The air conditioning unit in your vehicle is susceptible to a number of issues and it needs regular maintenance to function properly. The air conditioning unit in your car is actually divided into several individual components. These include (but are not limited to) the condenser, the cooling coils, and the blower motor. If the vehicle’s internal diagnostic system senses an issue with any component, the conditioning unit will stop working entirely. The most common issues generally arise with AC condensers. Before you take your car to a mechanic or heating expert, you should read up on common problems that might emerge with the condenser in your car.
Damaged Condenser Belt
The condenser is usually located at the back of the engine bay. In case the condenser is broken and/or de-pressurized, the car’s cabin air system will stop blowing cool air. There’s a separate condenser belt that powers up the air conditioning unit. If there’s a damaged belt or a defective clutch, it can lead to a litany of other problems, such as idle valves and inactive pressure switches. Small problems tend to spread like wildfire if they aren’t resolved in a timely manner. You should take your car to a professional company that repairs AC condensers in Illinois and get it checked.
Strange Noises
If you can constantly hear a clattering noise from your condenser, it might be due to a problem with the internal mechanisms. Broken parts tend to clatter, making odd noises inside the condenser housing unit. AC condensers generally die after a few years of excessive use, so the clattering noise might also be coming from a condenser that needs a full replacement.
Ideally, you should take your car for air conditioning service at least once every year. If you haven’t used the air conditioning system for a long time, micro-organisms and bacteria might also start growing in the pipes inside. A thorough AC service and refrigerant refilling is essential for proper functionality. This will dramatically prolong the life of your air conditioning unit.