Although we’re only part-way through Spring, Summer is right around the corner, and as the temperatures continue to rise, there are few feelings worse than realizing your car’s AC is no longer keeping you as cool as it once did.
Thankfully, this issue isn’t necessarily an indication that your air conditioning system is in need of major repair, and might simply mean that your AC is in need of a “recharge.”
What Is A Car AC Recharge?
The word “recharge” is often associated with restoring power to batteries or devices, but it’s something of a misnomer in regard to your car’s air conditioning.
In this particular context, “recharging” means that your AC system’s old refrigerant will be flushed out and then replaced with a fresh batch, which should result in reliably cold air when you need it.
How Do You Know If Your Car’s AC Needs To Be Recharged?
A common symptom of an air conditioning system in need of a recharge is air that isn’t quite as cold as it should be (if it’s cold at all), or air that takes longer than usual to cool down.
If your vehicle is experiencing any of these symptoms (or similar ones), it’s likely a sign that your car requires an AC recharge.
Car AC Repair vs. Car AC Recharge
Although an AC recharge can restore the cold temperatures you’re used to, the “fix” might only be a temporary one, depending on what caused the temperature change in the first place.
If your car’s air conditioning system has trouble staying reliably cold, even after a recharge, it can be evidence of a refrigerant leak or worse.
Possible Reasons Your AC Isn’t Functioning Properly
Although it’s common and normal for small refrigerant leaks to develop as your vehicle ages, this typically doesn’t affect the consistency of your AC’s ability to produce cold air, and certainly not in a short amount of time. In other words, if you need your car’s AC recharged regularly, it strongly suggests that there is a more serious refrigerant leak, which should be evaluated by our professional auto mechanics as soon as possible.
Aside from leaking refrigerant, there are a few other reasons that could be causing your car’s AC to stop working correctly, including:
- Blocked/clogged condenser, which will make the A/C unit expel hot air
- Broken condenser
- Electrical issues can be hard to diagnose with a simple visual inspection
- Faulty cooling fans may deprive the condenser of proper cooling.
- A bad compressor means the refrigerant cannot circulate through the system
- Vacuum leaks
- Failed switch, fuse, relay, control module, blend door or solenoid
What Happens When Your Car Gets An AC Recharge?
As previously mentioned, an AC recharge replaces your old refrigerant with new refrigerant.
On its own, this is a fairly simple and straightforward process, but our technicians take the extra time and care to inspect your car’s AC system, run various tests to detect any serious issues or leaks that are causing the temperature discrepancies, evaluate the situation and then relay what additional actions or repairs need to be taken, if any.
Contact Bradley’s Auto in Red Bank, NJ For Car AC Recharge Services Near You
If your car’s air conditioner isn’t producing air that’s as cold as it should be, contact Bradley’s Auto Service in Red Bank, NJ today, before it gets too hot! Our ASE-certified mechanics have built a reputation for providing honest, professional auto services, and have experience with all makes and models.
With our advanced R1234YF Car AC Recharge system, we’ll have your air conditioning back to being ice cold before you know it!
