Do you not know what the technician says about the Air conditioning system on your vehicle?
Time to find out….
So let talk about some general features of the Air conditioning system, what keeps you cool, so here’s some items you might come across;
The Garage says:
“You need a re-gas”
What do they mean?
Air conditioning systems contains a pressurised refrigerant gas that cools the air as it enters the cabin. The system naturally loses pressure over time, or can spring a leak.
What should you be aware of?
Low pressure in the air conditioning system means it won’t be working efficiently. Re-gassing is a simple and low cost (compared to repairs) that should be done every year or two as part of an air conditioning service. You can always be reassured that our trained air conditioning technicians will check for leaks from the seals and joints. This is helped by when we do a re-gas A/Con service we add a dye in to the mixture to aid finding these often small leaks.
The Garage says:
“You air conditioning needs cleaning”
What do they mean?
Bacteria can build up within the air conditioning system, leading to an unpleasant smell.
What should you be aware of?
An air conditioning service with us will include a process that removes extra moisture from the internal parts and gets rid of any bacteria. This often is what the technician will ask you when providing you with a choice of scents. Common choices are; Fresh Linen, Citrus, coconut, Apple.
The Garage says:
“You have a blocked cabin/pollen filter”
What do they mean?
The cabin/pollen filter needs replacing as it is either full of bits, often dust and leaves, or just simply blocked up preventing air flow.
What should you be aware of?
A blocked will not only prevent clean air reach the inside of the vehicle, but can actually stop the air conditioning system from working altogether. If you suffer from hay fever or allergies, you should pay particular attention to your air conditioning filters as a clean filter will dramatically reduce the amount of pollen which gets drawn into the vehicle. Also the internal heater resistor (which controls the fan speed) relies on this passing of cooler air flowing over it to cool it down, otherwise they can lead to overheating then burning out and failing.
The Garage says:
“Your Air conditioning is not just for the cold weather”
What do they mean?
The Air conditioning works both when you have the temperature hot as well as cold. During the summer it helps draw the moisture out of the air thus cooling the air down. Then during the winter it helps demist your windows when you get out to your car after leaving it in the cold.
What should you be aware of?
There are many people out there that say that having the air conditioning on costs you more in fuel/power. Yes, they are not wrong, but it may only save you a few pennies by the end of the year. If the air conditioning is turned off then the flow of the refrigerant is not flowing around the system, which also has a special oil that lubricates the seals. No flow, no oil getting to those seals, meaning they dry up and you get leaks or worse air into the system. The air conditioning system does not like having to much moisture from the air inside it, which can lead to replacing most the air conditioning system if not caught soon enough. Prolonged periods of inactivity can cause component corrosion and seizure, with replacement parts amounting to an expensive repair bill.
