When driving in a warm atmosphere, the last thing you want to experience is sweating and stress because your car's air conditioner is faulty. Beyond driving in discomfort, the problem only gets worse if left unattended to.
To fix this, we will look at how AC works, signs of faulty air conditioners, the cost of repairs, and how to maintain and prevent chronic AC repair to save you money.
Remember how cool and comforting it is whenever your AC is working perfectly? - AC works in an organized, straightforward way. The refrigerant plays an active role in the whole process. It is a fluid that easily changes from liquid to gas. When the atmosphere in the car is humid or hot, the refrigerant absorbs the air. Then it compresses it with a compressor.
This makes the temperature high and heated. Afterward, it travels outdoors to release the air and condense back as a liquid.
The liquid refrigerant gradually flows into the car as evaporated gas cools the air. So, if something is off about this in your car, quickly seek help.
An air conditioner is actually not immune to damages or faults. Understanding the common symptoms of faulty air conditioners will help you drive safely, be in good health, and make informed decisions.
If you discover your car’s AC is giving discomforting or insufficient ventilation, it's a sign something has gone wrong. Causes include a blown fuse that cuts power, preventing air from blowing through the vents.
Also, if the blower resistor or air intake area is damaged, you will experience limited air circulation.
Bad odors are one serious symptom of faulty air conditioners. When you turn on your AC, it makes you feel much more uncomfortable in your car than on hot summer days. Common causes of these offensive smells include mold, bacteria, dust, and leaves clogged inside. To fix this, you can clean or replace the cabin air filter.
Leaks from loose tubes the refrigerant passes through. Everything has to be sealed tightly. Else, something is off. And the leak would cause more damage. Signs of leaks include a form of droplets around the leaking area and an audible hiss sound.
Finally, you believe you bought AC for a comfy ride, until the air meant to be cool becomes super hot. Right there, your AC has some issues. Which could be a clogged condenser, broken compressor, or leaky refrigerant.
There are other symptoms, but these mentioned so far are the most common.
The cost of AC widely varies depending on the type of AC, type of repair, location, and so on. But average repairs cost between $75 and $650 and larger ones can range as high as $4,200
Below are some common AC repairs and their average cost:
Maintaining car AC is crucial to reduce potential AC risk and damages and improve AC longevity yet cut repair expenses.
This improves fresh air and prevents dirt and dust from damaging the AC. Change the car filter every 12,000 miles or as specified in the manual. This will improve healthy air and better breathing in your car.
If you notice the air coming from the vents is unusual, it's better to seek help ASAP. It is ideal to recharge refrigerant every 2 years to maintain high performance.
When it is hot, instead of immediately turning it on, you should wind down for a few minutes to let the hot air out. Afterwards, put on the AC. This hack helps reduce the stress on your AC.
Always monitor beneath the windshield wipers where dirt and moisture can accumulate to clog the air that flows into the AC system. So, the area is clean.
If you notice some awful odor from your vents, act fast because this indicates more than mold growth within the system. Run your heater for a short period of time to dry out the damp area in the evaporator core. If the issue persists, seek help.
It is not the end of the world for your car's AC to develop a fault. It's a mechanical error that is fixable and preventable. This blog has done its due diligence to provide you with major information about the cost of faulty AC, common faults, and how to prevent them. Have a happy, comfy ride.
💡 A car's AC leak is the loss of refrigerant from the air conditioning system. It is because of a hole, crack, or loose connection in the system. As the refrigerant is essential for cooling the air, a leak can cause the AC to blow warm air or stop working entirely. So keep a watchful eye to understand whether your car has a leak or not.
💡 Charging your car’s AC system means refilling the refrigerant to restore proper cooling. It’s important to check for leaks before adding refrigerant. If the system has a significant leak, simply recharging won’t fix the problem.
💡 If your car’s AC is not blowing cold air, it means your car has an issue such as a low refrigerant level, a faulty AC compressor, a dirty cabin air filter, a blocked or faulty condenser, etc.
💡The same goes with AC blowing hot. The car may have the following issues: Low coolant level, a faulty thermostat, a leaking heater core, fault blower motor or resistor, etc.
