Troubleshooting your Auto Air Conditioning
It’s officially hot outside. That means it may be time to service your auto air conditioning. Have you noticed a weak air flow? Or maybe your A/C isn’t as cold as it once was. Perhaps the air starts off cold and then gets warmer. These are all signs that your A/C needs to be serviced. But don’t worry Courthouse Automotive can help. We’ll help you troubleshoot the issue first before you even bring your vehicle in.
Weak A/C airflow
There’s nothing worse than turning on your auto air conditioning on a blazing hot day, expecting the sweet relief of a blast of cold air. Instead, you’re met with a weak breeze. Like someone is trying to blow on you to cool you down. There are several reasons for weak airflow. Here are the typical causes.
1. Mold or mildew in the evaporator core.
This is caused by residual moisture that accumulates during the cooling process. When it forms mold, it can make it difficult for the air to reach your vents.
2. A loose hose.
Hoses in your auto air conditioner can come loose. Usually, it’s the blower hose that supplies air to the unit.
3. Fried ventilation fan.
If your ventilation fan is fried, then the air won’t be flowing, as it should be.
4. Broken seals
Any one of the seals in your air conditioning has potential to come loose: core case seals, evaporator core seals or blower house seals. If any of these seals are compromised, it will cause weak airflow.
Lack of cold air
Sometimes your A/C can just lose its chill power. If you notice your A/C is gradually getting less and less cool, bring your vehicle in sooner rather than later. This can mean the difference between a small repair and a big one. Here are the main causes.
1. A freon leak caused by a failed seal, o-ring, hose or component.
2. A clogged expansion tube or refrigerant charging hose.
3. Failed compressor or compressor clutch
4. Failed blower motor or blower motor resistor
5. Damaged or failing condenser or evaporator
6. Vacuum leak
7. Failed switch, relay, fuse, control module, solenoid or blend door
A/C starts off cold but then gets warm
If your auto air conditioning starts off cold and then gets warm, there can be several explanations. We recommend getting your A/C inspected. There usually isn’t a simple answer for this unusual problem.
1. You could have a blown fuse or clogged expansion valve. This valve is what distributes the Freon to your evaporator. If it’s clogged, there’s potential for the refrigerant to freeze the valve together.
2. The problem might also be a faulty compressor clutch or even worse, a leak. Leaks can be detected with black light enabling dyes. Most refrigerants are pre-mixed with U.V. dyes that show up under a black light. Leaks aren’t really something that you can avoid. They’re just a result of father time. Hoses and seals in your system lose elasticity. This can lead to moisture getting into your auto air conditioning system. For your A/C system, moisture is its worst enemy. Once it mixes with the refrigerant, it can create corrosive acid destroying every component of your A/C.
But, you just never know for sure what the issue is until you get it inspected. Have one of our ASE-certified professionals look at it and we’ll have that A/C unit blasting again in no time.