The cooling portion of the system works like a household refrigerator. Refrigerant vapor enters a belt-driven compressor and is forced into a condenser mounted on the front of the radiator, where it cools and turns into a liquid. The liquid passes through a gas reducer to the evaporator, where it changes from a high-pressure liquid to a low-pressure gas. This change in state is accompanied by the absorption of energy, resulting in a decrease in temperature in the evaporator. The refrigerant returns to the compressor, and the cycle begins again.
The air passed through the evaporator passes into the air distributor block, where it mixes with the hot air coming out of the heater heat exchanger, thus achieving the desired temperature in the car's interior.
The heating part of the system works the same as on models without air conditioning (refer to Section General description of the heater).
The system is controlled electronically. For any problems related to this system, contact a Renault service station.
Precautions
If for any reason the system must be depressurized, have this work done by a professional.
(Original of this article on the website: RENAULTBOOK)
Caution: The cooling portion of the system may contain liquid refrigerant and therefore special equipment is required to separate the system components.
The refrigerant is potentially dangerous if it comes into contact with the skin, causing severe frostbite. The refrigerant itself is not poisonous, but if it comes into contact with an open flame (or when a lit cigarette is brought near) a highly toxic gas is formed.
Do not operate the air conditioning system if it is known to be low on refrigerant as this will damage the compressor.