MAHLE RTI AC2880 User Manual

OPERATION

&

MAINTENANCE

MANUAL

AC2880

Refrigerant Handling System

Manual P/N 035-80751-00

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Startup & Safe Operation .................... 1

Introduction to the AC2880 ................... 2

Configuration ............................. 3

Control Panel ............................. 4

Keypad Functions ......................... 5

Fill Charge Cylinder ........................ 6

Recycle ................................. 7

Deep Vacuum ............................ 8

Purge Air - Drain Oil ........................ 9

Charge ................................. 10

Automatic ............................... 11

Stored Data ............................. 13

Set Over Charge Amount ................... 14

Maintenance ............................ 15

Parts Lists .............................. 16

Troubleshooting Fill Cylinder Procedure ........ 19

CONGRATULATIONS

You have purchased one of the finest Recovery, Recycling, and
Charging Machines available!

Your AC2880 was proudly manufactured for MATCO Tools by
RTI Technologies Inc., York, PA.

Fill out and return the Warranty Card within 90 days to activate
the warranty and free lifetime technical support.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

800-468-2321 (Ext. 259)

[e-mail]

STARTUP & SAFE OPERATION

' Do not use a damaged unit. Check for shipping damage and place a claim with carrier if damage is

discovered.

' Return the Warranty Card to activate technical support service and warranty coverage.

' The AC2880 should not be operated or serviced by any person who has not read all the contents of

this manual.

' This manual describes normal operation and maintenance for the AC2880. Failure to read and

comply with these instructions or any one of the limitations noted herein can result in serious injury
and/or property damage. The instructions should not be interpreted to anticipate every possible
contingency.

' It is the responsibility of the owner/user to operate the AC2880 in accordance with all laws and

specifications which may apply.

' Recover, recycle, and charge only the refrigerants for which the AC2880 is configured.

' Avoid breathing refrigerant or lubricant vapor. Exposure may irritate eyes, nose and throat. Ventilate

work area if accidental system discharge occurs.

' Wear safety glasses and protective gloves. Refrigerant has a very low boiling point and can cause

frostbite.

' Follow the AC2880 operating procedures sequentially to avoid prematurely disconnecting hoses or

opening valves which may release refrigerant to the atmosphere.

' Do not expose the AC2880 to moisture or operate in wet areas.

' Use the AC2880 in locations with ventilation that provides at least four air changes per hour.

' Hoses must have shutoff devices within 12 inches of the connection point to the A/C to minimize the

introduction of air into the AC2880 and the release of refrigerant when being disconnected.

' Avoid using an extension cord with the AC2880. If necessary use a good condition, three wire

grounded, #14 AWG or larger extension cord of the shortest possible length.

' Disconnect power before performing any maintenance or service on the AC2880.

' Do not connect the red or blue hoses to the liquid port of a cylinder of refrigerant to fill the charge

cylinder. Doing so may cause the compressor to fail and void the warranty.

' Do not connect the AC2880 to the liquid side of any A/C with a capacity greater than 4 lbs.

Refrigerant in A/C Systems having larger capacities must be recovered from the vapor side only.

Special Considerations with R134a

R134a has been shown to be nonflammable at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure.
However, tests under controlled conditions have indicated that at pressures above atmospheric and with
air concentrations greater than 60 percent by volume, R134a can form combustible mixtures.

While it is recognized that an ignition source is also required for combustion to occur, the presence of
combustible mixtures is a potentially dangerous situation and should be avoided.

Under no circumstances should any equipment be pressure tested or leak tested with air and R134a
mixtures. Do not use compressed air for leak detection in R134a systems.

Page 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE AC2880

The AC2880 is a complete dual refrigerant management center featuring state-of-the-art electronic
control with digital weight scale measuring of refrigerant. Operation of the AC2880 is intuitive and very
easy to master. Operational functions of the AC2880 can be performed individually or in an automatic
sequence.

This Operation Manual first describes each of the functions and then gives an overview of combining the
functions into an automatic sequence. Some functions have options where the controller display will
prompt the technician for input during the setup programming.

