Troubleshooting Common Problems With Your Car's Air Conditioning System
When your car's air conditioning system needs repair work, you don't want to wait to get that addressed. The air conditioning could fail on the hottest day of the year, and then you may need to go days without it, depending on your mechanic's schedule and if he or she will need to order new parts. Addressing problems with the A/C will mean keeping it running optimally and can also mean avoiding bigger repair bills down the road. Note a few tips on how to troubleshoot common problems with your car's air conditioning system.
1. The air conditioner isn't as cold as it should be
A lack of Freon or coolant in the system is the most obvious cause of this, but if you've already had the A/C system filled with Freon, the problem may be a leak around a seal, hose, or other component in the system. The blower motor of the air conditioner may also be failing so that it's simply not blowing out the same amount of cold air, and, in turn, the air conditioner can't "compete" with the warm air in your car.
You can inspect the A/C unit under the hood and note if you see obvious leaks, or note if the air seems cold when you hold your hand up to the dashboard. This will tell you if it's either of these two common problems.
2. The air conditioner smells musty or somehow dirty
There are usually two causes of a musty or dirty smell from the air conditioner, and one is that the evaporator case around the unit is blocked and not draining properly so that mold and mildew form. You can smell that musty odor when the air conditioner comes on. Another cause is that your car needs a new air filter itself, and the air conditioner is pulling in dirty air from the engine area. Have the air filter changed and note if that helps the smell and if so, note it's probably the evaporator casing.
3. There is uneven airflow from the vents
This is usually caused by the blower motor burning out so that it struggles to blow air through the vents. It may be strong and then weak and then strong again. A hose to the blower unit may have also come loose so that air escapes out the hose and isn't being pushed into the vents as it should. Seals around the evaporator casing may have also come loose, and this too can allow air to leak out around the casing so that it's very weak when it reaches your dashboard. For more information, contact a business such as Allcoast Mobile Auto Electrical.
