Air conditioner review

In order for the air conditioner to work effectively even in the hottest weather, you need to take care of it and carry out a routine inspection.

There is still a little time until this summer, but it is worth taking care of this arrangement now.

The first stronger rays of the sun had already warmed up the interior of the car, so I had to turn on the air conditioner. Unfortunately, many drivers were disappointed that after turning on the air conditioner for the first time in a very long time, the air conditioner did not work at all or its efficiency was low. Air conditioner overview

The inspection should be done a few weeks before the heat wave, because we can do it without nerves, and when repairs are needed, the air conditioner will definitely be able to start before the first heat wave. In addition, there is less traffic on the sites now, the service will be cheaper, without haste and certainly more accurate. Drivers who believe that the air conditioner is working properly should also go for an inspection.

The efficiency of air conditioning largely depends on the amount of refrigerant, i.e. R134a gas, with which the system is filled. The air conditioner will not work properly if there is too little or too much air. In the latter case, the compressor may still fail. The specificity of this gas is such that even with complete tightness of the system, about 10-15 percent is lost during the year. factor.

Then the efficiency of such an air conditioner drops significantly and the compressor has to work much longer to achieve the desired effect. If there is very little refrigerant, even though the compressor is almost continuously running, it will not be possible to achieve a sufficiently low temperature, and a constant heavy load on the engine will only significantly increase fuel consumption.

Therefore, the air conditioner is not a maintenance-free device and requires regular maintenance. It is best to review once a year, at least every two years.

Air conditioner overview

To service the air conditioner, you need specialized equipment, which is currently available in all OPS and in many independent services. These services have equipment for refueling with R134a gas. The owners of air conditioning systems on the old and now banned R12 gas, which were used until the beginning of the 90s, are in a much worse situation, at present such a system needs to be converted to a new gas, and this, unfortunately, costs a lot, from 1000 to 2500 PLN.

A routine check consists of connecting the system to a special device that sucks out the old refrigerant, then checks for leaks and, if the test is positive, fills the system with fresh refrigerant and oil. The entire operation takes just over 30 minutes.

With a properly functioning air conditioner, the temperature of the air leaving the deflectors should be within 5-8 ° C. Measurements should be carried out a few or even a few minutes after switching on, so that the ventilation ducts are properly cooled.

The dehumidifier plays a very important role in the air conditioning system, its task is to absorb moisture from the system. It should be replaced after every compressor leak or failure, and in a properly functioning system, every two to three years. Unfortunately, due to the high cost (the price of the filter is from PLN 200 to PLN 800), almost no one does this. However, it is worth replacing the cabin filter, which has a great impact on cabin ventilation.

When buying a used car with air conditioning, it's worth checking to see if it's working properly, as repair costs can be hefty. Let's not be deceived that the system only needs to be filled in, because the seller will definitely do this. A faulty air conditioner should be treated as if it were not in the car and it makes no sense to spend money on a broken device.

Estimated cost of air conditioning inspection in a car