Magazine for the auto service professional
Issue link: http://asp.epubxp.com/i/660061
31 | April 2016 The Chassis nience and fuel economy. This is defnitely the focus of most manufacturers, and they continue to roll out products that achieve those goals. But the parts and pieces responsible for those improvements and the technology that most techs will sooner or later be required to diagnose or repair aren't usually visible unless the hood is opened and even then it's a stretch to see anything under all the noise insulating covers. Two separate, but certainly not new, types of technology are starting to become more popular on many of the vehicles that techs will be seeing in the next few years, if they haven't already seem them. Both these technologies have been popular in Europe for some time, and many techs who concen- trate on European models will be familiar with them. But now the use of HFO 1234yf refrigerant and coolant mapping is showing up here in North America. The integration of both of these technologies has been somewhat seamless, but there are a few items that we need to understand when it comes to properly servicing and diagnosing these two innovative systems. HFO 1234yf There is still an enormous debate going on right now about the use of HFO 1234yf in the air conditioning systems of today's vehicles, and that is not likely going to end soon. Some manufacturers used it, stopped using it and reverted back to R134a. This debate will continue as technology evolves, but for now HFO 1234yf is a reality. I am sure that most have heard the stories of fammability and the inherent risks of using it, but the fact remains: it's being used. The advantage to using HFO 1234yf is that it has almost the same chemical charac- teristics as R134a (pressure temperature Art courtesy of Mahle Inc. A mapped thermostat, in coolant housing.