Make Sure Your Vehicles Air Conditioner Is Working This Summer
Posted by Aamco Colorado in 
Automotive air conditioning systems use significant power, though at the same time it’s better than having to drive with the window open. There are many factors that may play into your cooling system failing. Either way, if you notice your vehicle air conditioner either losing cooling capabilities, or failing to cool all together, you want to get it checked out. Luckily, you can now receive an AAMCO free air-conditioning check this summer at participating AAMCO dealers. Check here to find Colorado AAMCO locations.
The very first thing you will notice if your AC goes out, is obviously that the air so no longer being cooled. This is automatically a sign that something is wrong. But there are times when other symptoms can be noticed prior to the unit actually failing entirely. Of course all symptoms are noticeable, if you know what to look for.
Air Conditioning Symptoms
Noise – If you hear noise when the unit is on, this is usually means the compressor is on its way out. But noise can also be caused by cross-contaminated refrigerant (operating pressure too high), air in the system or the wrong type of compressor lubricant.
Odor – If when the unit is turned on, there is an odd odor being emitted, microbes such as mold and mildew can be growing on the evaporator.
Poor Cooling – This is usually due to a deficient level of refrigerant fluid, but can also be due to air or water being stuck in the system, the expansion valve being stuck closed, the orifice tube being plugged, or a compressor/control valve having failed.
Intermittent Cooling – If the system blows cold air, then warm air, the reason is it is probably freezing up. This can be caused by air and moisture in the system that allows ice to form and block the orifice tube. Electrical malfunctions can also cause this problem, which a number of things can go wrong to cause this.
If you notice any of these symptoms occurring, you should immediately speak to an AAMCO automotive technician. Though, if want to know what the results means when they let you know, you should probably have an understanding of the components to an automotive air conditioner. Which are as follows:
Air Conditioning Components
Compressor – This compresses and circulates the refrigerant in the system.
Refrigerant – This is what carries and transfers the heat.
Condenser – This changes the phase of the refrigerant from gas to liquid. It also expels heat that has been removed from the car.
Expansion Valve/Orifice Tube – This drops the pressure of the refrigerant liquid, regulates its flow, and atomizes it as well.
Evaporator – This transfers heat to the refrigerant from the hot air blown across it.
Auto Air Conditioning Process
The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant and sends it to the condensing coils. The condenser expels the heat to passing air outside the vehicle that the refrigerant picked up in the evaporator. Once the refrigerant is cooled, it will change back to a liquid from a gas state. It then passes through the expansion valve to the evaporator where its pressure decreases which was initially added by the compressor. This causes the the gas to turn back into a liquid as it cools the remaining liquid. The mixture of gas and liquid then enters the evaporator, where the liquid refrigerant absorbs the heat that was transferred to it. Your car then circulates air around the the cold evaporator and into the interior of the vehicle. The refrigerant then goes back through the same cycle over and over.
Now you know what to be aware of if your air conditioner is malfunctioning, what components there are within it, and how the process works. If you notice your air conditioner malfunctioning, it is advised to get it checked out. Especially if you notice an odd odor, you don’t want to be inhaling various molds and mildews while you are driving around. Receive your free air conditioner check from AAMCO, they will ensure that your system is working efficiently and optimally. Because those who know, go to AAMCO!
1 Comment to “Make Sure Your Vehicles Air Conditioner Is Working This Summer”
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Elizabeth says:
I have this model with the AC only.I bought the veirson of this unit thatdoes NOT have the heating component asthe unit, advertised here with the heatpumpwas not available through Amazon atthe time. (not directly through them andcovered by the extra Amazon warranty whichi wanted as i was nervous).I highly recommend the machines and i amabsolutely not paid by the company to say this.I add this as it is very hard deciphering whichof the positive ads are genuine and thosethat at least APPEAR to be paid writers.My main reason for advocating for the machineis i hope the sell a lot and keep making themand can sell enough to keep the price down so ican buy another one when mine gives up the ghosthowever long that may be. i have no idea howlong these things last. i hope they last a long time.)From my standpoint these are great machinesare a good value for the money. I think I paidaround $460 for mine (no heater) and I see themhere at $560 with the heat-pump. In an otherreview I mentioned that there is more going onin one of these machines than my $2000 ink jet printer,so while that’s comparing apples with oranges,it still strikes me that these Whynter units are worth it.(again, mine has been operating very well, if it suddenlybreaks i will modify this comment).i thought i would add my comment here simplyas i can share on this a/c in terms of thecooling component. i have had it since springand cooling a large studio apartment that getsdirect summer sun through a large amount of windows.Plus i cook in the half kitchen that is part ofthe studio, not separate, every night and for longperiods of time (this super-heats the place in summerBEFORE i bought this a/c). i was worried before buyingthis unit as my studio apartment is large (not a tinybedroom, but a whole apartment with kitchen and gas rangeas part of the space to be cooled). but the unit hasworked very very well.so,this unit has worked from early spring through a veryhot, even with some record heat days, Los Angeles summer,and into November and it still works awesome.so i recommend it.i see a negative review as to the noise factor. i cannotcomment on the heat pump as i don’t have that part (i wishi did very very much though), but when the a/c kicks in, itis similar in noise volume, i guess, to an average window a/cunit.so, it is not silent by a long shot, but it is reasonable orappropriate to the size of the unit and the amount of work itis accomplishing. i speculate that it would take some MAJOR engineeringbreakthrough to make a more silent portable unit of this type that sits totallywithin your house (as opposed to the types that have the cooling unittotally outside, and run thin pipes in to the distributing part thoseare GREAT, but you can’t usually put one in an apartment you are renting,especially in an upper floor sans balcony. They also, of course, cost$2000 and more).again re NOISE factor:my unit sits very near my bed and i would simply say i can live with the noisea lot better than i could live with my place heating up to 105 degrees farenheitat night (it would get hotter when i cook).i sleep through it and just try to focus on the sound as white noise .one could also get ear plugs. there are tiny ones that people use at gunranges and construction jobs that fit in your ear like little expandablesponges. this would work fine, except if you had to be able to hear yourchild in another room in emergencies. some people use the ear plugs whoDO have children so they can concentrate, but obviously one wouldn’t wantto do that if they had an infant or small children and needed to keeptheir ears wide open .anyway, great a/c unit.mine has not dripped on the floor at all. i was worried about that factordue to other reviews, and it gets humid here so the unit is processing lotsof water, but no leakage at this point. i will continue to monitor that.so far so good. even excellent.