If your air conditioning in your car or truck is acting up, then before you take it to the garage for some air conditioning repairs, there are a few things that you could try at home. Often, your air conditioning will break because of a damaged switch or thermostat and depending on the make and model of the car that’s an easy thing to sort out.

Give Your Air Conditioning a Performance Check

If your vehicle air conditioner doesn’t run well, then this can lead to refrigerant break down, and to wear and tear on the compressor as grime and dirt infects the rest of the unit. If you don’t notice this and fix it early on then, you’ll end up in a difficult position – because a damaged compressor can be a costly repair.

That’s why it’s important to check the status of your air conditioner the moment you start experiencing problems. Weak airflow, for example, isn’t just going to make you hot and sweaty – it’s something that can be incredibly problematic for the unit itself, but the cause is easy to fix.

Check for mold and mildew in the evaporator core (or pay someone to do it for you) and the vents, if you can clean them, do so.  Check any hoses attached to the unit. Sometimes, they can come loose so they don’t blow as strongly as they should.  Check the fans, too – ball bearing fans break easily, and if one of them isn’t blowing then the air flow for the whole unit will be poor.

Check the seals, too – sometimes they can break down and let air escape. If a seal has broken, take your car to get  unit repaired – because even one broken seal compromises the entire unit.

Poor Temperature Control

If your air conditioning seems to be working, but is just not very cold, or starts cold and then gets warm again, this could be a sign of a blown fuse, a vacuum leak, a failed condenser or any one of a number of other symptoms.

If you have a situation where moisture and refrigerant can mix, then you could be at risk of some pretty serious issues with your air conditioning unit because they can cause corrosive chemicals to eat away at seals and tubes. Depending on which parts are damaged, the repair process could be lengthy.

The best option for you, as a vehicle owner, is to take good care of the unit from day one and to get the performance of the unit checked regularly. If you notice issues, get them looked at as soon as possible. It’s better to have one of our mechanics inspect your air conditioning  – when your unit is just ‘not as cold as it used to be’ than it is to wait until it’s broken.

Schedule an air conditioning inspection before the weather is scorching.