The weather’s heating up, so it’s time to care for your car’s air conditioning system! Whether your air conditioning isn’t working like it used to or a window unit is letting you down, cooling doesn’t enjoy the same preventive maintenance as other facets of your vehicle — until now.
Sure, you can always get an air conditioning tune-up from a mechanic for an hour or two of relief, but what about all those times you’re stuck somewhere without one?
There are reasons which weigh on the importance of maintaining your car AC from time to time.
There are many benefits to periodical car AC service and maintenance – one of the biggest is the ability to extend the life of your car’s cooling system and reduce repair costs. If one ignores it, it could result in being stranded on the side of the road with a breakdown.
There are plenty of ways to take care of your car’s air conditioning system. Still, we always encourage hiring professionals to handle specific tasks that should only be done by expert technicians.
So, just for you, we have curated a list of tips to maintain car AC during summer.
1. Check the engine radiator
The radiator is another element of the car that often goes unnoticed. The heat from the engine travels to the air conditioning unit, becoming degraded in quality and harming functioning.
2. Check compressor efficiency
The car AC compressor is located behind your dashboard and driven by a belt, operated by the car engine. Starting at the beginning of summer, excessive heat and lack of proper lubrication on these belts could cause these parts to wear down faster than usual, causing problems with your air conditioning even in mild summer weather. Checking up on these parts and fixing or replacing them if they are broken could save you a lot of time and money when it actually kicks off!
3. Check refrigerant level
Air conditioning makes a car ride immensely comfortable, but it’s important to remember that the air we all enjoy is kept cool thanks to a refrigerant. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the right level of refrigerant in your AC system, and this should appear on the regular maintenance checklist, not just during car repair!
4. Regular servicing for AC is a must
Cars need to be maintained regularly, just like machines. Ensure you take your vehicle to a mechanic at least twice a year for servicing so that the engine and other parts are in excellent working condition.
Air conditioning is an essential feature of cars since they tend to get hot inside, especially during summer. If you’re experiencing problems with your air conditioner, try fixing it as fast as possible before the damage becomes too extensive or irreversible.
You might find it expensive to fix certain parts or replace them completely, but imagine how much more costly it would be if you had to buy a whole new car because of problems with air-conditioning!
5. Replace cabin air filter regularly
The cabin air filter traps the dust particles, pollution, and other particulate matter from outside your car’s cabin. Unfortunately, low maintenance of this filter has been shown as a major cause for its buildup with dust and other contaminants that bring about over-moisturization of the device or, worse, germs and bacteria.
6. Learn to use the Air conditioning system in the correct way
You know you need to clean your air conditioning unit regularly, but have you ever thought of how it can pay off big time in the long run?
One of the top benefits of regularly maintaining your air conditioner is that, once you catch any potential problems with early maintenance and repairs, you are more likely to save money on parts and service, as simply letting them go can make a small problem difficult down the road. So what else can you do to keep your AC in shape? Let’s take a look!
7. Shut down everything
This might not sound relevant to many, but it is essential. If you’re shutting down your vehicle, we recommend switching off the air conditioner first and then turning off the key.
This is because the AC will continue to circulate the air for a bit after you shut it off due to natural evaporation. So by leaving it on after turning it off, your car’s interior won’t turn into a damp environment overrun with bacteria.
To top it all off – make sure the outside of your car is clean! Use a microfiber cloth or equally safe product to remove dirt or debris from areas such as your headlights and taillights. Also, the surfaces like your windows and mirrors so that you don’t end up blinded by dirt particles when driving at night.
8. Parking in the shade
Regularly topping up the car with AC is suitable for maintaining the condition of your air conditioning system. It is one of the most important car AC maintenance tips in summer.
However, it is also bad for the system because it overuses the refrigerant, leading to overheating and even more severe damage to your engine.
So we recommend parking in cooler areas such as under shade so that its overall temperature can be maintained at an optimal level by letting sunlight in through your car’s windows instead.
Wrapping Up
These are the basic car AC maintenance checklist that every car owner should follow to keep up the health of their AC and keep it running for a long time. And since the scorching summer is here, it is high time to take care of your car’s air conditioning system.
