When the sun is high in the sky on a hot and humid summer day, there is nothing more important for a car owner than a working air conditioner. Finding reliable auto ac repair information is critical to make sure you know what to get fixed, who to trust to fix your car air conditioning, and how much does it cost to get your auto ac fixed.
Let’s take a second and discuss the commercial business of auto ac repair and how much taking your car or truck in to see a mechanic can impact your wallet. The first thing a mechanic is going to do is troubleshoot your air conditioning system to determine what exactly is the problem. That right there is going to cost you a half an hour of labor charges, and nothing will have been done to solve your air conditioner issues.
Auto AC Repair Costs
The issue might just be that you need a freon recharge done on the air conditioning unit. The shop’s ac specialist will need to drain the existing refrigerant from your car, refill with new freon, and check to make sure there is no leakage and the pressure levels are safe. The cost for this common fix usually runs about $150. Other minor auto ac repair work like simply refilling your ac unit with freon incurs a $30 charge, while a total air conditioner replacement will set you back as much as $2,000.
If you are getting major auto air conditioning repairs done on your vehicle, there are a couple things to consider. First, you will want a written estimate from the mechanic stating what the problem is with your car and the breakdown in fees for fixing it. Next, you should inquire about any guarantees they provide for the work they will do. Some places offer a one year quality guarantee so if there are any follow-up issues they will take care of them for free.
The best method is to try and prevent taking your car into the shop to begin with. If you are handy with tools and know your way around a car – you change your vehicle’s oil by yourself, inflate the tire pressure to proper gauge levels, and you can perform standard vehicle maintenance – then you should be able to diagnose an auto ac repair issue on your own.
Diagnosing Your Own Auto AC Repairs
Most do-it-yourself repair kits come with detailed instructions on installing the right fix. However, before you pop the hood on your car and get to work, remember to put on proper eye safety protection and consider wearing work gloves. Removing the wrong nozzle or turning the wrong gauge can cause freon to leak or even result in a burst of spray that can cause harm to your skin.
The easiest auto ac repair to diagnose is if the cold air from your air conditioner stops cooling properly. This is usually a result of a small leak in your ac system. These small leaks are typically the result of a faulty O-Ring, an inexpensive part used in several intervals of your auto air conditioning unit that can become loose or damaged during normal everyday driving of your car. See if you can locate where it is leaking from, and if you’re successful you can find a quality repair kit to patch it up with little trouble.
If the leak is in the pressurized side or just too damaged to patch, then you will need to have a professional auto ac repair done, although you will have saved yourself the diagnosis labor costs. The other benefit is that your automobile mechanic shop will be less likely to overcharge you for the auto repair, since you will already be more knowledgeable about cars than their common customer. The cost for disconnecting the tub, replacing the O-Ring and re-pressurizing the air conditioner unit should be about $100
How Auto AC Works
Here’s just a very basic rundown on how your car air conditioner works, so that you have an idea of where to look for problems when the cold air stop working:
Imagine your automobile’s air conditioning system much like your own body’s circulatory system. The freon in your car is like the blood in your veins, and the air conditioner compressor relates to your heart.
The compressor does exactly what it states: it compresses the freon and pumps it throughout a network of valves and tubes. Eventually the cold gas reaches the evaporator core in your dashboard where a fan blows air across it through the air vents in your car. There is also a condenser that takes the hot air out of your vehicle. That’s what makes air conditioning a true “system”.
Common Auto AC Repairs
- Check to make sure the fan that cools the condenser is in working condition and is spinning at the proper speed. Either it could stop running completely or slow down enough to prevent the necessary cooling needed.
- Have a certified auto ac repair mechanic check both the pressure of your ac system and the amount of freon contained. Low levels of each can cause the unit to perform poorly.
- Engine trouble can have an impact on the cool air coming into your vents. If the engine overheats then there will be extra hot air around the condenser, resulting in poor removal of heat from the freon.
It is important to always be safe when working on your car, and this is especially true when performing auto ac repair work. If you are not entirely sure what you are doing after reading the manuals and directions on your repair kits, then you should consult a professional air conditioning mechanic.