Do I Need an Air Conditioning Tune Up For My Car?

Car AC tune up This time, of year you may start to see signs pop up at your local automotive shops encouraging you to get an air conditioning tune up.  As warmer weather settles in and the first few days of spring approach, it can definitely be worth thinking about what kind of shape the air conditioning system in your car is in and what you can do to make sure it will work all the way through this summer.  But you may wonder what all is entailed in an air conditioning tune up and if it’s really worth the money.

Keeping your air conditioning system is good shape isn’t quite like keeping the rest of your car in good working order.  Proper maintenance on new vehicles usually includes changing oils and fluids as often as your vehicle’s owner’s manual stipulates and changing wear products like brake pads and spark plugs.  Modern automobiles require very few adjustments unlike the old days of carburetors and points on your distributor.

Your air conditioning system doesn’t have any fluids that need to be changed regularly, and there are no wear components that should be changed on a regular basis.  For the most part, that means your air conditioning system will run properly with no care at all!  When you see signs recommending and air conditioning tune up, what they’re really recommending is having your system checked for early signs of a leak or a clog.

Leaks and clogs are the two main malfunctions that air conditioning systems run into.  There are many small passageways inside your air conditioning system in the orifice tube, heat exchangers and even in the compressor.  Since you rarely open up your air conditioning system, it is difficult for debris to get inside but if something does, clogs can happen quickly changing the pressures inside your system and causing your air conditioning to malfunction.  Similarly, leaks can happen often in an automobile air conditioner simply due to the environment it operates in.  Temperature swings, vibrations, road debris and dirt all can cause small leaks to form in your system over time.

Going regularly for a car AC tune up can be a good idea because catching these problems early can often save you money in the long run.  If you have a clog in your system, it will increase the pressure on the high pressure side of the system.  This increased pressure can accelerate leaks, put additional stress on components and cause your compressor to work overtime in an attempt to keep your system operating.  This extra stress and work on your compressor can lead to premature failure and a steep repair bill.

Similarly, catching a leak in your system early can save you a significant amount of money in new refrigerant.  The refrigerant used in your air conditioning system to create the cooling effect is a very specialized fluid and is controlled very closely.  All this makes it a relatively expensive fluid to purchase, especially if you have to refill your entire system.  If you catch a leak early you can often save most of the refrigerant in your vehicle significantly lowering the repair cost.  Also, if you allow the refrigerant in your system to completely leak out, it can become easy for dirt or contamination to get into your system and cause problems later on down the road.

If you discover a clog in your system during an air conditioning tune up, often the only thing that will solve the problem is replacing the clogged component.  If you discover a leak in your system, there is a much more inexpensive solution.  Red Angel A/C Stop Leak is a special leak sealant that you can add to the refrigerant already in your air conditioner.  Red Angel A/C Stop Leak will remain inert in the system until it discovers a leak where it will for a permanent seal saving your refrigerant and keeping your system operating.

Red Angel A/C Stop Leak is available at any of our partnering local auto parts stores like:

  • AutoZone
  • Advance Auto Parts
  • Bennett Auto Supply
  • CarQuest Auto parts
  • NAPA Auto Parts
  • O’Reilly Auto Parts
  • Pep Boys
  • Fast Track
  • Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts Specialists
  • S&E Quick Lube Distributer
  • DYK Automotive

 

Pictures Provided By:

air_conditioning_tune_up.jpg – By Puretock – Licensed by Thickstock Photos – Original Link

 

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