Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide

The beginning of a New year, new MACS!

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society has rebranded to become the Mobile Air Climate Systems Association (MACS). During a year-long project, the MACS board and staff worked with the Blue Door Agency of Oshkosh, WI to conduct unbiased, data-driven research to create the new brand. Read the article about the new MACS.Read the whole issue! Join MACS as a member call us at 215-631-7020 x 304.

Tales from the helpline: When they don’t know, what they don’t know!

By Richard Hawkins, MACS Technical Contributor Last week, my topic of discussion for the MACS blog was a tech call about an A/C system which was plagued by a huge oil overcharge. The interaction with the technician illustrates some issues which tend to be encountered frequently with inexperienced techs. Note: This was a single system with a 1.8 lb.  refrigerant charge and 8 ounces of oil. With…

MACS announces new 2021 Training Event and Trade Dates

The MACS 2021 Training Event and Trade Show will take place Thursday, September 30 through Saturday, October 2, 2021 at the Rosen Centre Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The MACS annual golf tournament will be held on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Golf Course in Orlando, FL. Rosen Centre Hotel and Convention CenterOrlando, FL The surge in Covid-19…

How much compressor oil is too much?

By Richard Hawkins, MACS Technical Contributor A lot of interesting calls are encountered when working on an A/C tech help line and a large percentage of them involve lubrication issues (probably somewhere around 25%). With that being the case, we plan to focus on a lubrication issue here and more in the coming weeks.  A while ago, I had a memorable tech call with an inexperienced technician…

January 28 is the next scheduled MACS Section 609 webinar

The January 13th MACS Section 609 webinar was attended by 28 technicians who viewed the MACS test prep webinar, were able to ask questions of MACS instructor Steve Schaeber and then take their Section 609 test online. After successfully completing the test, techs could then print out a temporary credential to allow them to purchase refrigerant in quantities of two pounds and more. Permanent…

Let me tell you a story…

By Richard Hawkins Editor’s note: Longtime mobile A/C industry professional Richard Hawkins joins the MACS editorial team as a regular blog contributor. Check in every Tuesday for Richard’s view and information on mobile A/C repair. Richard HawkinsMACS Contributor When I was contacted by MACS about doing some writing for this blog, I asked what they were interested in having me write about. …

MACS 2021 Board Election Results

The results of MACS board of directors election are in. The following members were elected for a two-year term, Andy Fiffick of Rad Air Complete Car Care of Cleveland, OH and Jim Atkinson of Car Repair Company, Scottsdale, AZ were elected from the service and repair section of MACS membership.Mark Schmitz of GPD, Macon, GA and Troy Farr of 1-800-Radiator, West Jordan, UT were elected from the…

MACS to reschedule the 2021 Training Event and Trade Show

Due to the circumstances of the pandemic and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our attendees and staff, the MACS board of directors has decided to postpone the MACS 2021 Training Event and Trade Show which was scheduled February 3-6, 2021 in Orlando, FL. “After the success of MACS 2020 Training Event in Nashville, TN, we were looking forward to continuing the momentum of providing…

Worldpac business webinar for your small business

MACS 2021 Training Event: Understanding and Diagnosing Air Conditioning

This course with “G” Jerry Truglia of Dorman Products goes beyond minimum requirements for recovery, evacuating, recharging, and recycling by offering real world examples in diagnosing and repairing A/C electrical, computer / BCMs, climate control and electronic components.Most of today’s vehicles come equipped with electronically controlled A/C systems. Auto A/C systems have become more…

OSHA and HazCom citations

By Charles Ayers, CCAR By the time you read this, the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will have released its “Top 10 Most Frequently Cited” list for fiscal year 2020. And once again there is a high probability that “Hazard Communication” will come in at (or near) the number one most cited violation. earlier this year, the Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR)…

HEVs and EVs still seeking best solution for HVAC

By Keith Leonard Another summer season has gone by while being unavailable for many activities usually enjoyed by almost all of us. The cover is back on my pool. While leaves are falling, two trees have decided to also fall in my yard: thankfully missing my house. So, there will be abundant firewood available for the fall and winter. Despite the changing season toward colder weather (at least in…

MACS 2021 Training Event: Refrigeration, Diagnostics and Service Procedures

Jerry Mungle of ACDELCO will deliver  this class designed for technicians with prior understanding of the refrigerant cycle and system operation, this seminar will provide technicians with techniques and strategies required to isolate the root cause and perform repairs of failures in R-134a and R-1234yf equipped Air Conditioning (A/C) systems.The use of pressure-temperature and humidity readings…

MACS 2021 Training Event and Trade Show: FCA Update & 2021 Jeep New Model HVAC systems

Longtime MACS member and technical contributor Al McAvoy provides an update on the current merger between FCA and Peugeot (anticipated to close with a new company name early in 2021), along with HVAC information about several new Jeep vehicle models. Refrigerant type and lubricant requirements will also be covered, along with hybrid A/C systems and components. Click here to view the entire MACS…

December 7, 1941 A day to remember

Take a moment today to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 and the brave American military personnel who we lost and those that fought back. Visit the MACS website at www.macsw.org

MACS 2021 Training Event and Trade Show: Electrical Functions for MVAC

At MACS 2021 Training Event and Trade Show you can learn about sensors, switches, control modules, relays, and actuators. They are just a few of the electrical components used in mobile A/C systems. Tim Iezzi of Iezzi’s Auto Service of Reading, PA will provide an overview of these and other MVAC controls, and how they play an increasingly important role in the operation, diagnosis and…

Understanding data lines Part II

By Larry Turay Part I of understanding data lines was in the last issue, coverering data line structure and communications. Part II will cover troubleshooting and diagnoses of the J1587/1708 and J1939 data lines. As with any repair, following a logical set of steps will help to find the problem quickly and avoid missing the cause of the failure. There are seven common steps to follow in this…