What are your options if your vehicle AC stops functioning?

On sunny summer days, it is a very pleasant feeling to turn the air conditioning on. If the AC was not functioning properly, you will be stuck inside the cabin of a hot car until you can determine why and fix it. The issue could be with a clogged filter, condense or with the cooling fan.

AC is one of those things which people do not give much thought about until you go without it. The same thing happens with Continental Tyres Stockport, once they stopped working, drivers start noticing how important they are.

When you are living in a dry region and it is in the middle of summer, it would be an awfully bad situation to find that your AC vents are only blowing out hot air, sometimes no air at all. Since the vehicle could potentially heat up fast in such a scenario, it presents the risk of dehydration and sometimes even heat stroke. Children and elderly folks with health complications are more susceptible to such a situation, so ensure that you have your air conditioning checked by an experienced mechanic before you hit the road this summer.

While some of problems with your AC are complex and hence difficult to diagnose, there are some that you could identify yourself without making the trip to an auto shop. Some of the tips to identify and diagnose your car’s AC problem are provided here.

Compressor

Often to solve an AC problem, the compressor is the best place to start. To check whether the compressor is working, turn the engine on and set the knob to max cooling. Make certain the clutch of the compressor is engaged properly, which you can do by ensuring that the centre component that engages and disengages with the pulley is working. If this component is moving fast, it could be an indication of a low refrigerant level, which could be due to a bad component or a leak and could prevent the AC from operating properly.

If it is a problem with the clutch not engaging at all, check the amount of voltage reaching the compressor using a voltmeter. If it shows that the voltage is getting through, then the clutch might be damaged or faulty. When the clutch cycling switch is the part that is at fault, the refrigerant will not pressurize, the electromagnetic clutch will fail to engage, and the system will not operate.

Condenser

If the issue is that your vehicle AC is blowing only mildly cool air even when the settings are at max, you may want to verify if the condenser is working correctly. Make sure that the radiator and condenser are operational. The reason for cold air not passing over the condenser could be because the condenser is damaged, or if there is debris clogging it.

Make sure to check that the air filter is not damaged. Also, ensure that the system pressures for the AC is in line with the recommended pressure as in the manual. You can use a manifold gauge set to measure this.

Leaks

Leaks are among the most likely causes of AC problems. Often, low pressure could indicate a leak. An easy way to detect a leak is with a UV AC leak detection kit, which uses a dye in the system and the UV light to detect leaks. This method might not work if the system is too low, and the compressor is not cycling properly.

The next step

Just as your Tyres Stockport are an important component of your car, you should also take good care of your AC. The above steps provide a basic set of checkpoints to identify issues with the AC. If the problem still persists, find a local mechanic and get the problems sorted out.