REFCO STARTEK - Manual (Page 3)

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INSTRUCTIONS
1. Press the button to turn the unit on.
2. The LED will flash orange for a short moment to indicate auto-reset,
afterwards the unit will begin beeping and flashing green.
3. To reset the unit to the existing level of ambient refrigerant, press
and release the button. The LED will flash orange briefly to indicate
the reset. All levels of refrigerant less than the reset level will be
ignored.
4. Unit turns on in the low sensitivity level, which is adequate for most
leaks. Press the button twice (double-click like a computer mouse).
The LED will fade from red to green and a sweeping sound effect of
low to high pitch will be heard. The sensitivity is now set for 3g/year
(0.1oz/yr). This mode should only be used for looking for leaks of
less than 14g/year (0.5 oz/yr).
5. Double click again to change back to low sensitivity.
6. Move the probe towards a suspected refrigerant leak at a rate of
less than 2 inches (50 mm) per second, no more than ¼ inch (5 mm)
away from the suspected source.
7. If a leak exists, the sound will increase in rate and pitch and the
LED will start flashing rapidly.
8. To turn the STARTEK off, press and hold the button for 3 seconds.
FEATURES
Ÿ If the sensor is damaged, a sweeping alarm and a red-green flash
will indicate the problem.
Ÿ A flashing LED during normal operation also reflects the battery
level:
Green: batteries are fresh
Orange: batteries should be changed
If the batteries are nearly empty, the LED will turn solid red and a
two-tone alarm will be noted for 5 seconds, before STARTEK will
power itself off.
Ÿ If the unit is left on unattended, it will automatically turn off after
about 5 minutes to conserve batteries.
English
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SAE J1628 RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES
For the purpose of Automotive A/C Testing with respect to the SAE
J1627 standard, the following leak testing procedure applies:
1. Operate the Startek in high sensitivity mode.
2. Leak test with the engine not in operation.
3. The air conditioning system shall be charged with sufficient
refrigerant to have a gauge pressure of at least 340 kPa when not
in operation. At temperatures below 15 ° C, leaks may not be
measurable, since this pressure may not be reached.
4. Take care not to contaminate the detector probe tip. If the part is
particularly dirty, it should be wiped off with a dry shop towel or
blown off with shop air. No cleaners or solvents shall be used, since
many electronic detectors are sensitive to their ingredients.
5. Visually trace the entire refrigerant system, and look for signs of
air-conditioning lubricant leakage, damage, and corrosion on all
lines, hoses, and components. Each questionable area shall be
carefully checked with the detector probe, as well as all fittings,
hose to line couplings, refrigerant controls, service ports with caps
in place, brazed or welded areas, and areas around attachment
points and hold-downs on lines and components.
6. Always follow the refrigerant system around in a continuous path so
that no areas of potential leaks are missed. If a leak is found,
always continue to test the remainder of the system.
7. At each area checked, the probe shall be moved around the
location, at a rate no more than 25-50 mm/s and no more than 5
mm from the surface completely around the position. Slower and
closer movement of the probe often helps locate the exact position
of the leak.
8. An apparent leak shall be verified at least once by blowing shop air
into the area of the suspected leak, if necessary, and repeating the
check of the area. In cases of very large leaks, blowing out the area
with shop air often helps locate the exact position of the leak.
9. Leak testing of the evaporator core while in the air conditioning
module shall be accomplished by turning the air conditioning blower
on high for a period of 15 sec. minimum, shutting it off, then waiting
for the refrigerant to accumulate in the case for time specified by