Summer weekend is here with you, and you want to go on a long road trip with your loved ones. Suddenly, you realize that the car AC not blowing cold air in the middle of the road.What can you do next if you find yourself in such a situation?
You can’t afford to cancel the weekend trip you have been planning for a long time now. And you can’t find a mechanic in the middle of nowhere. That’s why you need to know some of the reasons why your car AC stopped blowing cold air all of a sudden.
But before that, do you know how your air conditioner system works?
Understanding the AC System of Your Vehicle
Your vehicle’s AC system is quite complex because it’s located deep into the lines and hoses of the engine compartment. The system heats up and compresses the refrigerant, which is, in turn, decompress and condensed into a liquid, causing it to lose the heat rapidly.
The process accelerates the heat absorption from the vehicle’s cabin. The process is repeated constantly to attain the normal temperature condition. The compressor squeezes gaseous refrigerant by running off the engine belt.
The condenser turns the gas in the refrigerant into liquid through a series of finned tubes after pressurizing it. The fluid passes through a dryer to squeeze out excess water. This is a way to eradicate the risky formation of ice crystals in the AC system.
The thermal expansion valve allows the liquid refrigerant into the evaporator. Once the liquid reaches here, it’s exposed to intense heat from the car’s cabin. The fluid is boiled and transformed into a gaseous state, absorbing heat in the atmosphere, leaving the evaporator coil calm.
This gas is redistributed all over the cabin by a fan via the vents as filtered air. You should know that almost all vehicles have similar essential AC components, including an evaporator, compressor, and condenser. These parts are working together to keep your car cool and comfortable, especially during hot summer.
Therefore, if any of these parts malfunction, you are left with excess heat that is hard to fix instantly; only a professional mechanic can do that.
Why is your car AC not blowing cold air?
Several reasons can cause your AC, such as worn-out compressor or leakage. The confusion is also when it gives you warm air instead of cold one against your expectation.
If your vehicle’s system is not working, it might be due to inconsistent overall maintenance or service for various components, contributing to your vehicle’s cooling system. What are these 8 reasons?
Leaking Refrigerant
The first reason that might cause your AC not to work correctly is the leaking refrigerant responsible for keeping your car’s cabin cool. In multiple cases, leakages in the area are the primary cause of its malfunctioning.
Such a problem often arises from sudden car accidents. The AC’s hoses start leaking through the joints, and it can be quite tricky to pinpoint the damage. The oily expired substances accumulating around the hose are an indication that your refrigerant is leaking; it needs to be repaired.
If you don’t have the expertise of handling technical challenges, it’s better to avoid them. Instead, seek the assistance of a professional mechanic to repair it for you before you continue with your weekend drive.
Electrical Issues
Another problem that might cause your AC to malfunction is unexpected short-circuiting in the electric unit. Most of its components, such as evaporator and compressor, are electrical. So a simple blown-up fuse causes it to malfunction.
For instance, if you live in areas with high temperatures above 50 degrees (C), especially in Los Angeles, the electrical wires get extremely hot, resulting in short-circuiting internal cables. If you experience such difficulties, seek help from a mechanic.
The best DIY mechanism is to examine the short-circuited wires and seal them with tape that resists electricity and joins the ends with connecting solid wires. Nevertheless, this mechanism is not recommended because it might cause further damage.
A build-up of Mildew and Molds
If your vehicle’s air conditioner stays on for quite a long time, very tiny microorganisms can block its vents, affecting its cooling processes. The vents cannot work when molds grow on them. So, it’s also another reason your AC not blowing cold air from your car’s cabin.
To avoid such problems, always service your vehicle twice or thrice every year. Periodic servicing not only removes the microorganisms such as mildew and molds, prevents their growth but also clears your vehicle’s AC air duct.
Car servicing is the best way to enhance its durability and hygiene, thus prolonged lifespan.
Refrigerant Requires a Recharge
After many years, the AC always loses refrigerant that you might not notice any existing difference in temperature degrees. Nevertheless, if you realize it is blowing hot air, it might be due to a low amount of Freon or leakage.
Freon is the chemical in the refrigerant responsible for cooling the hot air before the AC blows it back into your vehicle. If your hoses are damaged or the gaskets are loose, then Freon leaks, which is a huge issue.
This is the most common cause of producing hot air. And you can tell this if there is a leakage. So the best way is to recharge it with Freon.
Blocked Condenser
A condenser is a unit in the car engine that keeps the refrigerant extremely cool by blowing cold air through the vents. It is in front of the car grille, so if you happen to run into such a problem, open the grille and check if it’s broken or blocked.
If the condenser is blocked due to dust or debris, the result is your car overheating. So the hot air blows via the vents, which damages it if not solved. If the condenser is blocked or broken, the fan might function too, which is another reason causing your car AC not blowing cold air.
If the fan malfunctions, the condenser will not receive adequate cold fluid. Such problems take the more significant part of the engine, affecting your car’s cooler. Always inspect the faulty fan to prevent more damages. But be very careful!
