2004 Mercedes-Benz C320 Air Conditioning Refrigerant Temperature Sensor Replacement Cost

Air conditioning systems cool the interior of the vehicle by processing refrigerant in a closed loop. Throughout this closed loop, refrigerant is changed from hot to cold, high pressure and low pressure, and high heat and low heat. The amount of change that the air conditioning control module sees in these phases allow it to determine if the air conditioning system is working properly. For this purpose, many systems use refrigerant temperature sensors to ensure that the temperature of the refrigerant is correct in different parts of the refrigerant system.

The temperature sensor for the air conditioning refrigerant system will be screwed into a major component or a refrigerant line. There it will have direct contact with the refrigerant in the system and changes in refrigerant temperature will cause the sensor to send higher or lower voltage to the control module. This voltage will be interpreted by the control module, translated into a temperature, and the control module uses this information to determine if the system is running efficiently.

A failed refrigerant temperature sensor will cause the air conditioner to cease functioning, and a warning message or blinking a/c light will alert the driver to a found deficiency. There is a chance that the sensor may not register changes in temperature, but these changes would cause the refrigerant pressure sensors to react with the same symptoms before catastrophic failure occurs.

There is no necessity to repair the air conditioner immediately. Replacement is based on convenience and comfort alone. In some locations, the heat outside may be sufficient to consider using a vehicle with no air conditioner a health risk for children or seniors, so this would raise safety concerns.