Experts point out 4 signs and 'golden' times to maintain car air conditioners
Air conditioning is one of the most important parts of a car, especially in hot weather. However, not all car owners know when to check and what maintenance is needed.
When do you need to service your car's air conditioner?
Talking to VietNamNet, auto engineer Le Hong Dai - Director of Dai Linh Auto Trading Development Company Limited (Hanoi) said that during the hot season, cars have very specific problems.
Some car parts such as air conditioners are prone to problems, directly affecting the safety and comfort of passengers, so it is necessary to pay attention to care from the beginning of summer to avoid unnecessary risks and troubles.
According to engineer Dai, checking and maintaining air conditioners is extremely important, even when the system is still operating normally. And the "golden" time to do this is at the beginning of summer like now.
"Normally, the car needs to have the coolant gas and lubricating oil of the air compressor checked; the fan and air conditioner filter checked to be cleaned, repaired or replaced if necessary. In addition, the condition of the condenser and evaporator on the car should also be checked. If there is dirt after a period of use, these parts should be cleaned so that the air conditioning system can cool quickly and deeply, while also helping to save fuel for the car," said Mr. Dai.
In addition, engineer Dai also emphasized that car air conditioners need to be checked immediately when there are some of the following signs:
The first, the car has been used for a long time but the air conditioning system has never been checked. For newly purchased cars, depending on the conditions of use, but about 3-4 years is needed to check and maintain the air conditioning system. The older the car, the more often it needs to be checked, maybe every year.
Monday, the fan makes loud noise but there is no air coming in, just "humming", the cool air is not good and may be accompanied by an unpleasant smell. This is a sign that the cooling system is not working, there may be a leak or a broken pipe,...
Tuesday, the cold air is very weak, the car starts and rolls for 5-10 minutes or more before it starts to cool, but the coolness is not deep. When the car stops or waits at a red light, the coolness is weak even though it is turned on at full capacity.
Wednesday, the air conditioner turns on and is cool immediately but after a while it becomes hot. If you turn off the air conditioner for a few minutes and turn it back on it becomes cold again and this phenomenon happens frequently.
Check and maintain car air conditioner properly
In fact, the car air conditioning system includes many parts with high complexity such as: condenser, evaporator, air filter, compressor (compressor), dry filter, throttle valve, sensor, electrical system, wires, fan, air vent, control system,... Just one or a few parts malfunctioning can affect the whole system.
Depending on the signs and severity, the technician will "diagnose" and may check one or more different parts of the air conditioning system as follows:
Check the air filter
The air filter is the easiest part to check, clean and replace in the car's air conditioning system. Therefore, before servicing the air conditioner, you should immediately check the air filter for dirt, tears or liquid.
Air filters that are too dirty and not cleaned often can hinder air circulation, reduce the efficiency of the air conditioning system, and cause unpleasant odors inside the car.
Most car manufacturers recommend that customers change the air filter after about 2-3 years of use to ensure the air conditioner operates effectively.
Cleaning the hot and cold coils
Similar to the air filter, the condenser and evaporator of the car air conditioning system are also very susceptible to dust after a period of use. The process of cleaning the condenser and especially the evaporator will be a bit more complicated because these parts are located in a difficult to access position. For the evaporator, the endoscopic cleaning method can be applied without disassembly and is about 80% effective.
With the condenser, if it is determined that this part is warped, damaged due to collision or the radiator pipes are crushed and cannot vent air, the aluminum is decomposed,... then it is time to replace a new condenser for the air conditioning system to achieve the best efficiency in the summer.
Check gas pressure
After cleaning the air filter, condenser, and evaporator but the air quality still does not improve, we should check the gas pressure (coolant). There are two ways: through observation or using a pressure gauge.
Some cars are equipped with a device called a “gas eye” that allows us to look inside the dry filter to observe and assess the condition of the refrigerant inside the cooling system. If the glass is clear or has many air bubbles, it means that the refrigerant level may be low, and the car needs to be quickly refilled with gas.
In addition, according to the experience of car air conditioner technicians, after 15 minutes of turning on the engine and the air conditioner is running at full capacity, if the underside of the car and the gas pipe leading to the compressor are dry, with no standing water, then it is highly likely that the amount of gas in the cooling system has decreased sharply, at which time it is also necessary to add more gas.
When using a specialized pressure gauge at the garage, it will be easy to detect the amount of gas that is lacking and add the appropriate amount. Note that even pumping too much gas will cause the car's air conditioning system to function poorly.
Check the block and pipes
Another reason for insufficient gas pressure is due to a poor or damaged compressor, which often occurs in cars that have been used for over 10 years. At this time, the air conditioner compressor often makes strange noises, is not smooth and does not meet the required pressure. In that case, you should immediately bring it to a reputable auto garage for advice on appropriate repair and replacement options.
Finally, when all the above causes have been eliminated and the air conditioning system still does not work effectively, it is very likely that the piping system or some joints are leaking. This can be detected through observation or through specialized machinery. Leaking locations will be tightened, welded or pipes will be replaced,...
Experts always advise that the air conditioning system in particular and vehicle parts in general need to be checked, maintained and replaced periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations to achieve the best efficiency.
