A Car Air Conditioning Course teaches you how vehicle AC systems work and how to handle refrigerant safely and correctly, including recovery, recycling, correct connection procedures, and fault diagnosis. Our Virtual Academy’s F-Gas Fast Track is a blended route to the IMI Level 3 Award in Automotive Refrigerant Handling (EC842-2006) (VRQ) (500/6771/0).
Our Virtual Academy Car Air Conditioning Course (F-Gas Fast Track) is completed in two days (one day online theory, one day practical assessment at an IMI-approved assessment centre) and leads to the IMI Level 3 Automotive Refrigerant Handling award, described as a “qualification for life” with no periodic reassessment.
What is the Our Virtual Academy Car Air Conditioning Course?
The F-Gas Fast Track is a blended training delivery option designed for people who struggle to spend time away from the workshop. You complete the online training over 1 day, then attend one of their assessment centres for additional tuition, the IMI online assessment, and assessed practical tasks.
What qualification do you get?
Successful learners achieve the IMI Level 3 Award in Automotive Refrigerant Handling (EC842-2006) (VRQ) (500/6771/0). The course page states it is a qualification for life, with no need to be reassessed periodically.
Who is this Car Air Conditioning Course for?
This course is designed for automotive professionals, including technicians and mechanics, who need to handle refrigerants and work on vehicle air conditioning systems safely and competently.
How long does the Car Air Conditioning Course take?
The course can be completed within two days:
- Day 1: online theoretical training
- Day 2: hands-on practical assessments at an IMI-approved assessment centre
What you will learn on this Car Air Conditioning Course
The course page lists outcomes that cover both knowledge and workshop-relevant competence, including:
- Refrigerant cycle and AC system operation
Operation of air conditioning systems in motor vehicles, including the refrigerant cycle, latent heat, and variable swash plate compressors. - Refrigerant properties, legislation, and environmental responsibilities
Use and properties of fluorinated greenhouse gases used as refrigerants, plus the environmental impact of emissions.
Relevant European directives and regulations. - Correct recovery and service procedures
Correct procedures for recovering fluorinated greenhouse gases.
Handling a refrigerant cylinder, including filling, transportation, and storage. - Hands-on equipment competence
Connecting and disconnecting a recovery set to high and low pressure service ports.
Operating an air conditioning recycling machine. - Diagnosis skills for mobile AC systems
Diagnosing and rectifying faults in mobile AC systems.
Topics covered in the F-Gas Fast Track online training
The online training day covers the refrigerant cycle, components of an air conditioning system, how the system is controlled, servicing automotive air conditioning systems, working safely with refrigerants R134a and R1234yf, EU legislation and the environmental impact of refrigerant, handling pressurised refrigerant competently and safely, and key diagnosis techniques.
How the assessment works
After the online training day, you attend an assessment centre to receive additional tuition, complete the IMI online assessment, and complete assessed practical tasks.
Enrol on the Car Air Conditioning Course
For full course details and the enrolment route, use this internal link:
https://www.ourvirtualacademy.com/imi-certificated-courses/f-gas-fast-track/
