Expansion Valve

The expansion valve is a device mounted to the A/C Evaporator which meters the amount of refrigerant flowing through the evaporator. It uses a bulb filled with gas which reacts to surrounding temperature. Similar to a thermostat, as temperature rises, the bulb expands, opening the bulb and allowing more refrigerant to flow through. As the temperature drops, the bulb closes, restricting flow through the evaporator.

Use & Location

All Z32s with air conditioning use a thermal expansion valve. It is mounted with the evaporator housing behind the glove box. It can be replaced separately from the evaporator (and aftermarket replacements are cheaply and readily available as well as OEM parts).