It’s the first hot day of Spring or Summer. You set down in your car, turn your AC on and……….It’s hot. Uh Oh. What happened? Well, there are several things that can cause your AC to Blow Hot. Or sometimes it just doesn’t blow as cold as it should. An AC System that is operating properly should be blowing 30-40 degrees colder than the outside temp. This means that on a 100 degree day, the ac system should be blowing in the 60’s. The car in the picture below had an AC that had completely failed. The temp coming out of the vent and the temp in our shop were within 1 degree of each other. That won’t do on a hot day. In this post I will go over the three most common reasons that AC Systems in cars fail.
The most common reason that your AC System Isn’t Working is a Leak. There are several parts to your AC System and most of them have Refrigerant running through them. If this refrigerant leaks out the AC System will not work as it should. A system can partially work if there is still some refrigerant in the system, but once it gets bellow a certain point, the system will only blow hot. When this happen the repair is, usually, to replace the leaking part and Recharge the AC System.
We find that AC Compressor Failure is the next most common failure. The AC Compressor is responsible for creating the pressure to make you AC System work. If it is not able to create enough pressure the system wont work. This can happen due to internal failure or Compressor Clutch Failure. This can be a far more costly repair. When a compressor fails internally we, generally, replace the Compressor, Expansion Valve, and Drier. This ensures that any contamination from the failed compressor doesn’t damage anything else in the system.
We find that electrical system failure is the third most common issue. Modern AC Systems are controlled by complex systems of Controls and Sensors that report to them. If a sensor is not reading properly, it will cause the entire system to shut down. Sometimes the AC Control head is not sending the correct signal to start the compressor.
If your AC System isn’t working like it should, give us a call. At Priebe’s Auto Clinic and Tire Center we are Car AC Specialists. There isn’t an issue with an Air Conditioning System that we can’t figure out. Call us at 405-523-2172 or Visit pacokc.com to schedule and appointment today.
