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Is Your Car’s Air Conditioning Not Working? Here’s What To Do!

Tips On Why Your Vehicle’s Air Conditioning Might Not Be Working Correctly

It’s starting to get hot and muggy in the London area. We all know to well how humid it can get this time of year.  It is also the time when more and more drivers roll up their windows and crank on the air conditioner. It’s also the time when a number of drivers realize their car’s air conditioning isn’t working as well as it was last year.  Maybe it is blowing warmer than last year.  Maybe it has a funny smell or maybe it is just blowing hot air.

No matter what type of vehicle you have or what kind of driving you do, it’s tough to be comfortable in our hot summers without working AC. If you’re having problems with your car’s AC, there could be a number of causes. Keep reading to learn more about common car air conditioner issues. Spoilers: no matter what the problem, your solution is easy: bring your vehicle to the friendly experts at Vaughan Auto Service for fast, affordable service.

Possible Causes For You AC Not To Be Working Are:

  1. Not Enough Refrigerant

Refrigerant is a specialized liquid that carries heat away from your car’s cabin to be released into the surrounding outside air. Because it’s under varying amounts of pressure as it goes through the AC system, leaks tend to form over time. You probably won’t even see the leak.

You should know that a working AC system will cause condensation to build up underneath your car that will drip off. This usually happens after medium to long drives on hot, humid days. It can resemble a leak, but it’s perfectly normal!

If your AC system has a refrigerant leak — even a small one —  it can let refrigerant escape. Running your AC without enough refrigerant will reduce the AC system to cool the inside fo your car. You might notice the air just isn’t as cold as you remember, especially after the system sits unused over the winter.

Often, a routine AC maintenance service is all that’s needed to restore performance. But, if you have a bad leak, we’ll need to run a pressure test, find iy.  Once we have found it we can repair the system and get you back on your way comfortably.

  1. Blower Motor

Your car’s AC system has a small yet powerful fan inside your dash called the blower motor. The blower motor forces air over the condenser core, which is super cold by the refrigerant flowing through it. This cools the air before it’s blown it into your car’s interior.

If your blower motor is not working, you might notice squeaks or squealing sounds inside your vehicle when you have  AC fan running. Other symptoms include reduced airflow or no air flow is the blow is completely not working.

  1. Compressor

The air conditioner compressor is a special pump that pulls power directly from your engine using a belt and pulley system.  It is considered the heart of the AC system.  The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant and heats it up very hot, much hotter than the outside air. This super-hot compressed refrigerant is fed through a condensor (like a radiator) that releases a lot of that extra heat into the outside air. After the refrigerant is decompressed to normal pressure, it’s chilled enough to cool the air blown into your car’s interior.

The AC compressor is the biggest power drain on your engine, causing you to lose a small amount of power and efficiency, but it’s a fair trade in the summer. Compressor problems, however, can leave you blowing nothing but hot air. One possible cause could be a worn, slipping, or detached compressor belt. It could also be a problem in the compressor itself.

Most of the time, you should be able to hear or feel the compressor activate when you turn on your AC. Or, you may see a very small dip in your engine’s RPMs while idling. If nothing happens at all when you turn on your AC, there’s an issue.

  1. Clogged AC System

Sometime we find that there make me a clog or a blockage in the system.  If one of the AC system components is clogged or dirty it may not be able to allow the right levels of refrigerant to flow through.  If this happens you AC may not be as cold or as effective and make actually even stop running altogether.  Sometimes the system make even work for a fe minutes, stop and then start working again.

The problem may be fixed by flushing the refrigerant to try to restore proper flow.  Sometimes the part may have to be replaced to restore efficient flow for the system.  Usually we find this problem is someone has added the wrong type of freon or has added a sealer to the system.

  1. Bad Smells That Don’t Go Away

It’s somewhat normal for your car’s AC to smell a little funny the first few times you run it after the winter. But, if there’s a foul, musty odor that just does not go away, you might have bacteria, mold, or fungus growing in your system somewhere.

At Vaughan Auto Service, we’ll find the source of your smelly AC. Then, we’ll clean and sanitize your system to ensure any microbial growth is removed. With help from our expert mechanics, you’ll breath easy!

So, no matter what’s wrong with your vehicle’s air conditioning system, your best answer is the same. All you have to do is call us today at (226)289-2436 or contact us to schedule your appointment.

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