There’s still plenty of heat left this summer, which means you’ve likely been driving around with your air conditioning cranked up. However, air conditioning failures are relatively common in vehicles, and living in a climate that gets as hot and humid as Tennessee during the summer can make having no functioning AC in your vehicle a tough pill to swallow.
Therefore, you should constantly be on the lookout for a variety of signs that you need to make some repairs to your car’s air conditioning. Here are a few tips from our auto repair shop in Madison, TN to help you know when bringing in your vehicle for a fix is a must:
- No cold air: This is the most obvious sign—there’s definitely a problem with the air conditioning in your vehicle if it’s not providing you with any cold air. There are a variety of problems that could cause your AC to stop working. You might have simply run out of refrigerant, which is an extremely easy problem to solve. You might also have damaged cooling fans or vents. Your AC unit might have gotten clogged with debris. If you are unable to diagnose the problem yourself, a professional can do so quickly.
- Strange noises: Rattling, banging and squealing noises are certainly not normal in an air conditioning unit in your vehicle, so if you begin to hear these sounds regularly, you should have your vehicle checked as soon as you can. It might be something as simple as debris working its way into your air conditioning system, but it could be something as serious as a major part beginning to fall apart.
- Strange smells: Foul odors emitting from your vents could be a sign that mold has started to grow inside the air conditioning unit. Not only does this make for an unpleasant trip, but it also could lead to a variety of respiratory problems and other health concerns.
- Water drainage: It is normal to see water draining from out of the bottom of your car. It’s actually a good sign—if water doesn’t drain after you use your air conditioning, there’s something wrong with your system. However, you should never see water building up inside your vehicle itself. This could be caused by the drain underneath your car becoming clogged, which could cause the system to back up.
- Coolant leaks: Most AC leaks are difficult to spot. It might be difficult to tell if it’s the coolant leaking or simple water draining. You might consider adding a bit of dye into your air conditioning to trace the source of the leak.
You don’t want to be caught without air conditioning during some of the hottest weeks of the summer as you make your daily commute. For more information about repairing your car’s air conditioning system, contact our auto repair shop in Madison, TN today, and the team at Madison Muffler & Auto Repair will be happy to answer any of your questions.