Automobile Air Conditioning System Service

It's getting hot in Santa Clarita, and now is the time to make sure your air conditioner is working properly. If you are experiencing warm air coming out of your cars air vents, you may need to have your air conditioning system checked for low refrigerant levels or a leak. If your car is 5 years old or older you could just need some hoses replaced or have your system charged up.

If you think your cars air is not as cold as it has been in the past, you should have it looked at and checked. At PACC Auto, we have all the latest equipment and tools to make sure your air conditioner will be working just like new. We accurately diagnose any leaks or problems your cars air conditioner has and give you a quote for the repairs.

A few causes of low cooling efficiency or no cooling at all:

• Lack of air flow across the condenser. Make sure the electric cooling fan motor near the condenser is coming on, or in models that are equipped with a fan blade make sure this fan is turning and is turning very fast.

• Low Freon levels. Freon level and pressure should be checked by your certified air conditioning mechanic.

• Overheating. If the engine is running hot or overheating, it can have a noticeable negative affect on the air conditioning system. Some cars have two electric cooling fans, one for the air conditioning condenser and the other for the radiator. Make sure they are both working properly. Usually at idle on a hot day with the AC on both fans will be on.

A vehicle is traveling at freeway speeds will have the compressor is pumping the Freon throughout the system much faster and harder than at idle. There is a dramatic increase in airflow across the condenser due to the high speed winds, and the engine is usually operating at a cooler, more efficient temperature as well, thus allowing the air conditioning system to operate efficiently.

Note: An air conditioning system that is low on Freon it can still feel comfortable at freeway speeds due to the added airflow across the condenser, but will blow warmer air when driving around town.

How your air conditioner works - The compressor pumps Freon throughout the AC system, either the older type R12 which costs as much as gold it seems these days, or the new environmentally friendly R134A Freon. This Freon is a gas and liquid combination that is compressed and circulated throughout the air conditioning system. The compressed Freon is pushed through the system under pressure and is passed through different sized metal and rubber hoses and a special valve called an expansion valve that cause the gas to expand and contract.

This expansion and contraction makes the Freon gas very cold. This cold gas makes its way via metal lines into the dash area of your vehicle to the evaporator core. This evaporator core is like a small radiator, except it has cold Freon circulating inside and not hot antifreeze. A small fan (the AC blower fan which you control from the control panel on the dash) sits in front of the evaporator core and blows air across this cold evaporator and then through the vents inside your vehicle.

If you think you may need your air conditioner serviced, please call or stop by we would be more than happy to help you with any repairs you need. Remember our free shuttle can take you and pick you up any where is the Santa Clarita Valley.