Three Reasons Your Car A/C Isn't Blowing Cold
It happens at the worst time possible. Burbank and the city of Angels are going through an intense heat wave and just when you need it the most, your car's air conditioning stops working. If you are one of the many drivers out there sweating their way through LA traffic, rest assured, we have the solution. Future Auto Service in Burbank has all your car A/C service needs covered, doesn't matter which make and model you have. In today's blog post, we discuss how your car A/C works as well as the three main reasons why your car's air conditioning doesn't blow cold and how it can be fixed.
How Does My Car A/C Work?
Your car's air conditioning system is complex and stretches through places in your car that are sometimes hard to access. Fixing your air conditioning to blow cold air again could just be a simple recharge or might involve removing the entire dashboard to replace the compressor. Engineering among different makes & models might vary, but generally, your ride's air conditioning system consists of these basic parts:
- Compressor
- Condensor
- Evaporator
- Refrigerant
The compressor, condenser & evaporator work together to adjust temperatures inside the cabin by pressurizing refrigerant that flows through hoses and lines to absorb cabin temperature. As the word suggests, the compressor squeezes the refrigerant into a gaseous state. Once it gets to the condenser, the refrigerant cools down again by flowing through tubes and reaching a liquid state. From there a thermal expansion valve allows it to absorb cabin heat inside the evaporator where it boils and turns into gas once again. Through this process, the evaporator cools down and a fan blows chill air through the vents of your car resulting in the nice, cold air you seek during a hot summer day.
If any of these parts mentioned above fail, the system can not operate properly which causes hot air to come out of your A/C vents. But what causes them to fail?
Three main reasons why your car's air conditioning system fails
1. Recharge needed
In most cases, your car's A/C can be fixed by recharging the refrigerant. This process refers to topping off or adding refrigerant to the system to restore its full operating capacity. Our ASE-certified technicians are pros at recharging air conditioning systems on all makes and models to get you driving cool again in no time.
2. Leaking refrigerant
Leaking refrigerant can be a little bit more complicated than recharging it. Because the refrigerant flows through many hoses and lines from your engine bay and behind the cabin, leaks can be challenging to spot. In addition, due to its chemical composition, refrigerant instantly vaporizes when coming in contact with outside air. Here at Future Auto Service, we use special tools to spot refrigerant leaks and fixthem. Our experienced technicians use dye or leak detectors to accurately locate the leak and replace the hose or line right away.
3. Compressor failure
As we discovered earlier, the A/C compressor is a vital component of your car's air conditioning system. Without compressing the refrigerant into a gaseous state, the condenser and evaporator are unable to absorb cabin temperatures to achieve the desired climate. Replacing the air conditioning compressor can often take more labor than a simple recharge or leak diagnostic. Depending on the make & model cost varies, but one thing is for sure: our specialists have the resources and expertise to get it done with the highest quality workmanship and a two-year nationwide TechNet warranty on parts and labor.
During these hot summer days in Burbank, our team here at Future Auto Service is busy fixing air conditioning systems daily. We are proud to keep the cars of so many loyal customers in our local community cool. But see for yourself with a close to five-star rating on Yelp, Google, and SureCritic from thousands of satisfied customers. Book your air conditioning service appointment today!