Signs You Need Your Car’s Air Conditioner Repaired

We are finally into the fall season, but in many parts of the country including our own, we still have to put in with hot temperatures and humid conditions well past that, making it seem like the summer goes on forever.

During these periods, we tend to crank the air conditioning units in our cars to finally get some relief. But what happens when you turn the knob, flip the switch, or do whatever is needed to turn your car’s AC on, and the cool air never comes?

This is certainly one of those features in a vehicle we take for granted until it no longer works (aside from, you know, the brakes). With that in mind, we’re going to look at a few of the telltale signs that your air conditioner no longer works, including the obvious ones!

No Air Conditioning

Hey, we said we were even going to address even the obvious ones, and this is prime candidate number 1! When you sit down inside your vehicle and turn the air conditioner on but don’t feel any air coming out of the vents, there’s most likely a problem with your HVAC.

There are a few different reasons for this being the case, including not having any refrigerant left in the system, damaged cooling fans, or maybe you like to leave the windows down and a bunch of leaves clogged everything up. Whatever the case may be, this is an issue that tends to be quite easily diagnosable by a mechanic!

You Are Only Getting Hot Air

Another quite obvious symptom of a busted air conditioning unit is when you’re no longer getting a nice breeze of cold air from the vents, only warm or hot air! Much like when there isn’t any air blowing in your face, it could be down with needing new refrigerant to get the system running like it used to.

Sometimes you can tell what the problem is just by looking at it, but we still recommend having an expert take a look just to make sure you’re not dealing with an underlying issue.

Water Leaking From the Unit

Perhaps you’re getting a cool, crisp breeze coming out of the vents, but after driving for a little while, you start to notice water draining out from the bottom of your vehicle. While this can be considered perfectly normal (the reason for which we’ll get to in a second), if it starts to stain the inside of your ride, that’s when the red flag should start waving.

After all, your air conditioner does more than simply blow air – it is also designed to dehumidify the inside of your car by pulling out any moisture from the cabin and draining it outside, just like we talked about.

However, water stains inside the cabin indicate the drain or hose connected with the system has become clogged for some reason causing all that water to back up. This is yet another warning sign that you need to have your system checked by a professional!

Strange Smells

Now we get to the last example of a malfunctioning air conditioner, but also one that is potentially the most dangerous. When you turn on your AC, you should never have to deal with unpleasant smells. Be that as it may, if you notice a foul odor blowing from your vents (and not from passenger), this could be coming from mold growing inside your air conditioning unit. This is a type of situation you need to deal with immediately since the existence of mold can cause some serious health concerns including respiratory problems.

Regardless of whatever problem your air conditioner may be dealing with, it’s vital that you are able to enjoy a smooth, comfortable ride no matter the reason or the season. So when you need to have your system serviced or repaired, be sure to take it to an experienced professional who is equipped to handle any of the problems your car is facing immediately!