Your car’s air conditioning unit has had a rough summer. Record high temperatures in San Diego means that you car’s A/C has been working overtime for weeks and months at a time.
That kind of wear and tear makes it much more likely that your A/C unit might run into a problem, so you always have to check to make sure you aren’t missing the warning signs of broken air conditioning (it can be harder than you think!). Here is how you can diagnose broken air conditioning, so you’re not stuck in a hot and stuffy car.
Step 1: Turn On Your Car and Air Conditioning
The first, and most obvious, step in seeing if your air conditioning is broken is to turn on both your car and your air conditioning. While any setting will work, it’ll make your job much easier if you roll up all your windows, ensuring that the air is coming from outside (by having the recycled air setting turned off), and turning your AC onto it’s ”MAX AC” (or it’s highest) setting.
Step 2: Take a Good Listen
It’s time to get close to a vent and listen closely to hear if it is making an odd or unfamiliar noise. If it is, you might have a problem with your compressor that needs repairing or replacing.
Step 3: Feel the Air
If your AC sounds alright, put your hands up to the vent to check the temperature of the air that’s coming out. Make sure to note if it’s too cold, room temperature, or too hot. It’s also important to see if there are temperature changes when there shouldn’t be. For example, if your AC starts cold and then warms up (or vice versa).
Step 4: Check the Air Pressure
Make sure everything is flowing out as it should be by holding your hand next to a vent and changing the air pressure settings from high to low and back again.
Step 5: Take a Good Whiff
The next step if you haven’t detected the problem yet is to get your nose involved and smell the air that is coming from the vents. If it smells unusual, that might be a sign you have a leak somewhere or have a cabin air filter that needs replacing.
Step 6: Inspect Your Car’s Fuses
Last but not least, if you’re still hunting for the solution, try checking out your car’s fuse panel. It can be found under the hood, in the trunk, or near the driver’s side foot well. Sometimes a blown fuse can make your car’s air conditioning non-functional.
If going through all these steps to fix your broken air conditioning doesn’t sound like the ideal way to spend your free time, bring your car into the experts here at Convoy Auto Repair for a full air conditioning inspection for only $19.95 or, even better, a complete car check up for only $24.95. Contact us today to find out more or make an appointment to get your car checked out.
Image Source: Pixabay via n23club