Why Your Car AC Compressor is Not Working in Hot Weather

The weather conditions in the UAE are extremely hot and humid. The temperature can rise up to 45°C. Hence driving a vehicle without an air conditioner can be challenging and risky. At the time of year when the temperature inside your vehicle can go up, the car AC starts blowing hot or with no air. This not only makes your rides uncomfortable but can cause serious health risks such as heat stroke. So before you face such an issue, let’s find out why your car’s AC compressor is not working in hot weather.

Symptoms of a Bad AC Compressor in Car

The car’s air conditioning is formed by a complex system that connects to the car’s electrical and other mechanical parts. There can be several reasons why the vehicle’s climate control system stops working properly. However, a bad compressor is one of the causes of low AC airflow in a car.

Fixing car AC is one of the challenging car repairs. Hence, even if you can identify the problem with your car’s air conditioning, it is still necessary to take it to the mechanic for professional care.

Why AC Compressor Fails in Hot Weather

The automotive climate control system also needs air filters — If an air conditioning system fails to acclimate and stops working

Clogged Filter
Gas Leak
Compressor Lubrication
Electrical Failure
System Overload

Clogged Air Filter

The automotive climate control system also needs air filters to prevent impurities from being thrown into the air-conditioned environment. We need an air filter because the air is collected directly from the street and can carry all types of dust and debris.

When the filter is too dirty or clogged, the air conditioning system fails to acclimate and stops working.

When and How to Clean Filters

It is recommended that the car air filter should be cleaned every 10,000 kilometres. The process isn’t difficult: you need to open the front hood and locate the filters, which should be right on top just in front of the windshield.

If you find the filter covered in dirt, you need to wash it carefully. Wait for it to dry, and then you can put it back in place. If you can’t clean it, it’s best to buy another filter.

Gas Leak

Car air conditioning also works with refrigerant fluid or coolant, which we call gas. It can help in blowing the cold air from the AC. Hence, it is essential to fix an air conditioning leak in a car.

How to identify the leak

Use soap and water to identify the car AC compressor leak. Mix the two, open the hood and apply it to the air conditioning pipes, especially the connections. If air bubbles appear after a few seconds, there is a leak there. If you don’t feel safe testing it yourself, take it to a mechanic.

What to do in case of a leak

If the leak is at the fitting, try screwing or threading more tightly on that end. If the leak is identified at another point in the pipeline, then professional repair is required.

In both cases, the idea is to replace the coolant, and that only a professional can do. Do not forget that, without the fluid, the car’s air conditioning does not operate at its full capacity.

Compressor Lubrication

The automotive air conditioning compressor must always be well lubricated. If the compressor runs out of lubrication, it just won’t turn on. Also, it would overheat and could cause a serious accident due to less compressor lubrication.

To avoid this problem, it is good to turn on the car’s air conditioning periodically so that the lubricant does not dry out, keeping the compressor ready to work properly.

If there is no lubrication, just go to the mechanic to replace the lubricating liquid.

Electrical Failure

Check the electrical wiring if your car’s AC compressor is not turning on in hot weather. An electrical failure can happen in the air conditioning or car wiring.

System Overload

Electrical failure prevents fans from working. In this way, the cooled or heated air is circulating inside the air conditioner, overloading the entire system and causing damage.

Now you know the reasons why your car’s AC compressor is not working in hot weather. There are also some other signs that your automotive air conditioner is having a problem such as leaking lubricating fluid and oil leakage. Always check for puddles forming just below the driver’s seat, or if the car leaves any shiny oil stains on the floor.

If your AC has completely stopped working, you can also try other ways to stay cool without AC in your car. Besides, you can also buy a fully functional used car for sale in the UAE to avoid such hassle and enjoy a comfortable ride during hot summers. Some of the options are:

Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading car blog if you have any suggestions about problems with the air conditioning in your car.