Tips for Car AC Maintenance in Hot Weather
In the UAE, driving a car without a functioning AC is unimaginable. If you drive too often, you need to make sure your car’s AC is working properly and efficiently. Without proper maintenance, the AC might not work efficiently or stop working entirely.
There could be a lot of factors affecting your car AC’s performance and efficiency. Therefore, it is advised to follow a proper car AC maintenance checklist on a regular basis. We have listed below some basic car AC maintenance tips that will help you enjoy cool and comfortable rides during summer.
CAR AC MAINTENANCE TIPS
Here detailed are some of the tips to add to your car AC maintenance checklist:
CHANGE OR CLEAN THE DIRTY AIR FILTER
A car’s air-conditioner comes with an air filter. The air filter is responsible for cleaning the air that enters the cabin. It absorbs all the dirt, dust and pollen from the outside air and gets clogged over time. This can severely impact AC’s cooling. Therefore, regular cleaning of air filters is one of the most important car AC maintenance tips to follow.
You can take the filter out and clean it yourself. However, if the filter is clogged to an extent that it cannot be cleaned then it’s better to replace it. Also, the moisture and dust from the outside air on the filter makes it a breeding ground for bacteria, and that’s not good for your health. Therefore, regular cleaning is mandatory and advised to change the air filter every year.
TURN THE AC ON REGULARLY
Your car AC maintenance checklist should also include the practice of switching the AC on for approximately 10-15 minutes daily. But if you are not using your car daily in hot weather, be sure to switch it on at least once a week. This practice is recommended to keep the vents working and and maintain refrigerant gas pressure in the car’s AC.
CHECK THE REFRIGERANT LEVEL
If car AC is not cooling in hot weather, it could be due to lower refrigerant levels. Checking refrigerant levels should be a priority on your car AC maintenance checklist. Refrigerant plays a key role in how the AC works. Therefore, get the refrigerant level checked regularly and get it refilled to the required level. Due to low refrigerant level, your car AC will blow hot air. You can ask the technician at your car AC service centre to give you an idea of when the car AC refrigerant will need a refill.
GO FOR CAR AC SERVICE REGULARLY
One of the tips to keep AC’s performance smooth is regular car AC service. Routine maintenance prevents cooling issues with your car’s AC, battery and other electrical problems. Get your car AC serviced at regular intervals, especially at the end of the winter season. This will help your car AC perform at optimum level in hot weather and save your time when waiting for your turn . Many people head to car AC service centres when the summer season starts. Timely maintenance will save your time as well.
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN A ROUTINE CAR AC SERVICE?
The technicians at the car AC service centres perform a thorough inspection and service each and every part that affects its performance. They remove the car’s dashboard to clean the condenser coil and blower fan. The technicians clean the condenser with a high-pressure wash to ensure all the dirt is removed. Also, the cooling coil is cleaned before connecting it back for better car AC’s performance.
Moreover, at the car AC service centres, the technicians ensure to clean all the blockages that affect the AC’s performance and restore the electrical wirings. After putting everything back in place, the dashboard and vents are cleaned.
As for car AC repair, the procedure depends on the problem and its cause. For instance, low airflow from your car AC could be due to an air conditioning leak. A good technician will easily detect and fix a car air conditioning leak.
These were the most useful car AC maintenance tips that may help you get maximum cooling during summers. If your car AC is not performing well despite maintenance, check these reasons for weak car AC airflow to find out the cause. If your car’s AC stops working completely before you reach the destination, you can try these ways to stay cool in the car without an air-conditioner.
Besides, if you are buying a used car in the UAE, make sure that it’s AC is working properly to avoid any inconvenience in the hot weather.
Stay tuned to UAE’s popular auto blog for more repair and maintenance guides on different automobile parts.