Driving in the summer heat not only takes a toll on your car but affects you too. Intense in-cabin heat will reduce your riding comfort and hinder your concentration on the road, thus jeopardizing your safety. The best way to avoid these issues is to keep your vehicle's air conditioner in good working order.
One way to accomplish this is by watching out for early signs of trouble with your auto AC system and taking corrective action before it's too late. So, what are the tell-tale indications of a malfunctioning car air conditioning system?
Continue reading to find out.
High In-Car Temperatures
Your car's air conditioning system serves the same purpose as your home's air conditioner — to keep you cool and comfortable in hot weather. An obvious sign that it requires repair work is when it blows hot or inadequately cool air, leaving you at the mercy of the summer heat.
Several factors can make your car hotter than the temperature setting on the air conditioning system. These include but are not limited to the following:
- Low refrigerant level
- Bad compressor
- Frozen evaporator
- Clogged air filter
- Blocked condensate drain line
AC repairs for unusually high in-cabin temperatures vary depending on the issues found during the auto AC diagnostics process.
A Persistent Hissing Sound Coming From Your AC System
Your car's AC system contains a gas known as refrigerant. Refrigerant gas works through pressurization and compression to keep you cool when traveling in the heat.
Since AC refrigerant is a colorless and odorless gas, it can be difficult to tell when it is escaping from your AC system. The good news is that it runs in a continuous loop under pressure. As a result, you may sometimes hear a hissing sound when it leaks.
Refrigerant leaks lead to low refrigerant levels, so if you realize that your AC refrigerant level has dropped, you'll probably need refrigerant leak repairs.
AC Light Keeps Blinking
If you drive a modern car, it probably has a dashboard warning light that turns on when something is wrong with your air conditioner. If this warning light blinks when you turn on the AC system, you should start planning for AC repairs.
While routine auto AC maintenance will go a long way to preventing air conditioner problems, problems can still occur. Feel free to contact an auto air conditioning repair service if you have issues with your car's AC system.