Your Neighborhood Full Service Repair Facility
1 Year 12,000 Mile Parts & Labor Warranty
We Build Customers For Life!
We Service All Makes & Models
Locally Owned & Operated
May 24, 2020
There's nothing quite like getting in your vehicle on a hot day, switching on the air conditioning and having warm air blow out of the vents. You may have had no problem for months and then, one day, you are driving around in a sauna. You're hot stuff, but not in a good way!
So what goes wrong when the AC isn't working? It could be a lot of things because the system has many different components. One thing that's a common cause is the vehicle is low on refrigerant (it used to be called Freon). If that's the case, it's not as simple as simply adding more. Sure, it may fix it quickly for a short time, but it's more likely than not that the refrigerant will just leak out again.
The original Freon used in air conditioners was destroying the Earth's ozone layer, so that's not used much any more. But the one that's currently used also contributes to global warming, so it's important that as little of that escapes as possible. So a technician will determine if there's a leak in your system, where it is and fix that before adding new refrigerant.
Your vehicle also has an evaporator or two, and those can fail. Leaks are often the problem with them as well. The big component that can go bad is the compressor, often a victim of age, wear or neglect.
A technician will also check to see that the blower is working correctly. That's what blows that cool air into the cabin. Sometimes the motor will fail, a relay will go bad or a fuse will blow. As you can see, there are lots of different parts involved here!
The good news is that your vehicle's service facility has the special equipment to recover the refrigerant and check the system's pressure, both vital to properly servicing the air conditioning system.
As with many vehicle components, regular maintenance can go a long way to minimizing problems in the air conditioning system. It can reduce the chance of the compressor having to be replaced, too. Pretty cool, huh?
Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Glendale Heights
1153 Bloomingdale Rd.
Glendale Heights, Illinois 60139
630-588-8846
April 13, 2025
You may be fanatical about keeping the outside of your vehicle clean. But what about what's under the hood? Have you ever thought about how dirt and grime may be affecting your engine's components? One of the most important parts under your hood to keep clean is your vehicle's battery. With a d... More
April 6, 2025
When the weather gets colder, sometimes the noises your vehicle makes will change. For example, you may notice a whining sound when you get going in the morning. It may go away when the vehicle warms up, but it's best not to ignore that sound because it could be a warning of worse things to com... More
March 30, 2025
Of the things you think about most, your tires are probably pretty far down the list. Thats understandable because todays tires are engineered to do their job without needing you to pay too much attention to them. But they DO wear out, and worn tires can contribute to skidding in bad weather, not... More
