DENSO Products and Services Americas Inc. has added Advanced A/C training to its wide selection of instructor-led automotive repair courses. The class expands DENSO’s Technical Training Program, developed to ensure technicians have the diagnostic and troubleshooting expertise to repair vehicles efficiently and correctly the first time.

The new Advanced A/C Operation, Performance and Diagnostic class offers comprehensive instruction in automotive air conditioning systems, including real-world examples and case studies to help technicians apply their training back in the shop.

In addition, the course teaches a new approach to isolating the source of an air conditioning problem and repairing the system right the first time. Developed for DENSO, the revolutionary “3-Loop” strategy helps technicians understand and navigate the complex components that make up a vehicle’s overall air conditioning system by covering its three subsystems.

• Refrigerant loop, which connects to the compressor, lines, pressure drop devices and heat exchangers
• Airflow loop, which connects to the dashboard air source, speed, temperature and destination controls
• Coolant loop, which connects to the radiator, fans, thermostat, heater valve and heater core

“Traditional sequence-based training falls short when it comes to repairing A/C systems because each loop has its own moving parts,” said Richard Shiozaki, senior vice president of DENSO’s CIS and Connected Service Business Units, Technical Services and Corporate Services Groups. “Thinking outside the box and inside the loops gives technicians a deeper understanding of the elements unique to A/C systems and equips them with a more efficient and reliable methodology for diagnosing and solving the problem.”

Specific topics include systemic pressure and temperature analysis, pressure and temperature feedback loops, compressors (including variable displacement and controls), evaporators and condensers, pressure drop devices (including fixed orifice and thermal expansion), airflow controls such as source, blend and mode doors), blower motors and detailed current and controls testing, cooling fan current testing and alternative diagnostic methods, charging and recovery refrigerants, pressure testing and leak detection equipment, refrigerant and lubrication type, refrigerant identification and warnings and service and repair best practices.

All DENSO Technical Training seminars offer instruction on “high-level indicators” for creating a possible cause list. The Advanced A/C training course includes instruction on multiple possibilities for each loop, as well as a process of elimination strategy that reduces time-consuming tests and the frustration associated with using the standard sequential approach.

DENSO’s Technical Training Program offers a total of 39 instructor-led classes. More than 17,300 technicians have completed one or more courses since DENSO established the training program 12 years ago. The eight- and four-hour sessions use a “shop-up methodology” emphasizing diagnostic techniques.

DENSO programs teach technicians to rule out all operational and functional conditions first. This approach results in the least amount of invasive testing to save time and money and prevent the replacement of good parts.

“We train technicians to understand vehicle systems, isolate the root cause of a system fault, and fix the vehicle right the first time,” said Shiozaki. “This ensures the customer gets the best service and the repair shop gets the best return on investment.”