Most often your air conditioning system will cause problems by not cooling the cabin of your car properly.  However, there are some other ways your air conditioning system can cause problems and make you uncomfortable.

One of the most usual ways your air conditioning can malfunction is actually by keeping you too cold.  This problem also isn’t a problem with your air conditioning, but with your ventilation system.  Over time, many cars lose the availability to properly control the blower motor speed leaving you with 2 speeds: off or full blast.  If you have this problem in your car, then you know how annoying it is to only be able to be sweating or shivering.

Luckily this is often a very easy fix you can do yourself.  The fan speed in your car is controlled through a small resistor that drops the voltage going to the fan motor based on the position of your fan speed selector switch, or based on an output from your HVAC computer.  Since these resistors are fragile and can malfunction easily they are often placed in easy to access areas.  They also are often placed in the side of an air duct so your ventilation air can help keep the resistor cool.  These factors usually lead car companies to install the resistors in an air duct accessible below the passenger side floor dashboard or glove box.  A quick trip to the parts store and a few minutes with a screwdriver or ratchet and you should have all your fan speeds back!!

Another common problem with air conditioning systems is that you could have your AC leaking into the car.  This can be a confusing problem to have since your air conditioning system doesn’t use any water in it so it can be a mystery as to where to water is coming from!  The air conditioning system in your car produces cold are, but the cold air often produces water.

Air always has water absorbed into it and we know that as humidity.  Air’s ability to hold that water is based on the temperature of the air.  The warmer the air, the more water it can hold.  As part of your weather report every morning, you get information about the humidity for the day and the dew point.  The dew point is based on the humidity and it is the temperature at which the air outside will become saturated with water and not be able to hold it anymore.  Below this temperature, the water will come out of the air and condense.

On most days, the temperature of the evaporator in your car (the piece that actually cools the air) is below the dew point for the day so it will cause condensation and your AC leaking into the car.  This water is clean and safe, but it has to go somewhere.  Your vehicle is equipped with a condensate drain that is designed to allow this water to flow out of your car, usually into the engine bay where it can drip to the ground.

If you’ve got water dripping on your passenger’s feet, the first thing to do is find this condensate drain in your engine bay.  It’s often about opposite your glove box just on the other side of the firewall.  You can give the drain hose a gentle tug to make sure it’s attached and try checking it for clogs like leaves or sticks that may have made their way into your ventilation system.  If that doesn’t yield any results you may have to gain access to your heater core or AC evaporator to check for damage to your ventilation system or the condensate drain.

If you’ve got one of the more common problems with your air conditioning system like warm air or a compressor that isn’t working, we recommend having your system checked for leaks.  Leaks are the most common problem in actual air conditioning systems in your vehicle so it’s a smart place to start.  If you do discover a leak, consider using Red Angel A/C Stop Leak & Conditioner to seal the leak and get back to being cool!

You can purchase Red Angel A/C Stop Leak & Conditioner 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
• Fisher Auto Parts stores
• Auto Plus Auto Parts stores
• Hovis Auto & Truck Supply stores
• Salvo Auto Parts
• Advantage Auto Stores
• Genuine Auto Parts stores
• Bond Auto Parts stores
• Tidewater Fleet Supply
• Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts
• Any Part Auto Parts
• Consumer Auto Parts

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ac_leaking_into_the_car.jpg – By Gashumovz – Licensed by Getty Images – Original Link