It’s hard to even imagine the days when most cars didn’t have air conditioning. They have become a necessary item, especially during the hot summer months. Since you never want to have a broken car air conditioner, here are some tips to follow:
1. Buy a recharging kit
When an air conditioner stops working, sometimes it just needs to be “re-charged”. If you’re handy enough, a recharging kit allows you to fix the problem yourself and can be found at auto stores or most department stores.
2. Remember eye safety
If you’re going to try and repair an air conditioner on your own, always wear goggles. When dealing with car liquids, you never know what can end up going where and you don’t want to get any dangerous liquids in your eye because it could cause serious damage.
3. Check for refrigerant
This should be the first thing to check on when the air conditioner isn’t running properly. If there is no refrigerant, it won’t cool.
4. Check for leaks
There is no point in recharging an air conditioning system if there is a leak. Depending on the size of the leak, you may not even notice it for months until the system stops cooling.
5. Watch the AC Condenser
If the AC Condenser is dirty on the outside or clogged on the inside it’ll have a hard time keeping the refrigerant cool on a hot day.
6. Get it checked by a trusted mechanic
You should always keep up with scheduled maintenance on your car, but it’s a smart idea to have a mechanic check out the air conditioner at the start of summer just to be on the safe side. Some mechanics will offer this service for free so ask around.
7. Watch for water
Water should drain outside of the car after it’s parked when using an air conditioner. If there is water inside of the vehicle that means the drain is clogged.
8. Listen for noises
You shouldn’t hear any rattling or vibrating when using an air conditioner. Something could be obstructing the blower fan which will cause the AC to not work properly.
9. Use your nose
The AC shouldn’t smell like mildew. If it does, mold could be growing inside of the system and it isn’t healthy to breath in that air. A car service repair shop can clean it to eliminate the issue.
Some car AC problems are just too complicated to fix. For safety purposes, don’t try and fix something on your own if you aren’t exactly sure what you are doing. It can end up causing more harm than good.