What You May Need To Know When Making Repairs To The Air Conditioning System In Your Vehicle
The air conditioning system in most cars and trucks will eventually need service. There are some common reasons that the AC may not work in your vehicle, but a car air conditioning service can go over the system and find the problem, and often the repair is not difficult with the right tools and knowledge of the system.
Refirigerant Recharge
A common problem that a car air conditioning service deals with regularly is dropping refrigerant levels in the AC system. The AC system is a closed-loop system, so once it is at capacity, it should hold the pressure and retain the refrigerant without pressure changes. However, older systems often leak around seals and fittings and may develop small pin holes in the condenser or evaporator, allowing the refrigerant level and pressure to drop.
When the system pressure gets too low, the compressor can not keep everything working, and the system will no longer produce cold air. The car air conditioning service will check the system pressure first on older cars. If it is low, they can recharge the system with new refrigerant and bring it up to the manufacturer's specified pressure levels.
If there is a leak in the system, this will work for a while, but eventually, the pressure will drop again, and the cold air will stop. However, if the technician suspects a leak, they can add some dye to the system that will mark or stain the area where the leak is, making repair more manageable.
Belt And Compressor Failure
A common failure point in the air conditioning system is the compressor, but often the belt that drives it is the actual issue. If the belt breaks, the compressor stops spinning, and the sc stops working. A car air conditioning service will check the compressor drive belt when servicing the system, and if it is damaged, replacing the drive belt is an excellent starting point.
The AC compressor has a clutch system on the drive pulley that allows the system to turn on and off to maintain the pressure consistently in the system. The clutch can also wear and start to malfunction, and often once the compressor clutch stops working, replacing it with a new one is the only way to correct the problem. Removing the clutch assembly can be challenging and often requires a specialized tool, but the car air conditioning service can remove and replace it if it is failing.
While there are many small things that can occur in the AC system to contribute to a lack of cold air, starting with the most common issues and testing each part of the system is the most effective way to repair the system. The AC service will inspect the AC system and let you know where the problem is, and the cost to make repairs will be before any work begins. For more information on car air conditioning services, contact a professional near you.