Full of Hot Air (Air Conditioning)
October 16, 2022
In warm weather, you want to be in a cool vehicle. When we're talking cool, we don't mean stylish or trendy, but cool as in not sweltering inside. And if your vehicle's air conditioner stops working correctly, it seems to always break at the worst time—during a heat wave.
Automotive air conditioning problems fail for a number of reasons:
- Blower motor not working. No air comes through the vents, even though the rest of the system could be working fine.
- Refrigerant leak. When the gas that cools the air off escapes from the air conditioning system, your air conditioner can no longer cool off the outside air
- Condenser and compressor. These are parts of your AC system that compress and expand a refrigerant gas to cool off the outside air. They are fairly complex.
When you bring your vehicle into our service center, we'll run a series of diagnostic tests to figure out what isn't working correctly. The air conditioning system has a lot of parts. There are electrical and mechanical components plus a series of hoses and tubes that all can wear out over time. Any one of these can fail.
A lot of drivers think they have a "Freon leak" and believe that if they get their AC system recharged with the refrigerant, everything will be fine. But AC systems are so complex, it usually takes a trained technician to accurately figure out where the problems are.
Sometimes the solution is simple. If your blower motor wears out or there's a fuse that has blown, the technician can replace the bad parts and you'll quickly be back to enjoying your rolling refrigerator. But when compressors or condensers go bad, those are much more involved and expensive to fix.
For instance, electrical problems can sometimes lead to acid to build up and corrode other parts of your AC system. Sometimes that causes so much damage, your whole air conditioning system has to be replaced. That's why it's always a good idea to have your AC regularly maintained. Our technicians can find a problem early and prevent more expensive repairs down the road. That's really the cool way to go.
Sterling Tire & Auto
34701 Van Dyke Rd
Sterling Heights, Michigan 48312
586-264-7775
Need Service?
More articles from Sterling Tire & Auto
When Metal Meets Metal (Wheel Bearings)
February 2, 2025
What part of your vehicle has little metal balls inside that are lubricated and allow you to cruise on down the road? They are wheel bearings, and automotive designers might argue they are human beings' second greatest invention of all time (the first is, of course, the wheel!). You have a wheel... More
Oil's Well That Ends Well (Oil Change Grades and Weight)
January 26, 2025
Changing your oil regularly is one of the most important things you can do to keep your vehicle running well. And knowing the right type of oil to use is also very important. Engine oil is classified by weight, but it doesn't refer to how much the oil would weigh if you put it on a scale. It r... More
U and your U-Joints (Lubricate U-Joints)
January 19, 2025
If your vehicles power goes to the rear wheels, then you have something called U-joints in the drivetrain. U-joints are connectors that allow the rotating power from your vehicles engine to deliver its power through a driveshaft to make the rear wheels rotate. You need U-joints because the surfa... More