When Does A Cars Air Conditioning Need Repair
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- Posted date:
- 13-09-2022

When does a cars air conditioning need repair? Find out how often your car's air-conditioning needs re-gassing and when you should get it repaired.
Signs you need a car air conditioning service
The air conditioning in your car is a fantastic tool to ensure that you and any passengers are kept cool while travelling in your vehicle. The air conditioning is essential in the hot and sweaty summer months and will demist your windscreen in the winter.
Air conditioning can be considered a little bit of a luxury, but the majority of cars are designed with air conditioning built right into their system. This means you can always be comfortable in your car, even if you are stuck in traffic while the sun is turning your car into a sauna.
A vehicle air conditioning service will help to ensure that your car's air conditioning systems are working efficiently all year round. In the long run, the service can end up saving you huge amounts on repairs and fuel.
So when exactly was the last time that you had a car air conditioning service? There are plenty of people that will have their annual car service and not even realise that the air conditioning is not part of the essential service. A car air conditioning service needs to be booked separately and should be done roughly every two years.
Below is an easy list of some signs you should look out for in order to indicate that you should have your car's air conditioning systems looked at.
The air is not cold
If your air conditioning is still in half-working condition, but the air that is blasting out is not cold enough to do the job that it was designed for, then the refrigerant in the air conditioning system may need to be either recharged or topped up.
If you do not use your car's air conditioning for a long period of time in the colder winter months or on very short trips, then this problem can very easily go unnoticed. As a result of this, turning up the air conditioning in the sweaty summer months may result in hot air that won't help the situation at all and lead to unpleasantness.
A bad odour
If, when you are driving in your vehicle, you can smell a terrible odour coming out of your air conditioning system, then this can mean that your system just needs a thorough cleaning. Over the years of your using your car and its systems, dirt, dust, and debris can begin to build up in the system and get stuck.
When this happens, bacteria can build up on the trapped debris and then lead to horrible smells being formed. It can smell a little bit like mildew, and it will only happen when the air conditioning is turned on and blowing air.
Weak Airflow Or No Air Flowing Out At All
There can sometimes be leaks in your air conditioning system. This can lead to the vehicle's air conditioning stopping working as it is supposed to and becoming far less efficient.
This can also indicate a very serious problem that your compressor is malfunctioning.
So what exactly has led your air conditioning system to start leaking? Well, it is usually two things. Moisture and the age of the system.

The lines within your air conditioning system are fabricated out of rubber. This material is great but will decompose over time, especially after being in contact with plenty of moisture and heat.
This will then lead to the seals or hoses causing a leak, and then the system's refrigerant will begin to escape from the system. A similar issue is when the system becomes completely contaminated with moisture. It can also affect the other parts of the air conditioning.
Air conditioning is making a rattling sound
Sometimes when you are driving with the air conditioning on, you may start to hear your vehicle making all sorts of odd noises. If you hear a banging or rattling sound coming out of your car's air conditioning system, then this can mean that either the fan belt or condenser is worn out.
It can also mean that the pesky debris we discussed earlier can be clogging up the system somehow. If this is the case, then you might notice that there is some form of condensation on your car's dashboard. Another sign can be the cold air from the air conditioning system taking longer to come out than it used to.
Condensation
If you find that there is condensation build-up in your car, especially if it comes from your dashboard, it can indicate that there has been some kind of issue with your air conditioning system.
The whole air conditioning system contains many moving parts that each help the system to function as it is supposed to. This includes a compressor, a condenser, a refrigerant, and an evaporator. The gas goes through a long process o being changed from gas to a liquid to being gas again, all while cooling the air.
If you find that there is water leaking from your car, then this can mean that there is somewhere in your system a hose that is blocked. This will then lead to the car's interior, and carpets becoming damaged and damp.
How to recharge your car's air conditioning
Although it might be tempting to recharge your car's air conditioning yourself and save yourself a wad of cash, it is never recommended to do this unless you are a fully trained professional. In order to recharge your car's air conditioning system, you will need to purchase a DIY air conditioning regas kit.
This kit will include a highly pressurised can of refrigerant gas, along with a connecting hose that will be used for transferring the gas into the car's system. Unfortunately, this equipment alone is not quite enough to make sure that the recharging procedure will go smoothly and successfully.
It also means you will not be able to locate any potential leaks within your car's system.All the DIY air conditioning kits are very cheap, but unless you can be certain and know all of your car's system is fully leak-free, then there is absolutely no guarantee that you will be able to restore your vehicle's air conditioning system to proper working order.
If there is a leak hidden away in some corner of the system, then a fully charged system can totally lose its effectiveness in a matter of hours. Meaning all of your hard work and money spent will be meaningless.
Another element you should consider is that charging up a leaking system, also known as an open system, will mean that you are essentially discharging refrigerant directly into the atmosphere. This is considered to be an illegal act of pollution in the eyes of the law until the Environmental Protection Act of 1990.
This means that you can end up with a very hefty fine. This fine will mean the whole situation will only get even more expensive and time-consuming.If you go to a professional, then they will be able to leak-test your air conditioning system and replace the refrigerant gas for a decent price.
It will usually cost somewhere between £50 and £200. This, of course, will depend on your car's model, make, and age. This might initially sound expensive compared to a DIY kit, but you are paying for the reliability.
Are you looking for Jaguar servicing in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire? Contact our Jaguar specialist today.
We offer a complete range of Jaguar servicing for Peterborough and the surrounding areas including: Huntingdon, Stamford, Kettering, Northampton, Crowland, Market Deeping and Grantham.