Republished from “The 380 News” - originally published August 4, 2011.

Marta and Frank Dudowicz are the local owners and operators of four Kwik Kar Lube and Auto Service Centers in the area (three on Rt.380). They have 10 years experience in running their businesses. Frank prior to opening his business was a senior executive with Pennzoil/Quaker State (Motor Oil). http://www.kwikkardenton.com E-mail your questions to md@kwikkardenton.com

Kwik Kar Gal and Kwik Kar Guy – Marta and Frank answer your questions with honest answers

Marta

– Every year about this time many people are asking about their vehicle’s air conditioning not performing properly. Now even more so that we are seeing temperatures at or above 100 degrees. So enlighten us on what to be aware of with our car’s air conditioning system.

Frank

– Yes, we do find that there are mechanical issues and we then will start a diagnosis process to find the exact problem. Not blowing is an obvious malfunction of the blower motor or related system. All of which can be fixed. – That seems to be obvious but, we do get some people who will complain that their AC system isn’t working right. When we measure the temperature at the air vent we find that the temperature is in the acceptable range – below 60 degrees. Although we do see situations where when the AC is turned on, it just doesn’t blow. – Sure, first, know that with these very hot temperatures, your vehicle’s air conditioning system is going to be working under a serious strain. It is going to take a lot longer for the air to feel cold so you may believe that your system is not working properly but, in fact it may be. You just don’t feel that cold air the same way. The inside air being hotter than normal will take longer for the cold air to penetrate and cool your vehicle’s cabin.

But if the AC is just not blowing cold air we will begin with testing the pressure and recharging the system’s refrigerant. Now, it is important to know that the refrigerant cannot be used up, it lasts forever. What usually happens is there is not enough refrigerant or pressure in the system – it has leaked out causing a low pressure situation which then does not allow for the proper cooling function. So when we recharge an AC system we will put in a tracer chemical dye to help us find where the leak is coming from — gaskets, lines or what components. Once detected, we then can evaluate what course of action to take. Worn lines and gaskets are usually simple and inexpensive to fix. But when it comes to components, these can become more costly to repair.

Most often we find that the compressor is the problem and needs to be replaced. The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant. Just as if there is not enough refrigerant (due to a leak) to provide the optimum pressure so does the compressor need to provide this level of pressure to get cold air. Other components that can raise their ugly heads are the condenser, the evaporator or the heater core. Any one of these can contribute to a problem with the AC system not working properly.

So, if you are going to have a AC breakdown usually it will happen when you least want it to happen — when its summer and over 100 degrees and your AC is on overdrive.