Although we are now entering into winters, our car AC might still need our attention. Most of us won’t be using the car AC for the next few months but all of us want to have it in perfect shape when we need to use it again! Therefore, for your convenience, we are listing down the signs of failing car AC in today’s featured so that you can get it checked immediately if for anything that might have gone wrong. Read on to find out!
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AC doesn’t blow cold air
The first one and the most basic one among the signs of a failing car AC you will get is that the air won’t be cold enough. Now, most of you will say that a simple AC gas top up could heal this problem but it is not so in every case. If you get your car’s AC serviced regularly and still, it is failing to deliver cold air just like it used to do before, your AC compressor might be at fault. If the compressor is not able to regulate the refrigerant flow properly, the AC won’t blow cold air.
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Compressor Clutch Not working
Another sign of a failing car AC is the compressor clutch. The most expensive component in your car AC assembly is the compressor. Its clutch allows to engage and disengage the pulley to extract power from the engine whenever required. A failed compressor clutch can either leave the compressor permanently activated or deactivated. This is also a sign of failing car AC because changing only the compressor clutch is not recommended while replacing the compressor can cost you a bomb!
- Compressor Noise
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Moving on to the next one in our list of signs of failing car AC is the compressor noise. It is completely normal to experience some noise when the compressor switches on. This is because the compressor has got various internal components and uses sealed bearing. But if the noise is loud enough and persists for long, your compressor’s bearings might have failed or seized producing a grinding noise.
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Circuit Breaker Tripping
You might have experienced a situation where the circuit breaker trips often. This is because your car’s compressor has gone weak and is extracting too much power which is leading to overheating of the system. Most people reset the circuit breaker ignoring the fact that it was doing its job and preventing overheating of the system. The tripping of the circuit breaker is among the major signs of a failing car AC.
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Leaking Refrigerant
This is the most common symptom that you can notice by yourself. Your car’s AC compressor might build up moisture leaks over time. This will not only make the system work ineffectively, and make it blow hot air, but can also be a potential health hazard.
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Electrical Faults
Another important one among the signs of failing car AC are the electrical faults. The failure of wire can cause the compressor to receive low voltage and as a result, cause inefficient cooling. If you suspect an electrical or wiring issue with your car’s AC, you should immediately get it checked at a GoMechanic workshop near you. A small electrical fault can lead to the failure of your car’s AC compressor in the long term.
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Jammed Suction Lines
If your car AC compressor fails to operate, the suction lines are likely to get jammed. If this happens, you will experience hot air inside your cabin. This can be treated well at a GoMechanic workshop near you. We don’t recommend you to let the local mechanic take charge of this. This requires expertise and can’t be done perfectly by everyone.
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Strange Odours
If you experience strange odors, your car’s AC vents might need immediate attention. The possible particle and mold buildups inside the vents can cause this. If it is not repaired in time, it can cause the compressor to eventually experience more load to provide cooling inside the cabin and can lead to its failure also.
These were the 8 signs of a failing car AC. While some of these indicate minor problems, the others point towards major shortcomings that your car’s AC compressor might be experiencing. It’s better to get it repaired in the early stages. We suggest you get your car’s AC checked thoroughly while you get it serviced according to the schedule!