Damaged Compressor
Compressor plays a vital role in the AC system. It requires a lot of energy and power to function effectively. It’s responsible for its constant running; if it becomes faulty, there will be no proper refrigerant circulation. And so, the hot air is blown back in your vehicle.
If you stay for a long time without starting it, especially for 3 to 4 months during winter, the compressor might be clogged. So when it’s time to use it in summer, it might fail to work effectively, resulting in the damage of compressor belt, thus becoming weak. The best thing to do is switch it on for about 20 to 25 minutes, regardless of the weather.
If the compressor belts are weak, your car might fail to start because it fails to drive enough power and energy needed for it to ignite. This malfunctioning prevents it from working correctly.
It is also advisable to take your car to the nearest car shop and get the compressor belts replaced. If you neglect this part, you reduce the lifespan of your car’s engine.
Stuck Blend Air Door
When your car is heated up, the hot air flowing over the engine goes into the vehicle. When you turn it on to cool down your vehicle, the blend door swings across the ventilation system to allow cold air circulation from the AC and close the hot one-off.
Sometimes the blend door can be damaged or become stuck, and when that happens, you’ll get hot air, even when the system is functional. To fix it, you need to replace the whole door. Although, it is difficult to reach it because it’s located behind the dashboard.
Damaged Actuator
In most cases, when the AC is blown to the maximum, the flaps open. When this happens in your car, you might ignore to close the flaps. Therefore, the hot air gets into the system and dilutes the cold one.
This might cause your engine to overheat, in turn affecting the fans located in the radiator. This will affect the efficiency of the refrigerant to blow cold air and inhibit the condenser from cooling your car.
How to Fix Car AC not Blowing Cold Air?
When the temperatures are high, particularly during summer, you yearn for a cool breeze in your car for a relaxed body. Unfortunately, the aircon is not coming through for you. Don’t worry about there are ways you make it blow the cool breeze once more.
First and foremost, if you want to solve this problem, let the AC run for about 10 to 15 minutes, especially during winter. It helps regulate the refrigerant oil and lubricate all the seals, O-rings, and compressors.
Secondly, check the state of the cabin filter, which prevents dirt, dust, and other harmful pollutants from entering your car through the heat vents and AC. So if the filter is dirty, it also prevents airflow in the AC. So if the filter in the cabin is faulty, change it immediately. For more information on how to do that, consult the user manual.
Thirdly, if you want to fix the problem, reboot the refrigerant. This is because low refrigerant or Freon levels destroy the AC. So you need to supercharge the refrigerant.
Lastly, it is also advisable to take your vehicle to a professional mechanic to fix the problem for you.They have the expertise and necessary equipment to perfectly diagnose that issue and reclaim the refrigerant to keep you comfortable as you drive.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Is it advisable to let the AC system continue running even if it is blowing hot air?
No. It is not advisable to allow your car’s AC to keep running if you realize it’s not blowing cold air because it might hurt it. When you realize that the system is blowing hot air, the refrigerant will already be lost.
The lubricating oil is mixed with the refrigerant required to operate the compressor very smoothly. So if you allow it to keep running while blowing warm air, the system might run dry, thus starving the compressor, which might eventually burn.
Q2. What amount of refrigerant leakage is considered normal?
Your car’s AC is not tightly sealed so that the refrigerant can leak out into the air as an unnoticeable colorless gas. But the new, improved systems don’t leak profusely like the old ones. So the average amount of refrigerant leakage is about 0.42 ounces per year.
Q3. What can I do if my car’s AC is blowing hot air?
The malfunctioning of the AC is the worst thing that can happen to you during the summer holidays. If your vehicle’s AC is not blowing cold air, you can troubleshoot in various ways. But the best option is to take it to a mechanic for repair and complete service.
It is imperative to communicate any potential problems you discovered to the contractor. Such kind of information helps to repair the system unit pretty much quickly. So you need to address any current issue immediately because a damaged air conditioner causes some health challenges when temperatures fall.
Q4. How can I make my car aircon cold once more?
When it’s hot outside, you don’t wish to experience more high temperatures in your car. And you why your aircon is not coming through this summer. The best way to fix it is to ensure you replace the filter in the cabin, supercharge the aircon system, or you can pack your car in the shade for quite some time.
Conclusion – Car AC Not Blowing Cold Air
Well, now you know that it can ruin your summer holiday plans if your air conditioner goes off suddenly. Some of the reasons why your car AC is not blowing cold air include refrigerant leakage, blocked condenser, damaged actuator, overheating, faulty compressor, or maybe it’s your AC that needs a recharge.
You shouldn’t tolerate uncomfortable and stuffy cars, and you mustn’t depend on car auto shops to fix the issue for you. If you want to fix it, you must figure out where to start. This is because setting it is quite simple; you recharge the system with the best car battery. You can also slip the clutch to improve its performance.
