Auto A/C Repair in Moreno Valley, CA

A/C Repair and Maintenance for Your Vehicle

In the sweltering summer months, there’s probably no system in your vehicle you’ll appreciate more than your air conditioning. As temperatures creep into the 80s, 90s and above, your AC is about the only thing that makes driving bearable.

Over the course of a summer driving season, the air conditioning system works overtime, and it’s important to make sure it’s functioning at peak levels of performance. While many people make heavy use of their AC, few understand much about how it works, what it takes to keep it running, and when it needs repair.

The following covers the basics of the AC system and what you need to know in order to keep everything cool with your air conditioning.

The Air Conditioning System

At a high level, your vehicle’s air conditioning system uses an inert gas, the refrigerant, to draw heat from the interior of your car and then dissipates that heat through the exterior of your car out into the surrounding environment.

To get a little bit more specific, the AC functions by pressurizing refrigerant. The process by which this gas (refrigerant) gains heat involves drawing heat from surrounding areas, in this case, your car’s interior. Once the refrigerant gas is heated, it’s then pushed through a tube, which dissipates the heat to the exterior of the car. Eventually, the gas refrigerant cools to a liquid, at which point it’s cycled back to begin the process all over again.

As you can probably imagine, there are a number of components involved in making this process happen.

The Compressor
The compressor is where the gas, also known as refrigerant, is pressurized to absorb heat. Run by an engine drive belt, the compressor removes heat from your vehicle’s interior via refrigerant compression – based on an electrical clutch system that regulates the compressor’s on/off function, depending on demand in the cabin for colder air.

The Condenser
Once the refrigerant is heated, it passes through the condenser to decrease its heat. The condenser is essentially a smaller version of a radiator, and is generally placed near the primary radiator at the front of the vehicle. As the heated refrigerant passes through the condenser, it dissipates its heat and cools down significantly. Eventually, that refrigerant gas condenses back into liquid form.

Evaporator
The next part of the AC system has a sort of opposite function as the condenser. The evaporator turns liquid refrigerant into gas, absorbing heat from the car’s interior to do so. The process of running from condenser to evaporator marks the most significant part of the air conditioning system lifecycle.

The Receiver/Dryer (or Accumulator)
In case anything should go wrong with the process, the receiver/dryer acts as a safety net during the entire process. In a perfect world, the compressor is compressing the gas form of the refrigerant, leaving the liquid alone. However, it’s possible that liquid will return to the compressor. In the event that this happens, the receiver/dryer captures that liquid, so that it can’t damage your compressor. To accomplish this, the receiver/dryer uses a chemical drying process involving something called a desiccant. In addition to capturing liquid, the receiver/dryer also filters out impurities and contaminants that make their way into the system.

The Thermal Expansion Valve
The thermal expansion valve is responsible for regulating the interior air temperature, monitoring and controlling the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator. By doing so, the thermal expansion valve governs the temperature of the air blowing out of the vents.

Air Conditioning Maintenance and Repair

One common misconception about your automotive air conditioning is that there’s a manufacturer or expert recommended maintenance interval. In other words, some believe, for example, that every 5,000 miles bring your vehicle in for a check up on the air conditioning system. That’s actually not how the air conditioning system works.

Instead, the air conditioning system is simply either functional or it’s not. If there’s any kind of problem with your air conditioning, this means some component (or components) within the system have failed or are malfunctioning. If this happens, you need air conditioning service to repair the issue. When it comes to the air conditioning system, you need to stay vigilant as to any signs of loss of function, at which point AC repair is a necessity.

Common AC Repair Issues

Some of the most common automotive air conditioning system repairs include:

• The condenser can accumulate dirt and debris over time, to the point where gas doesn’t properly flow through. In many instances, it’s possible to fix this by flushing the condenser, while other times the condenser must be replaced.
• You may at times observe a bad smell emanating from your air condition while it’s running. This condition is frequently the result of bacteria or fungi growing within the interior of your AC system, many times on the evaporator that’s housed in your dashboard. Our licensed Automotive Experts can flush out your AC system to remove any bacterial or fungal growth.
• A wide range of mechanical problems throughout any point in the AC system can cause your AC to either work at reduced levels or not at all. This can include issues with the compressor (either the compressor itself or the compressor’s clutch system), the thermal expansion valve, the AC drive belt, or any of a number of other mechanisms. It’s possible that such issues can be fixed by replacing sub-parts or fuses, while other times an entire component needs replacement.
• Leaks within the tubing, fittings, O-rings, and/or any of the components, which can allow refrigerant gas or liquid to escape. This over time leads to low levels of the refrigerant. The AC system is designed to be a sealed system, meaning that any loss of refrigerant can become a problem for both system components and the environment. Refrigerant naturally decreases over time and requires refills, but a leak at any point in the chain will require more urgent testing and fixing to discover and repair the source of leak(s). Then, you’ll need an air condition system recharge to restore refrigerant levels.

These are some of the more common problems with automotive air conditioning systems, although there are numerous other issues that can crop up more rarely.

In the case of problems with the air conditioning system, it’s necessary to bring your vehicle in to us for professional air conditioning diagnosis and service.

Professional Air Conditioning Service

Our trained and certified Automotive Experts are able to perform an exhaustive series of tests on your vehicle’s AC system to diagnose the cause of any malfunctions within the air conditioning system. We’re then able to perform an air condition recharge to restore your refrigerant levels to the maximum.

Unlike many of the automotive coolants/liquids within your vehicle, testing the AC system for leaks isn’t typically a simple process. The issue is that refrigerant evaporates as it makes contact with air, usually making the exact source of the leak undetectable and, thus, far more complicated to inspect the AC system for leaks.

Our professional AC system leak test usually involves the injection of ultraviolet dye into the system. Then, with a specialized leak detection light, our Experts are able to pinpoint the existence and exact source of any leaks. In addition, our licensed Automotive Experts will subject the AC system to a series of pressure and temperature tests at multiple points throughout the system to identify and fix any problems.

You can rely on our Certified Automotive Experts to perform a professional diagnosis and repair of your air conditioning system. Call us, make an online appointment, or just drop in at the first sign of trouble with your car’s AC system.

23930 Sunnymead Boulevard, Building A, Moreno Valley, California 92553