← Back to TEC AcademyLevelIntermediate Duration2 days FormatIn person AreaA/C service
IntermediateIn person
A/C service · SS-EU-AC-EV-01SmartSafe AC & EV Climate Academy
A practical two-day program for professional servicing of mobile air-conditioning systems using R134a and R1234yf refrigerants, with a dedicated module for electric and hybrid vehicles, electric compressors and safe work on high-voltage vehicles. 65% practical work; held live at the SmartSafe Europe TEC center in Croatia.
Training objective
A practical two-day program for professional servicing of mobile air-conditioning systems using R134a and R1234yf refrigerants. The program covers preparation and operation of the A/C service station, controlled service and diagnosis, a dedicated module for electric and hybrid vehicles, electric compressors and safe work on high-voltage vehicles. Participants will be able to select the correct refrigerant and oil, prepare and operate the A/C station, perform a controlled service and diagnosis, protect EV systems from PAG-oil contamination and carry out basic electric-compressor diagnostics using SmartSafe equipment.
Who it is for
- Automotive A/C service technicians
- Workshops introducing R1234yf and EV service
- Technical trainers, service managers and SmartSafe partners
- Diagnostic specialists seeking a structured EV HVAC approach
Prerequisites
- Basic knowledge of automotive A/C systems
- Basic pressure and temperature measurement skills
- For the practical EV module: prior high-voltage safety training as required by local regulations
- Personal protective equipment and workwear
Course facts
Theory35%
Practice65%
Learning objectives and outcomes
- Identify the refrigerant — verify vehicle labels, service ports and refrigerant type, and prevent mixing R134a and R1234yf
- Select the correct oil — differentiate PAG and POE oils and use only the vehicle or compressor manufacturer specification
- Prepare the A/C station — check fluid levels, filter, vacuum pump, hose cleanliness, selected refrigerant and selected oil
- Perform a complete service — recovery, recycling, vacuum, hold testing, oil dosing and precise charging
- Diagnose system performance — relate pressures, temperatures, airflow, fan operation, sensors and control data
- Service EV HVAC safely — apply HV procedures, protect insulation resistance and use equipment designed for electric compressors
- Test an electric compressor — combine vehicle diagnostics, insulation testing and dedicated drive-circuit and mechanical testing
- Document the result — produce a service report recording quantities, parameters, faults and customer recommendations
Professional workflow
- Identification — refrigerant label, charge quantity, oil type and quantity, service connections
- Initial diagnostics — DTCs, static and operating pressures, temperatures, fans, noise and performance
- Connection — correct couplings, hose cleanliness check, refrigerant and oil selection on the station
- Recovery — controlled extraction and measurement of recovered quantity; automatic waste-oil discharge
- Vacuum and test — adequate vacuum period for the system and stability / pressure-rise monitoring
- Oil and refrigerant — charge the exact oil specification and the exact refrigerant mass
- Performance check — compare pressures, temperatures, airflow and commanded values
- Report — print / save results and recommendations for further repair
Program by day
Day 1 — R134a and R1234yf
Day 1 links A/C fundamentals, safety and refrigerants with a complete practical service and performance diagnostics.
Introduction, Safety and Course Objectives30 min
Automotive A/C System Architecture75 min
R134a Compared with R1234yf75 min
Oil and Contamination45 min
A/C Station Preparation75 min
Complete Service — Automatic and Manual Modes90 min
Performance and Leak Diagnostics60 min
Summary and Daily Knowledge Check15 min
Module 1 — Introduction, safety and objectives
- Course overview and learning objectives
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Workplace preparation and documentation
- Rules for working with refrigerants
Module 2 — A/C system architecture
- Compressor, condenser, evaporator
- Expansion device, sensors, fans and controls
- Differences between conventional and EV HVAC systems
Module 3 — R134a compared with R1234yf
- Labels, connections and equipment compatibility
- A2L safety and the R1234yf work environment
- Prevention of refrigerant mixing
- Good ventilation and control of ignition sources
Module 4 — Oil and contamination
- PAG and POE oils — differences and selection by specification
- UV additive and leak detection
- Moisture, storage and consequences of incorrect oil
- No universal oil without OEM approval
Module 5 — A/C station preparation
- Check refrigerant, filter and vacuum pump
- Oil bottles, scales, hoses and vehicle database
- Self-test and internal-line cleaning when changing oil
- Separated circuits for PAG/POE and R134a/R1234yf
- Workshop requirements: identifier, leak detector, UV lamp, thermometer
Module 6 — Complete service
- Recovery and recycling
- Vacuum and hold test with pressure-rise monitoring
- Oil dosing and precise charging by mass
- Report with quantities and parameters
Module 7 — Performance and leak diagnostics
- Pressures, temperatures and airflow
- Electronic detector and UV method
- Sensor and fan analysis
- Result interpretation and recommendations
Module 8 — Summary and knowledge check
- Short Day 1 test
- Review of key procedures
- Preparation for the Day 2 EV module
Critical errors practised for prevention: mixing refrigerants or connecting an unknown / contaminated system to the station; charging "by pressure" instead of the specified mass; mixing PAG and POE oils or using universal oil without OEM approval; skipping an adequate vacuum, stability test or final performance check; connecting a system containing stop-leak without first assessing the risk to the station.
Day 2 — EV HVAC Systems
Day 2 covers high voltage, EV thermal management and electric-compressor service, with practical fault cases and final assessment.
