What is auto air conditioning servicing?

Auto air condition servicing involves general inspection of your vehicles air conditioning system. As well, it may involve repair of any issues found. This often includes recharging the system with the appropriate refrigerant.

What components are inspected during ac servicing?

Most shops performing an auto air condition service will look for excessive wear or damage to the units compressor itself. This will include searching for leaks or visual damage. As well, the technician will inspect hoses and belts for any possible cracks or damage.

What does recharging mean?

During a normal ac inspection the technician will most likely test the amount of refrigerant in the system. If it is found to be lower than is required refrigerant will need to be added. This is called recharging. Sufficient refrigerant is added to bring the pressure back to normal. This will allow the system to once again cool at proper temperatures.

Can I recharge my cars ac myself?

This is not recommended. A professional will be able to perform a vacuum test to check for possible leaks. Also, he or she will know the exact amount of refrigerant needed. It is as bad to overfill refrigerant as to not have enough. Levels should be correct to achieve the best air temperatures.

Is an auto air conditioning service expensive?

The service is usual not expensive. However, exact cost will vary according to any repairs which may be needed. Typically hoses and belts are low in price. If a compressor needs to be replaced this will require greater cost. The cost of adding refrigerant is not excessive.

It is a wise idea to have your cars ac system inspected each year. This will assure proper cooling. As well, it may avoid damage due to improper maintenance. Auto air condition service is a necessary part of your cars health.

The primary components of a car air conditioner system include compressor, evaporator, accumulator and expansion valve. The compressor, driven by the car engine compresses a refrigerant gas called Freon. The moment this gas is compressed it turns very hot, and is sent to the condenser through a set of coils. The condenser is like a small radiator, and is usually mounted in front of the car. It is in the condenser that heat and gas is separated. The hot air is released at the top of the condenser, while the gas in turned into cool liquid. Some cars have accumulator or receiver-driers. The work of this part is to make sure that it is only liquid refrigerants that enter the expansion valve.

If your car doesn’t have a thermal expansion valve then, it must have an orifice tube. These are what control the entrance of super-cool refrigerants into the evaporator to prevent you from freezing. Expansion valve is what you’re actually controlling when you alter the temperature settings of your auto air conditioner. Before you feel the cool liquid in your car it must, for the last time, get to the evaporator. The evaporator does the opposite of what the condenser does. As the cool liquid goes through the evaporator tubes, air is forced through to make it seriously cold before it hits your skin. It is important to note that Freon was found to be harmful to the earth’s layer and has since been abandoned and replaced by the harmless R-134a refrigerant.

There are a few things that can point that something is wrong with your air conditioning – the air isn’t blowing at all, or it is warm, or nothing happens when you press the AC button on your panel.

Usually the culprit is a leak somewhere in the system that causes the refrigerant to escape. This could be a leaky hose, or a pinhole in the condenser or something in the air compressor. If that’s the case, you should take your car to a specialist and he will identify the leak himself and then recharge your system. You can recharge your air conditioning yourself using one of those aftermarket kits, but this will only fix your problem temporarily as the leak will still be there.

Often the issue could be with the faulty air compressor. Usually when you press the AC panel button, you can hear a “clutching” noise, which means that the compressor is engaging. If you can’t hear that noise, the problem could be a blown fuse, or defective clutch, or the compressor is simply broken and needs to be replaced.

Another common case is very low system pressure. To troubleshoot that, you will need to consult with your car manual to find high and low service fittings, and then attach set of gauges (usually sold at major retailers with those recharge kits) and check the readings. If the pressure is low, then it will need recharging but the cause is still the same – leak somewhere that causes refrigerant to escape.

To further troubleshoot your automotive air conditioning, it is highly recommended to consult a specialist in your area.