Making Your Car Service Fun

Living without a fully functioning air con system in your car can make life uncomfortable. Although there's always the option of driving with your windows down, doing so is problematic. First, it increases drag, which can also raise your fuel usage at certain speeds. Second, if you're sat in traffic the temperature soon starts to build. Here are some common issues you could face.

Leaking Refrigerant

Your car's air conditioning relies on refrigerant to deliver those cool temperatures you may take for granted. When it starts to leak, one of the first signs is that the temperature inside your vehicle is tepid. No matter how low you try to set it, it just won't deliver an icy-cool blast. If you know where your compressor is, you may see an oily leak around it - this could be your refrigerant. You might also spot ice around the compressor, or you could notice that your clutch isn't engaging as normal. In such circumstances, an auto air conditioning repair service is necessary.

No Air

Turning your air conditioning onto its maximum setting and feeling no air come from it is a clear warning sign that something is wrong. A series of mechanisms need to work in order for you to feel that air. You may have blown a fuse, which means the system isn't receiving the right current to work. Or, the blower motor that pushes air through the vents may have degraded or become blocked, resulting in it being unable to do its job. Clogged filters and blocked hoses are other common causes but can be difficult to identify when you're not familiar with the exact mechanics of your car. Fortunately, someone with the right training can soon identify what's wrong and perform a fix. 

Hot Air

It's difficult to identify whether receiving no air or only hot air is more frustrating. If you are feeling only hot air, though, it may be that your cooling fan is defective. As your car's engine begins to run, it generates heat through the energy it's using. In order for you to benefit from cold air, you need a mechanism to remove that heat. Your car's cooling fan removes said heat and allows your car to run safely in the process. As such, when you're feeling hot air it isn't just uncomfortable: it means other parts of your vehicle's mechanics are at risk too. It may not be the case that the fan is broken, it might be blocked by debris. Either way, it's best to have an expert assess the situation.

For more information on auto air conditioning repair, contact a professional near you.