The air-conditioned air blowing through your vehicle’s vents should never be hot. To prevent this from happening, schedule an annual AC service with Midwest Auto Care in the spring so we can inspect the air conditioning system to make sure it doesn’t need to be repaired. If you do turn on the AC and the air is hot or lukewarm, there could be one or more of the following problems going on underneath the hood. Don’t worry. We can repair all of these things.
Damaged AC Condenser
The condenser is the air conditioning system part that cools off the refrigerant once it gets too hot. It uses air inlets and a fan to reduce the refrigerant’s temperature. It draws air from the outside through the inlets because it is located directly behind the grille. Unfortunately, this location can leave you with a damaged condenser that is either clogged or dented and unable to reduce the refrigerant’s temperature. Consequently, the hot refrigerant will make the air hot.
Faulty Condenser Fan
As we just mentioned, the condenser uses a fan to help it reduce the refrigerant’s temperature. This fan can malfunction if there is an electrical system problem or if the fan gets damaged by road debris. If the condenser does not have the benefit of the fan blowing over the hot refrigerant, you will end up with hot refrigerant circulating through the air conditioning system and hot air blowing out of the vents. Repairing the electrical system problem or replacing the fan can solve the issue.
Malfunctioning Compressor
The air conditioning system also has a compressor that compresses the refrigerant gas into a liquid so it can circulate it through the air conditioning system. The compressor will malfunction if it is not used frequently. Consequently, you may not have cold refrigerant circulating through the air conditioning system to cool off the air that blows through the vents. This is especially true if you have not used your air conditioning system in a long time and the compressor has died.
Low Refrigerant Levels
Finally, an annual AC check allows us to make sure you have plenty of refrigerant in the system. The air conditioner refrigerant can evaporate and also leak out of the system when it is in its liquid form. If you don’t have enough refrigerant in the system, you won’t have cold air.
Call Midwest Auto Care in Lake Station, IN, if your vehicle’s air conditioner is not working as it should be or to schedule a spring maintenance appointment.
