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If the air conditioning in your car isn’t cooling, there can be various reasons for this. If you are lucky, however, the mishap can be rectified quickly.
Car air conditioning not cooling – quick fixes
If the car air conditioning suddenly fails to work and no longer cools, this can be quite unpleasant in summer. But with a bit of luck, the cause can be quickly rectified, as often only small things are responsible for the failure of the air conditioning system. However, you should still have a little knowledge about the car before you attempt to rectify the cause.
- Refrigerant: One of the easy-to-fix causes of air conditioning failure can be the refrigerant. Although the loss of refrigerant is relatively small, something is always lost over time. Therefore, have the amount of refrigerant checked by a workshop every two years and top up if necessary.
- Dirt: Especially in the beginning of fall, leaves can accumulate in front of the radiator. Dirt can also clog the radiator and thus prevent the cooling effect. For this reason, it is advisable to clean the air conditioning system regularly.
- Tip: If you switch on the air conditioning system from time to time, even on cooler days, all moving parts will be lubricated regularly.
This also prevents the refrigerant from becoming moldy and spreading an extremely unpleasant smell in the car. If you also have the air conditioning system serviced regularly, you will successfully counteract an unexpected failure.
Car air conditioning no longer works – more serious causes
In addition to the causes already presented, there are also slightly more serious reasons why the car air conditioning system no longer cools:
- Switch: A common reason that is rarely considered is a faulty switch. To determine this, start your car and operate the switch: you should now hear the compressor and the condenser. If the noises stop, this may indicate a defective compressor or condenser on the one hand and a defective switch on the other.
- Air conditioning condenser: The air conditioning condenser is usually located in the front part of the engine compartment. It is not uncommon for the air conditioning condenser to be damaged by small stones at this point. These can be thrown up while driving and then damage the thin fins of the condenser. The condenser then fails and the air conditioning system no longer works. In this case, you should have the condenser checked at a specialist workshop.
- Compressor: If all the previous causes do not apply to you, the compressor may be defective and must be repaired. It processes the refrigerant under high pressure. A car’s compressor has many moving parts that can seize up over time. This is particularly common in older models and especially when the air conditioning system is not used very often. In this case, too, the advice of an expert is required;
- Controls and sensors: Modern vehicles often have air conditioning systems with electronic controls and sensors, in which defective temperature sensors, control units or fuses can also impair the cooling performance.
- Other causes: Leaking hoses, loose plug connections and damaged seals in the refrigerant circuit also lead to refrigerant loss and thus to malfunctions. A blocked cabin air filter (pollen filter) obstructs the air flow and gives the impression that the air conditioning system is not cooling sufficiently, which is why it is advisable to change the filter regularly.
- Note: Unusual noises, unpleasant odors or moisture inside the vehicle indicate other defects such as a leaking evaporator or mold growth. In these cases, always visit a garage. Hybrid and electric vehicles are fitted with special high-voltage air conditioning systems, the maintenance and repair of which may only be carried out by trained specialists.
