Summer's beckoning - can your car's air conditioning stand the heat?

Anyone who has ever been stuck in a traffic jam in the summer will know just how beneficial air conditioning is. Being bumper to bumper with other cars for hours is more than a little annoying; add being stuck to your leather seats and an unpleasant experience soon turns into an absolute nightmare.

In addition, you may not have realised, but your air conditioning can help reduce pollen levels in your vehicles – something that hay fever sufferers will be very thankful for.

Therefore, it is really important to make sure that your car’s air conditioning system is fully prepared for the summer.

Refrigerant gas

Your vehicle’s air conditioning works in the same way as a fridge – refrigerant gas cools and circulates the air, creating an ambient, comfortable temperature and a much more pleasant driving experience. On average, around 15% of this refrigerant gas will be lost each year. This means that ideally, your air conditioning unit should be serviced every two years or 30,000 miles – whichever comes first.

Just like any other liquid in your car, your air conditioning system’s coolant will need to be topped up on a regular basis (this may also be termed as a re-gas or recharge). If you don’t keep your air conditioning above a certain level, the coolant will have to be drained and replenished – a job that is much more expensive than a quick recharge.

If you notice that your coolant is dropping faster than you think it should, you may have a leak in your air conditioning system. It is important that you get this checked out as soon as possible as the gases involved are harmful to the environment.

Noticing drips?

Have you noticed any water pooling underneath your parked car after you’ve recently driven it? Don’t panic! This is caused by the air conditioning – it is designed not only to cool air but also dehumidify water. This condensed water drips from the evaporator and is released beneath the car. Think about it – the water has to go somewhere! Better out than in!

Smoking air vents?

We wouldn’t blame you for being alarmed at the sight of white smoke pluming from the air vents! However, unless the smoke is acrid, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. It’s simply water vapour that has passed too quickly through your vehicles air conditioning. Instead of turning into water droplets, the vapour is pushed straight through the unit as ‘smoke’.

You will simply need to run the system for a few minutes for this to stop.

Don’t take your air conditioning for granted!

Do you really want to be hot, sticky and uncomfortable every time you get in your car this summer? If it’s been a while since your air conditioning unit has been serviced, call M&BM Motors today on 01375 379 401 and our skilled technicians will ensure that your car can take the heat.