EV Safety and Workplace Organization45 min
EV Thermal Management75 min
Electric Compressor75 min
POE Oil and Insulation Resistance45 min
Vehicle Diagnostics with P0360 min
E-Compressor Test with ECP73975 min
Practical Fault Cases60 min
Final Assessment and Certification30 min
Module 1 — EV safety and workplace organization
- HV zone, LOTO and PPE
- Service disconnect and absence-of-voltage verification
- OEM procedure
Module 2 — EV thermal management
- Cabin HVAC and battery chiller
- PTC heater and heat pump
- Valves and shared cooling circuits
Module 3 — Electric compressor
- Integrated inverter and communication
- Speed control and current
- Motor cooling and typical faults
Module 4 — POE oil and insulation resistance
- Why oil affects HV-system safety
- Impact of moisture and PAG contamination
- Key recommendation for EV workshops: reliable PAG/POE separation and self-cleaning procedure
Module 5 — Vehicle diagnostics with P03
- DTCs and live data
- Actuators, multimeter and oscilloscope
- Current clamp and insulation test
Module 6 — E-compressor test with ECP739
- Drive-circuit test
- Compressor database and controlled offline test
- Mechanical pressure / hold test
Module 7 — Practical fault cases
- Compressor does not start
- Poor cooling and insulation fault
- Sensor/valve and communication and power supply
Module 8 — Final assessment and certification
- Theory test and practical checklist
- Final discussion and certificate
Prohibited shortcuts: uncontrolled external high-voltage supply to the e-compressor; measurements on an active HV system without proper qualification and OEM procedure; adding PAG oil or oil of unknown specification; replacing the compressor without checking contamination, moisture and debris in the system; declaring the compressor faulty from pressure readings alone, without electronic diagnostics.
Practical exercises
- R134a — insufficient cooling: find the root cause using recovered quantity, pressures, temperatures and leak testing
- R1234yf — suspected contamination: assess the refrigerant before connection, protect the station and define the next safe step
- EV — insulation fault: relate the fault to the compressor, cable, moisture or oil contamination
- EV — compressor does not start: separate power-supply, communication, sensor, protection and mechanical causes
- Heat pump — poor performance: analyse valve positions, sensors, pressures, temperatures and the control strategy
- Vehicle return after service: check oil/refrigerant quantity, air and moisture in the system, procedures and service report
Training equipment
- AC519+ — A/C service station: automatic and manual modes, PAG/POE selection, vehicle database, reports and station maintenance; 128 L/min vacuum pump
- ECP739 — electric compressor tester: drive-circuit and mechanical testing, database of 900+ e-compressors, 50–750 V HV output, up to 20 A, PDF reports
- P03 — EV integrated detector: EV diagnostics and battery analysis, integrated oscilloscope, multimeter, insulation test and current clamp
- Vehicles and workstations: 1 vehicle with an R134a system, 1 with R1234yf, 1 BEV/PHEV with electric compressor, at least 2 practical A/C workstations, marked EV/HV area with LOTO procedure
- Consumables: refrigerant identifier, leak detector and UV lamp, PAG and POE oils to OEM specification, protective gloves, safety glasses, HV PPE and insulated tools
Training methodology
- Identify — vehicle, refrigerant, oil, HVAC architecture and OEM procedure
- Read the data — DTCs, compressor command, speed, current, temperatures and pressures
- Make HV safe — LOTO, deactivation and absence-of-voltage verification according to the manufacturer
- Check insulation — cables, connectors, compressor and the influence of oil / moisture
- Check the system — refrigerant quantity, valves, sensors, fans, chiller and flow
- Test the compressor — only with dedicated equipment and controlled parameters
- Service — exact POE oil and refrigerant quantity, without contamination
- Confirm the repair — relearn/init, clear faults, functional test and service report
Assessment and certification
Theory
- 20 questions on safety, refrigerants, oils and service procedure
- Minimum passing score 70%
Practical exercises
- Practical checklist for A/C station and EV HVAC diagnostics
- All critical safety points must be completed
Completion criteria
- Minimum theory test score 70%
- Practical checklist for station and EV HVAC diagnostics
- All critical safety points must be completed
- Successful participants receive a SmartSafe Academy training certificate
SmartSafe certificate
TitleSmartSafe Academy certificate
Topics
- Program: AC & EV Climate Academy
- Level: Professional Service — Level 1
- Duration: 2 days / 16 hours
- Format: theory, demonstration, practical work and final assessment
Final training outcome
TextParticipants who successfully complete the course will be able to select the correct refrigerant and oil, prepare and operate the A/C service station, perform a controlled service and diagnosis, protect EV systems from PAG-oil contamination and carry out basic electric-compressor diagnostics using SmartSafe equipment. IMPORTANT: This training does not replace any legally required licence or certificate for handling F-gases or working on high-voltage systems where such qualifications are mandatory. All practical procedures, charge quantities, oil types, test voltages and HV steps must be aligned with the documentation for the specific vehicle, compressor, equipment used and applicable local regulations. OEM vehicle data and specifications take precedence over generic values.
Key points
- SmartSafe AC519+ product catalog and user manual — functions, oils, operating modes and maintenance
- SmartSafe ECP739 product catalog — drive-circuit testing and mechanical functions of electric compressors
- SmartSafe P03 product catalog — EV diagnostics, oscilloscope, multimeter, insulation test and current clamp
- SAE J2788 (R134a), SAE J2843 and J2888 (R1234yf) — requirements for service equipment, hoses and couplings
- DENSO technical bulletins for PAG/POE oils and electric scroll compressors
- Directive 2006/40/EC and Regulation (EU) 2024/573 — European framework for mobile A/C systems and F-gases
Key messageTwo days. One clear service procedure. Knowledge that protects the vehicle, the technician and the workshop investment.
Register your team
Ready to prepare your team for this training?
Send an enquiry and we will arrange training tailored to your team, equipment and schedule — live at the SmartSafe Europe TEC Centre in Croatia.
