WITH summer in full swing and heatwaves predicted, keeping cool is on everyone’s mind.
Thankfully, air conditioning in most modern cars offers a welcome escape from the heat.
Stay cool this summer with a quick and affordable air con fix[/caption]
Your car’s air conditioning might not be as cold as it should be – mechanics reveal the common cause[/caption]
Regassing your air con could be the key to ice-cold journeys[/caption]
However, many of us will sometimes feel our AC could be working a little harder and blowing a little colder.
And if you believe your car’s cool air isn’t as cold as it could be, a repair expert from FixMyCar might have the solution.
Matt Wrankmore, Head of Garage Network at FixMyCar, has revealed that a quick, 45-minute garage visit can take your air conditioning from mild to ice-cold.
He said: “Many drivers expect their car’s air conditioning to just work when they need it to.
“However, the air conditioning system uses refrigerant gas and a compressor to cool the air in the cabin.
“Few people realise that over 10% of refrigerant gas escapes naturally every year, which means the cooling system’s power drops significantly over time.
“This is where the need for an air con regas comes in.
“Having the system ‘regassed’, essentially refilling the refrigerant gas, will have an instant effect on your car’s air conditioning and will get you back to pleasantly cool journeys on our few scorching hot days this summer.”
COOL OFF
As anyone who’s stepped into a sweltering car on a summer’s day knows, car interiors trap and retain heat effectively, making them unbearable without a working cooling system.
According to over 3,000 drivers polled by FixMyCar, 28% didn’t know that the air conditioning system in their car needed to be regassed in order to stay cold.
Further to that, one in 10 (9.7%) drivers assumed it would be done as part of a full service.
However, many car services don’t include an air con regas – meaning you’ll need to book it separately.
Data from FixMyCar shows that an air con regas costs £72.64 on average, with most manufacturers recommending drivers get their air conditioning system regassed every two years to ensure it’s always at an optimal cold temperature.
The poll also found that almost a third (32%) of drivers are unsure when they last had an AC regas.
This has been confirmed by nearly 200 mechanics on the FixMyCar network, with the majority claiming the most common cause behind car air conditioning no longer feeling cold is that the car “needs an air con regas”.
20% said that a “refrigerant leak” is another common cause of poor cooling, while 14% flagged that a “lack of air con use and poor maintenance” are to blame.
Wrankmore added: “Another little-known fact is that a lack of use of your air conditioning could also exacerbate the problem.
“A car’s air conditioning system has an oil in it that lubricates the seals and compressor to keep it functioning smoothly when in use.
“However, not using the air conditioning frequently can cause the seals and compressor to harden or shrink, which can then cause damage that results in larger refrigerant leaks down the line.
“This is a particular problem for Brits. As we only get a few really hot days a year, many of us don’t use our air conditioning as often as we should.
“So, my best advice to drivers who want to maintain their cooling system better is to turn on your air conditioning regularly, even in winter – as crazy as that sounds.”
FixMyCar is a free, easy to use service that lets drivers compare and book garages online.
