Auto air conditioning is often neglected and, for many people, considered a luxury that they can live without if it stops working. The repairs needed may not be complicated, and an auto repair shop can get the AC running again quickly if you take the car to a shop that offers auto air conditioning services. 

Common Reasons For AC Failure

The auto air conditioning system in your car has a few common failure points if the system stops working. The drive belts on the compressor can fail, the compressor or clutch could lock up, or the evaporator and lines can develop leaks over time or from damage to them from road debris or rust. 

While other parts in the system can shut it down, they are far less common. An inspection of the system can quickly determine if any of these parts are the cause of the AC not working in your car or truck. 

In some cases, a failure of one part can be related to another, so having an auto air conditioning tech go over the system is essential, and there are some legal responsibilities when working with the refrigerant in the system. Because the refrigerant is an ozone-depleting gas, it must be captured and properly disposed of by federal law. 

System Inspections

When the auto air condition technician starts the inspection on your AC system, they will check to see if the drive belts are in place and if the compressor and clutch are free and spinning correctly. If the belt is missing and the clutch is not moving on the compressor, the clutch likely failed, and the belt broke as a result. If they are working, the tech will check the refrigerant in the system to ensure the system is correctly pressurized. 

If the system is low on refrigerant, the tech will need to determine if there is a leak in the system. The AC system is a closed-loop system and should not lose pressure unless there is damage or a leak somewhere in the lines or the evaporator, so a leak test is the best way to determine what is causing the refrigerant loss. 

The test involves putting dye into the system and pressurizing it with compressed air. The dye will come out through the leak and make it easier for the tech to determine where it is. 

AC Repair

Once the auto air condition tech determines where the problem is, they will make the necessary repairs to the system and then refill it with new refrigerant. Updating the refrigerant is required by law and allows the system to work more efficiently. 

While there are recharging systems on the market that allow you to recharge your AC system at home, mixing the old refrigerant with the new one is not recommended and could cause the system to perform worse than it already was. It is better to take the car in and let the shop remove the old material and replace it with the new refrigerant for you.

For more information, contact a local auto repair shop, or visit a website like https://www.lakesideradiatorandautorepair.com/.