Car Air Conditioner Tips

When it’s as hot as it is in Utah in June, July and August, it’s close to impossible to drive around with the A/C not working, right!

We wanted to share a couple tips here that can help you to stay cool with an air conditioner that works properly.

Before we jump into the tips, it’s important to remember we’re always here to help whether it’s just to answer a few questions or to help you find and fix any problem on your vehicle.

OK, let’s dive in. These tips will help you get the most from your car’s A/C system.

Ensure your Cabin Air Filter is Clean and Unrestricted – If your cabin air filter, found on just about every vehicle these days, is not clean, airflow will be limited and force the vehicle to take longer to cool. A restricted cabin air filter will prevent sufficient cool air reaching the inside of the vehicle even with a fully functioning air conditioning system fully capable of generating cold air.

Get Your System Check for Wear and Tear – Normal wear and tear such as to the drive belt or tensioner that run your A/C compressor, and small leaks that can develop over time are easier to remedy before there’s a problem. A simple visual inspection can alert you to wear issues.

Complete Evacuation and Recharge Your System – Even if your air conditioning system appears to be functioning correctly, having the system evacuated and recharged can help remove particles and moisture that may be trapped.

Don’t Wait if You’re A/C Fails – It’s important to have your air conditioner looked at as soon as possible if it isn’t working. The longer you delay getting the system looked at, the more potential there will be for increasing the repair costs. If your air conditioning system sits idle for an extended period of time, you are leaving it susceptible to increased moisture and greater risk for more internal damage.

What Else Should You Know About Your Vehicle’s Air Conditioner?

Reduced Horsepower – Using the air conditioner on any vehicle will reduce the engine’s horsepower, so don’t be surprised if your car has to work a bit harder to make it up the same hills it did in the Winter.

But A/C is efficient – At least compared to driving with the windows down. Contrary to what you may think, the aerodynamic drag and wind buffeting you’d experience at 55 mph with the windows down nets you worse fuel economy than running the A/C with the windows up.

Additional Stress to the Cooling System – To prevent a vehicle from overheating, it’s important the entire cooling system is functioning correctly. However, the air conditioner can place stress on that system if it’s not operating efficiently. If your car does start to run hot this summer, turn off your A/C immediately to help prevent costly damage to your engine.

If at any time you have questions about your vehicle’s air conditioning, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re also happy to test your system so you know exactly what’s going on without guessing.

Our test, not guess approach helps us save our customers thousands of dollars.

Click here if you need to schedule an appointment.