Auto Air Conditioning Repair

Here in the Upper Midwest, you need heat blowing from the vents in the winter and cold air in the summer. While the heat and the cold blow out the same vents, they actually come from two different systems.

The heat comes from the car’s cooling system (yes, that sounds backwards) which is really the system that keeps the engine from overheating (hence the name).

The air conditioning system in your car is just like the AC system in your home and your refrigerator. It has a compressor powered by the cars engine and circulates a gas normally called Freon inside a pressurized system.

Even though the system is sealed, it’s under pressure and not unusual to have small amounts leak away, which decreases the effectiveness of the system and puts extra strain on the compressor.

Auto air conditioning repair is done to keep the cold air blowing. Every year or two, the system will require a “recharge” or the replacement of the Freon that has leaked away. Other auto air conditioning repair might include replacement of the compressor or finding leaks in the system.

Green note:

R12 (Freon) has been linked to the depletion of the ozone layer and is a component in global warming. Since the mid 1990s, it’s been illegal to use R12 refrigerant in vehicles. The newer refrigerant is known as R134a and is much safer for the environment. If you have an older vehicle with R12, it must be serviced by a licensed service center where it can be captured and replaced with the newer refrigerant.