Chevrolet Trax: Odor correction

Eliminating Air Conditioning Odor

1. Odors may be emitted from the air conditioning system primarily at start up in hot, humid climates. The following conditions may cause the odor:

• Debris is present in the HVAC module assembly.
• Microbial growth on the evaporator core.

2. When the blower motor fan is turned on, the microbial growth may release an unpleasant musty odor into the passenger compartment. To remove odors of this type, the microbial growth must be addressed.

   Perform the following procedure:

• Remove evaporator core. Refer to Air Conditioning Evaporator Replacement.
• Clean evaporator core with a solution of 40% vinegar and 60% water.
• Refit evaporator core. Refer to Air Conditioning Evaporator Replacement

REFRIGERANT RECOVERY AND RECHARGING (R-134A)

WARNING: To prevent personal injury, avoid breathing A/C Refrigerant and lubricant vapor or mist. Work in a well ventilated area. To remove refrigerant from the A/C System, use service equipment designed for recovery that is certified to meet the requirements of the appropriate SAE Standards. If an accidental system discharge occurs, ventilate the work area before continuing service. Additional health and safety information may be obtained from the refrigerant, refrigerant recovery, and lubricant manufacturers.

WARNING: For personal protection, goggles and lint-free gloves should be worn and a clean cloth wrapped around fittings, valves, and connections when doing work that includes opening the refrigerant system. If refrigerant comes in contact with any part of the body severe frostbite and personal injury can result. The exposed area should be flushed immediately with cold water and prompt medical help should be obtained.

CAUTION: You must replace the desiccant if the A/C refrigerant system has been open to atmosphere for more than four hours, or if the A/C refrigerant oil has been contaminated. Failure to replace the desiccant will result in damage to the A/C refrigerant system.

CAUTION: To avoid system damage use only R-134a dedicated tools when servicing the A/C system.

CAUTION: R-134a is the only approved refrigerant for use in this vehicle. The use of any other refrigerant may result in poor system performance or component failure.

CAUTION: Use only Polyalkylene Glycol Synthetic Refrigerant Oil (PAG) for internal circulation through the R-134a A/C system and only 525 viscosity mineral oil on fitting threads and O-rings. If lubricants other than those specified are used, compressor failure and/or fitting seizure may result.

CAUTION: R-12 refrigerant and R-134a refrigerant must never be mixed, even in the smallest of amounts, as they are incompatible with each other. If the refrigerants are mixed, compressor failure is likely to occur. Refer to the manufacturer instructions included with the service equipment before servicing.

The A/C service station is a complete air conditioning service center for refrigerant. The service station recovers, recycles, evacuates and recharges A/C refrigerant quickly, accurately and automatically. The unit has a display screen that contains the function controls and displays prompts that will lead the technician through the recover, recycle, evacuate and recharge operations. A/C refrigerant is recovered into and charged out of an internal storage vessel.

The A/C service station has a built in A/C refrigerant identifier that will test for contamination, prior to recovery and will notify the technician if there are foreign gases present in the A/C system. If foreign gases are present, the station will not recover the refrigerant from the A/C system.

For information on the actual equipment, please refer to the manual of the equipment in question.

Always recharge the A/C System with the proper amount of refrigerant. Refer to Refrigerant System Specifications for the correct amount.

A/C Refrigerant System Oil Charge Replenishing

If oil was removed from the A/C system during the recovery process or due to component replacement, the oil must be replenished. Oil can be injected into a charged system. For the proper quantities of oil to add to the A/C refrigerant system, refer to Refrigerant System Specifications.

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