Following is an overview of the operation and features of the AC2880:

FILL CHARGE CYLINDER

Liquid recycled or new refrigerant is quickly transferred from a cylinder on the rear of the AC2880 to
the internal charge cylinder. Following the first setup filling or a calibration procedure, 1.1 lbs. more
refrigerant than displayed is used due to priming of internal components.

RECYCLE

Refrigerant is recovered from the A/C, impurities (particulates, oil, moisture and air) are removed and
the refrigerant is stored in the internal charge cylinder. The recovery process stops when the AC2880
senses an 8 InHg vacuum at the A/C. A programmable wait time (minimum of two minutes) then
starts. If pressure in the A/C rises during this time period due to vaporization of residual liquid
refrigerant, the AC2880 will restart to recover this refrigerant. When the AC2880 stays off continually
for the full wait time, the recovery procedure is complete.

DEEP VACUUM

The length of time for the deep vacuum procedure is programmable. The time remaining is displayed
during the deep vacuum procedure. An optional vacuum leak test and add oil function are available
during the programming of the deep vacuum procedure. The technician is prompted for a Yes/No
response to each. The vacuum leak test starts after the vacuum process is completed. The amount
of time the vacuum is held is displayed so the technician can monitor the pressure for any increase
due to a leak in the A/C. The add oil process prompts the technician to add oil after the vacuum
and/or vacuum leak test procedure.

PURGE AIR - DRAIN OIL

Excess air and recovered oil must be removed from the AC2880 after all refrigerant has been
recovered from the A/C. Temperature and pressure readings are examined and air is released using
the purge switch. Oil is drained into the oil drain bottle for measuring to determine the need to
replenish the A/C.

STORED DATA

The AC2880 monitors filter life and will prompt the technician when filters need to be replaced.
Recycled and charged refrigerant amounts are recorded and totaled during each A/C service
procedure. These totals can be monitored to manage refrigerant usage. Refrigerant transferred
directly into the charge cylinder from the fill port is not added to the total recycled refrigerant.

OVER CHARGE AMOUNT

A one ounce over charge is added during each charge procedure to compensate for refrigerant loss
in the service hoses. This can be programmed to accommodate different operating conditions.

Page 2

CONFIGURATION

1 Port for R134a High Side Red Hose 10 Yellow Hose

2 Port for R134a Low Side Blue Hose 11 Power Cord

3 Port for R12 High Side Red Hose 12 Purge Gauge R134a

4 Port for R12 Low Side Blue Hose 13 Purge Switch

5 Port for Oil Charge - R134a High Side 14 Oil Drain Valve

6 Port for Oil Charge - R12 High Side 15 Oil Measuring Cup

7 Fill Port for R134a (Attach Anti-Blowback Valve end of Yellow Hose to port)

8 Fill Port for R12 (Attach Ball Valve end of Yellow Hose to port)

9 Cylinder of New Refrigerant

Notes: Item 9 - Cylinder of new or recycled refrigerant must be connected to put LIQUID

refrigerant into the Fill Port.

Item 7 & 8 - End of Yellow Hose with anti-blowback valve (R134a) or ball valve (R12)
must be connected to the respective Fill Port to prevent release of refrigerant when the
hose is disconnected.

Page 3

CONTROL PANEL

1 Low Pressure Gauge - R12

2 High Pressure Gauge - R12

3 Low Pressure Gauge - R134a

4 High Pressure Gauge - R134a

5 High Side In/Out Valve - R12

6 Low Side In/Out Valve - R12

7 Function Indicator Light - R12 selected with Cursor Key

8 Power Switch - Illuminated

9 Low Side In/Out Valve - R134a

10 High Side In/Out Valve - R134a

11 Function Indicator Light - R134a selected with Cursor Key

12 Attention Indicator Light

13 Keypad

Page 4

KEYPAD FUNCTIONS

Scroll Key Press to scroll through function options

or to increase numeric values shown on
the display.

Cursor Key Press to scroll flashing cursor on the

display prior to numeric or Yes/No
entries. Also used to select R12 or
R134a refrigerant.

Enter Key Press to confirm data entry.

Reset Key Press to halt program sequence and

return to Main Menu.

Units Key Press to change unit of measure for

weight displays.

- CAUTION -

Always use fingers to operate keypad.

Use of sharp objects will cause damage.

Page 5