With summer just around the corner, it’s time to get ready for clear skies, glorious sunshine, backyard water hose fun… and heatwaves. You’re probably well-versed on Newton’s most famous law of thermodynamics: When your car is parked under the sun, it basically becomes an oven.
Luckily, your vehicle is most likely equipped with an air conditioning system that can cool your car’s interior in a few minutes. But that might not be the case if your A/C system has been improperly maintained and left to fail over time. A car without A/C during the summer can quickly become unbearable, or even a health risk, so don’t let either happen to you.
In this article, we’ll show you how to keep your car’s A/C system healthy and ready to fight the summer heat.
Cabin air filters (not all vehicles have them) trap dirt and keep debris from entering the cabin through the air conditioning system. Excessively dirty or clogged filters result in poor air flow to the cabin. If your filter isn’t reusable, replacement cabin air filters are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.
Most can be accessed through the glove box, but cabin air filters in older cars may require that you dismantle the dashboard. Check your owner’s manual for more information on your specific cabin air filter.
Engine temperature can affect the efficiency of your vehicle’s A/C system. Make sure to flush your radiator periodically. Coolant carries heat from the engine block and is cooled in the radiator. An efficient radiator is key to maintaining optimum engine operating temperatures.
“Fan belt,” “V-belt,” and “serpentine belt” are terms commonly used to refer to the accessory drive belt, but if your vehicle is using V belts it’s probably 20-30 years old or more. Check your fan belt to make sure it’s in good condition.
The belt is driven by the crankshaft pulley and snakes around all the belt-driven accessories, to include the A/C compressor pulley. There are idler and tensioner pulleys that provide belt tension and facilitate routing between pulleys.
Parking in the shade can help in keeping your cabin cool. Your A/C system will also cool air at a lower temperature, giving it the opportunity to cool the cabin faster. And don’t spend too much time idling in a hot parking lot with the A/C running if you can help it.
You get the coolest air on low-blow max A/C because you’re re-cooling the same recirculated air and that means the compressor doesn’t have to run as much. For this reason, you’ll get better fuel economy on a long trip using max A/C (recirc) than you will using norm, which runs the compressor more. That seems counter-intuitive, but that’s the way it is.
Here’s a more efficient way to cool down a hot cabin:
Your A/C refrigerant carries refrigerant oil like the oil in chainsaw gas, so that the refrigerant/oil mix will keep the compressor lubricated and keeps seals moist. Whenever you use the defrost function on your system, the A/C compressor runs by default. But even if you don’t need defrost during the cooler part of the year where you live, make sure you turn the air conditioning on every now and then (select a warmer blend temperature if it’s cold), and leave it running for 10 minutes while you drive.
Getting the A/C checked periodically isn’t a bad idea, but usually there aren’t any scheduled maintenance procedures other than replacing the cabin air filter (if equipped). Usually, if the A/C has a problem you’ll be the first one to notice it.
Stay cool and safe!
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