Car AC problems

I have dedicated a lot of pages to car AC problems. On this page I am providing a condensed cheat sheet that includes some of the more important points made on the individual pages in the automotive air conditioning section.

Although this may be considered a review, it still contains a lot of good information about AC not blowing cold. Car air conditioning systems are extremely sensitive to moisture and dirt.

It is very important when you open the system and start replacing parts that you are working in the cleanest conditions possible. Even the smallest particles of foreign matter in the AC system can contaminate the refrigerant that can cause many different car air conditioning problems.

Some common problems would be corrosion from moisture and in the worst case scenario damage to the compressor can result from particles like metal flakes, sand or grit.

When you are working on an air-conditioning system you really do need to have the right tools. Maybe one of the most important of these tools would be a manifold gauge set.

When the AC is not blowing cold, getting pressure readings from the low and the high side is extremely important for efficient diagnosis. Another important tool would be an evacuation pump.

When you suck down the system it removes one of the biggest enemies that can cause car AC problems which is moisture. Pulling 30 inches of vacuum on the system and letting it sit that way for 30 minutes will remove even the most stubborn amounts of moisture.

More car AC repair tips

If you have an internal compressor failure you want to make sure that you completely flush the system with the specialized liquid chemical to protect your investment in the new or re-manufactured compressor. Blowing air through the system is not good enough.

The AC oil in the lines can actually hold onto the tiny little metal particles. This is why air-conditioning flushing is done with a special fluid that removes the oil and the tiny little metal pieces. If you skip this step, when you refill the system with Freon these little metal particles can work their way back to the new compressor and destroy it.

If you are working on an older car AC you really want to identify what type of Freon is in the vehicle. This is because R-12 and R134a should never be mixed. If these two different types of Freon are mixed it will be considered contaminated and could cause an ongoing chain of car AC repairs.

This is why Freon service equipment has different fittings for the two different types of Freon. This prevents accidental mixing. Auto repair shops have separate recycling machines and service gauges to deal with the different types of Freon for this reason.

Repairing car AC leaks

With an air conditioning not blowing cold coupled with a compressor that is cycling on and off you most likely have an air conditioner that has a low freon charge.

A low system is the telltale sign of a small leak. Finding these leaks can be extremely difficult. This is why they came out with specialized tools to help in this kind of car AC problems. Your number one tool in my opinion to fight back against the leaking system would be an electronic detector.

You can also use florescent Tracer systems that also work extremely well. In this case a fluorescent dye is added to the Freon and circulated through the system.

Most of these kits come with specialized glasses and a black light. Shining a black light will light up a fluorescent dye in even the smallest leaking areas.

If your car AC problems and questions have not been answered on this page head back to the repair modules section that has about 10 more pages on the subject of auto AC diagnosis.

Give this AC not blowing cold page a bookmark or share with a friend having auto air problems.

If a vehicle is suffering from small leak syndrome you might be recharging it on a regular basis. This next page provides more information about this condition that happens to be a common car AC problem.

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The homepage is up next and provides a good run down of what else is offered on the You Fix Cars website. You can also find out how to get answers to your auto repair questions.