
|
|
Repairing the car A/C recirculation duct tightness
I will first clean the outside air duct with a vacuum cleaner up to the A/C blower as shown, especially that as explained in part 1 of this tutorial, some debris from the broken foam seal were found stuck inside the duct.
Now I will first temporarily fit a foam seal specifically designed for air conditioners, with a square section, in order to determine the necessary length and cut it accordingly:
Then I will apply some multi-purpose craft glue and fit the seal permanently.
Now this car A/C outside air duct is refurbished like new, the fix will still include the replacement of the pollen filter in the engine compartment.
Now this car A/C outside air duct is refurbished like new, the fix will still include the replacement of the pollen filter in the engine compartment.
|
|
|
Greasing the car A/C flaps gear and motor
I will first remove the step motor as shown in part 1, then all parts of the flaps gear, clean them from old and sticky grease and put back some multi-usage grease prior to reassembling.
If you intend to do so, pay attention however to the different gear components you remove, as you need to put them back in the same initial orientation; do not hesitate to use a permanent marker to put marks prior to dismantling the gear, also to take photos of the different parts prior to removing them!
I will apply a generous amount of grease to the A/C flaps actuator gear as it also helps eliminate excessive gaps, thus consequent noise.
If you intend to do so, pay attention however to the different gear components you remove, as you need to put them back in the same initial orientation; do not hesitate to use a permanent marker to put marks prior to dismantling the gear, also to take photos of the different parts prior to removing them!
I will apply a generous amount of grease to the A/C flaps actuator gear as it also helps eliminate excessive gaps, thus consequent noise.
The white plastic main gear of the A/C flaps, does not need to be greased everywhere, I will only apply grease on the three main grooves that do move each of the defogging, front and feet flaps:
I will finally spray some silicone or white lithium grease on the air conditioner flap shafts:
|
|
|
Fixing the foam seals between car A/C and dashboard
Since I had found that the foam seals that ensure tightness between the air conditioning unit of this Citroën DS3 and the A/C aerator ducts on the dashboard where deformed and bent, I decided to peel them off, apply multi-purpose craft glue, then refit them properly.
If this tightness is lost, pulsed air from the A/C blower will be lost inside the dashboard and a lesser flow will be noticed at the aerators, which reduces the overall car A/C efficiency.
If this tightness is lost, pulsed air from the A/C blower will be lost inside the dashboard and a lesser flow will be noticed at the aerators, which reduces the overall car A/C efficiency.
Prior to refitting the dashboard, and since the A/C unit of the Citroën DS3 is held to the dashboard transverse chassis, I will temporarily raise it on some wooden pieces not to damage again the foam seals when refitting the dashboard.
|
|
|
Final testing the car air conditioner and its flaps prior to refitting the dashboard
Since removing the dashboard from the vehicle is a difficult and time consuming intervention, I will make sure that all works fine prior to refitting the latter. I will operate the A/C air distribution flaps and the air recirculation flap 5 times at least.
The below videos also do show how the A/C flaps gear operates, once actuated by the step motor and upon using the buttons of the A/C control station on the dash.
The below videos also do show how the A/C flaps gear operates, once actuated by the step motor and upon using the buttons of the A/C control station on the dash.
|
|
|
