DIY Auto Air Conditioning Repair

A car that just will not cool down makes for a frustrating ride to work in August.  When you are getting warm air coming from the vents, the go-to solution is often a “recharge” of the magic refrigerant.  And, barring any other issues with the A/C, that can do the trick.

Enter a new product that is appearing on shelves:  A simple can with a gauge that promises to have your air conditioning blowing cool air again in just 30 minutes.  Does it work?  According to most reviews, the answer is a resounding…

Sometimes.

If it truly is low levels of refrigerant, the tried and true “recharge” will do the trick.  But, it begs the question:  why was it low in the first place?  As a car gets older, the pressure levels will drop, but a drop in pressure could also indicate a leak.  Any recharge (DIY or otherwise), will eventually go down again and you’re back in the same boat.

While both professional mechanics and do-it-yourselfers have given these products favorable ratings, others do have some reasonable concerns.  Your air conditioning system has many pieces, parts, and hoses that can fail.  Some mechanics have expressed concern that if the pressure is too low or too high, you could invite other problems.  Others have noted that the product in these cans is not professional grade and could compromise other parts of the system.

All in all, if you have an old car and the expense of replacing a compressor in an A/C system doesn’t make sense anymore, you could skate by with a recharge from a professional or by using one of these off the shelf products.

But, as with anything… if something isn’t doing what you think it needs to be doing, or the problem keeps repeating itself, it’s time to visit a pro.

Stay cool!

Your Car's Air Conditioner is not Trying to Kill You

Warmer weather brings out the birds, new plants, and apparently a whole crop of new internet rumors about your car’s air conditioning.

With a little help from the American Cancer Society and the hoax debunkers at snopes.com, we can assure you that you will not get cancer from your air conditioning.

The email that has been going around claims that turning your A/C on kicks up all kinds of benzene from the air ducts and other plastic objects in your car.  It suggests that turning on your air conditioner right as you enter the car putting you in a cancer soup that is almost certain to cause leukemia. 

While it is true that benzene is a known carcinogen, and it’s nothing to mess around with, a 2007 study looked specifically at car interiors and did not find benzene, and it certainly has nothing to do with your air conditioner. 

All of this assumes your car is working well, and properly maintained.   

As a practical matter, you may wish to open the windows before you turn the A/C on so the hot air can escape.  Releasing the hot air will make sure that your air conditioner doesn’t have to work so hard to keep you comfortable. 

For more information on this rumor email or potential cancer causing chemicals in your car, learn more at cancer.org or snopes.com

Burn Up or Burn Gas? The A/C Dilemma

As soon as the temperature goes up, the air conditioning goes on.  But, what is the cost of that comfort?  

Anything you switch “on” in your car will make your battery work harder, and that battery is getting its juice from that expensive gas you put in the tank.  So, should you keep the air conditioning off and the windows down?  The answer is… maybe.

At slower speeds, you are doing yourself and your mileage a favor by having the windows down.  But, those savings seem to go away as you go faster.  In fact, one study done in 2005 by Edmunds suggests that having the windows down while driving over 55 miles per hour burns the same gas as driving at 55 with the windows up and the air conditioning on.  Having the windows down causes drag on your car, and that burns more gas.

To help save gas and make sure your air conditioning is running properly, be sure to service the system once a year.  Also, try to park in shaded areas and leave the windows open.  Finally, when you are in town driving in stop-and-go traffic, put the windows down and turn the A/C off.