By Quick Auto Brain.
The Air Conditioner has become one of the most important part of your vehicle and sometimes it is very very expensive to repair something goes wrong in the system. I have seen were the compressor of a vehicle is changes 4 times because the technician fixing it made simple errors.
Today I will divide my tips to maintaining your air-conditioner into two; the first will be what you need to do to a car that is not a daily driver. https://quickautobrain.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-repairing-your-car-air-conditioning/
- Run the air conditioner once a week for about 10 minutes. This will maintain gas pressure to keep the compressor working properly. When you do this, be sure to turn it to its highest fan speed and coolest setting, this will also ensure the moving part in your compressor don’t get stuck.
- Run defrost mode for about 5 to 10 minutes. This prevents mildew and cleans out excessive moisture, which can lead to unsavory odors in your car when it is parked for a long time especially in humid conditions.
- Re-charge your air conditioning system. Every two years refresh the cooling system with gas and lubricant.
For your daily driver the tips below are very important that you put into a routine, note that you still have apply this tips to your non daily driver but it will not be as frequent as your daily driver.
- Air filters and Condensers One of the most common issues is a blockage in air filters and AC condensers which prevents air flow over cooling coils. Therefore, make sure to wash the condenser thoroughly with water every week, without fail. This will not only help in the removal of dirt from those otherwise unreachable parts but will also contribute towards maintaining better cooling, thereby relieving you during summers.
- The air filter of AC, which is located below the dashboard in most of the cars, should be cleaned thoroughly with water or even replaced, if need be. Make sure that you get the filter cleaned during your regular servicing. Especially when it comes to summers, take a proactive stance towards getting it cleaned before the season begins.
- Dirt and moisture This is two of the major culprits causing a plague in the car’s AC unit. Hence, ensure all carpets and mats in the car should be vacuumed and cleaned well every week to ensure that the AC duct and the vent inside do not attract any dust from inside, thereby remaining in clean condition and providing better cooling.
- Overheating If the engine is running hot or is overheating, it may noticeably impact the air conditioning. This is because the AC condenser is located immediately in front of the engine’s radiator. In case of overheating of the radiator, the excessive heat may get transferred to the condenser and negatively affect the way it works. Therefore, in order to avoid situations like these, the radiator should be cleaned every 6 months.
- AC Belt since the AC compressor is mostly driven by the engine via a belt, , ensure that you inspect the drive belt attached to the compressor, gas pipelines, and hoses well in order to avoid any such malfunctions in the working of the car AC.
- Noise and Sound from your Compressor never ignore any weird and unusual sounds coming from the compressor. Such noises may indicate issues with the drive belt, liquid refrigerant entering the compressor port, loosening of mounting bolts that secure the components of AC, equalizing of pressure, or even wearing out of the belt. All these issues in the AC system are concerning, first ensure you switch off your Air-Condition and consult the nearest service center as soon as any such situation occurs.
- AC Lines check if there are any leakages from the AC gas pipelines at least once a month. You may even clean it well with soap water to ensure that there aren’t any.
- Loss of Lubrication this is one of the most common reasons behind the failure of the AC compressor. So, if you observe AC gas oil stains on the compressor or on the pipelines and hoses, you should immediately consult to the service center.
- Use Recirculation use this mode as much as possible. Compared to the fresh air mode, using the AC in recirculation improves efficiency as the AC works more quickly and strongly. Moreover, this mode blocks the entry of dirty air or unpleasant smell from outside. Especially in summers, when it is very dusty outside, it is better to use recirculation mode over fresh air mode.
- AC Switch Light Always pay attention to your AC switch Light it is mostly design to alert you once something is wrong in your AC system, the moment you see the light blinking of flickering ensure you turn off you AC to avoid further damage.
- Flood or Water Crossing Ensure you switch off your AC while driving in high water or muddy water, doing this will have an adverse effect on your compressor. See Also https://www.geico.com/living/driving/auto/auto-care/air-conditioning/
