Hot summer days are a lot worse when you have to drive a vehicle that has a defective air conditioner. According to Openbay, the United States has more than 240 million registered vehicles, and about 80% are in the maintenance/repair phase and require help from a local auto repair shop. Many of those are vehicles with air conditioning issues. Here are four common reasons why your car’s AC might not work as intended.
1. Low Refrigerant Level
Any kind of air conditioning system requires refrigerant to work. Ideally, refrigerant stays contained so your AC system works for as long as you own your vehicle. Unfortunately, AC hoses and parts can develop small leaks — especially at connection points. Those leaks let refrigerant escape, which saps the AC system’s ability to cool. An auto repair shop can check the refrigerant level and add more, including a leak sealer.
2. Defective AC Condenser
All AC systems have a condenser that cools the airflow over its coils to produce cold air for your car’s passenger cabin. When the condenser is defective, the air won’t cool, and you won’t have a comfortable ride. The condenser might have blocked coils, plugged fins, or other problems that negatively affect its ability to properly cool the air while you are driving. An auto repair shop can replace a defective condenser and other parts as needed.
3. Broken AC Compressor
Another common auto AC problem is a broken compressor. The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant and circulates it throughout your car’s AC system. If the compressor is damaged, it might cause the refrigerant to leak or otherwise be unable to circulate the refrigerant that cools your cabin. It also might cause the AC to run for a few minutes, shut off, and then run again without cooling the cabin.
4. Electrical Problem
Like almost anything on an automobile, electricity is needed to make the AC system work properly. Common electrical problems that affect a vehicle’s air conditioning include a defective relay or a blown fuse. Most people can check and replace a defective relay or a blown fuse. If that doesn’t fix the problem, there might be a wiring problem or another issue that your local auto shop can diagnose and fix to make the AC blow cold air once again.
Is your car’s AC not working? If so, call or visit Chase Automotive to have the problem diagnosed and fixed. We can help restore cold airflow and a comfortable cabin temperature to your vehicle.