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Now is the time to pay attention to your vehicle’s air conditioning system, before you leave for that Memorial Day or summer road trip. Even short trips can seem extremely long when it is steamy!
Maybe you are wondering how your car’s air conditioning system works or what to do if it is not working correctly.
Your car’s air conditioning system works primarily as a heat 
exchanger, dissipating heat from the high pressure condenser side to the low pressure evaporator side. The liquid refrigerant (Freon) enters the evaporator core as a liquid, but changes to a gas, which in turn cools the incoming air.
The evaporator is also responsible for removing the humidity from the air, which defrosts your window and allows you to see clearly with temperature variations (inside vs. outside). This whole process is dependent on having an adequate amount of fluid, or refrigerant, in the system. The Freon is then cooled back down by air flowing through the condenser and changing the refrigerant back to a liquid state.
Common problems with air conditioning systems can be as simple
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| Dirty vs. Clean Cabin Filter |
as a blown fuse, dirty cabin filter, or low refrigerant level. These issues usually are relatively easy and inexpensive to repair or replace.
Or the problem could be more complex, and may involve replacement of a compressor, condenser, evaporator or other critical component. Pinpointing the exact problem, and/or the location of a leak will save you money in the long run by identifying and repairing the specific problem.
If there are low levels of refrigerant, the air conditioning system will not be able to cool the air effectively. Loss of refrigerant is generally caused by a leak somewhere in the system, which needs to be identified and repaired, so that you do not continue to lose refrigerant fluid.
The process of “evacuating and recharging” your A/C system
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| Evac & Recharge Machine |
involves recovering the fluid (refrigerant), removing impurities and deposits from the old refrigerant, and then restoring the refrigerant level to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Leaks can be repaired at that time. However, if the leak is difficult to locate, a dye can be added to the fluid to leave a “rabbit trail” that will help the technician find the leak at a later date.
If you notice that your air conditioning system is not as cold as it used to be, or if the volume of air blowing from the vents is decreased, we can restore your system to its previous condition. If you are not sure if your car’s A/C is cooling properly, feel free to stop by anytime for a complimentary “vent temperature check”. Summer is almost here (I hope!)!
