Ways to Prepare Your Car’s Air Conditioning for the Summer Heat
Everyone dreads the hassle of their car’s AC breaking down during the sweltering summer months. It makes driving uncomfortable and dangerous, and no one appreciates having to pay to make these repairs. Fortunately, there are preventative steps you can take to ensure your car’s air conditioning keeps running smoothly throughout the season. Taking your car to a qualified mechanic to check out the AC is a smart move. Let’s take a look at some leading ways of preparing your car AC in Hanford, CA for the upcoming summer.
Visual inspection
If your AC is blowing hot air and you’re about to take a long trip, pop the hood and look inside. What you want to check is that there’s no damage or leaking around the condenser. You can also look at the fan belt to see if its condition and tension look right. If you’re thinking there could be a problem, then it’s time to bring the car to a trusted auto mechanic.
Check the smell
All air conditioning has a certain smell. However, if you notice that the air conditioner is blowing out musty or unpleasant air, it may not be operating properly. The smell should generally be neutral. When it’s not, that means there’s likely residue, dust or mildew building up inside the system. These can trigger allergies and asthma. Bring the car to a professional for an inspection in these cases.
Refrigerant
The refrigerant in the car’s engine is vital to keep the air conditioning running. The liquid refrigerant needs to stay dry because, when it gets wet, it reacts with the water, resulting in the formation of hydrochloric acid. This will damage the car’s engine.
Check the refrigerant by looking at the sight glass under the hood. Follow the hose connected to the condenser to locate the sight glass. If the liquid is bubbly or milky, this means air has entered the refrigerant, and it needs to be replaced.
Noises
Run the air conditioner to see how it sounds. Is it making any unusual noises? Is it louder than usual? In cases where you hear a lot of noise or banging, this may be due to an internal malfunction. It’s best to get these sounds checked out before the system stops working entirely.
Overheating
You may also want to take the car out for a longer drive and run the air conditioner, because some problems may not be immediately noticeable on shorter trips. Drive the car around for half an hour. If the engine begins to overheat after a longer drive, this could be caused by a variety of problems, such as a coolant leak or a malfunctioning thermostat.
The next time you need car air conditioning maintenance in Hanford, CA, come to the experts at AAA Sandoval Transmissions. We’re a full-service auto repair company that’s been serving the area for more than three decades. Whether you need a tune-up, general checkup, engine repair or specialized service, we’re the team to trust. Give us a call today to set up your first appointment!
Categorised in: Auto Cooling Repair
This post was written by Writer