The Most Common Reasons Your Car's AC Might Be Out
As summer approaches, we are all remembering how important it is to be able to cool off our cars. Here in Texas we want our car air conditioning working all year round, but summer most of all. If you find your vehicle’s AC is on the fritz, First Tire & Automotive can get cold air blowing for you again. But what causes an AC system to stop working in the first place?
Signs of a Faulty Car AC
Depending on the actual problem, there are a few ways a malfunctioning AC could let you know. Sometimes an AC simply won’t turn on, or won’t blow any air. For other issues, the air will blow hot instead of cold. Some AC problems will cause cold air to only blow intermittently or under specific conditions. And noticing musty or mildewy smells, water in your car, or a green, oily residue — refrigerant — under your car can all indicate issues with your car’s AC system.
5 Reasons Your Car AC Isn’t Working
1. Head Units and Sensors
A car’s head unit is the part of the cabin with all of the air conditioning controls like temperature, fan speed, and so on. It is the AC mission control. Sensors are used to detect temperature changes and can adjust the AC accordingly. For example, if you have your car temperature set to 70℉, and the sensor recognizes that the car has reached the desired temperature, it may slow how much cold air is released so it doesn’t drop further. If the controls of the head unit break, it will no longer be able to send accurate commands to your AC. If the sensor cannot take accurate readings, then the system cannot work properly.
2. Electrical Problems
Electrical problems are a common cause of auto AC issues. This could be a malfunction in the wiring, breakers, capacitors, or even a bad fuse. If you notice that your air conditioner is turning on and off at regular intervals, or is having trouble starting up, it could be tripping the power.
3. Clogged Cabin Filter
The cabin filter cleans the air that goes into your car’s cabin. It catches pollutants, pollen, dust, and other things you don’t want to be breathing. However, by catching all of these contaminants, eventually the filter becomes too clogged to let air through, forcing the AC to work harder. An easy way to fix or prevent this issue is to replace your filter regularly, every 12,000 to 15,000 miles.
4. Leaks and Low Refrigerant
Leaks are one of the most common causes of a faulty AC. A tiny hole in any of the hoses, connections, the condenser, compressor, or seals can lead to inefficiency, and eventually greater damage. A leak of refrigerant can be a major problem. Refrigerant, as the name suggests, helps regulate and cool the air temperature. If there is not enough refrigerant, the air will not be able to cool. If you find that your refrigerant is low, that is indicative of a leak, as it doesn’t just run out as you use it. If it’s low, bring it in to your trusted First Tire technicians to locate the leak.
5. Compressor and Condenser Issues
A vehicle's compressor is what circulates the refrigerant through the AC system, pulling heat energy away from the cabin and pushing cool towards it. The condenser, seated at the front of the car, pulls air through the grate to cool the refrigerant. If the condenser doesn’t work, the refrigerant won’t cool, so the air stays hot. If the compressor is faulty, it can’t effectively move the coolant to the cabin for you or to the condenser for cooling.
Car AC Maintenance
It’s important to take care of a car’s air conditioning so it can keep you cool when you need it. The easiest way to do that is keeping up with your vehicle’s schedule of maintenance. Change your cabin air filter regularly, and refresh your refrigerant every 3-4 years. On particularly humid days, use your car’s ‘recirculate’ feature to keep you and your AC system a little freer from the dampness. If we somehow hit a cool span — it’s possible, if a little rare — and stop needing our AC for a while, at least run your car’s AC once a month to keep everything running as it should.
If you’ve noticed any issues with your air conditioner or just want to have it looked at to be safe, First Tire & Automotive is happy to help at any of our five locations. Give us a call, schedule an appointment, or just stop by.
