The interior fan moves outdoor air into the interior. The vehicle occupants can control the temperature by heating or cooling the air. The latter is possible when the vehicle is equipped with air conditioning. Today, almost all passenger cars and commercial vehicles are equipped with air conditioning as standard. The operating principle of air conditioning is based on the state changes of the refrigerant, where it transitions between vapor and liquid in different parts of the system. During the phase transition from liquid to vapor (evaporation process), heat is absorbed, cooling the incoming air and creating a refreshing effect in the interior.
As early as 1939, the car brand Packard was the first car manufacturer to apply air conditioning in a car. From the 1960s, air conditioning became popular in American cars and from the 1990s also in European cars. Almost all cars currently being produced are equipped with air conditioning as standard.
The tiles below show the different processes and components that are part of the air conditioning system. The page “Air Conditioning Introduction” describes the overall operation of the air conditioning system. The topics that can be clicked through the other tiles provide more detailed information on each component, including the different versions and any fault symptoms encountered in the workshop.