Maintenance4 Reasons Your Car A/C May Be Blowing Hot Air
You finally made it through winter! Summer is around the corner and it’s the best season for driving. Even your daily commute is a little bit better when it’s warm and sunny.
But nothing can spoil summer fun quite like a broken car air conditioner. The A/C is one of the most complex systems in your vehicle. If it is blowing warm air, there could be several causes. We'll explain a few of the most common ones.
1. Refrigerant Leak
A car A/C blowing hot air is often the result of a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant is a liquid that circulates through your car's A/C system, expanding and contracting as it removes heat and humidity from the cabin. None of the other A/C components will function correctly without proper refrigerant levels.
A leak can happen because of an old hose as well as a rusted or punctured evaporator. But don't expect to easily spot a refrigerant leak. You probably won't notice a puddle of liquid in or under your car. That's because unlike motor oil and other vital car fluids, antifreeze evaporates when exposed to the atmosphere. Sometimes, you'll get lucky and notice an oily residue at the exact location of the leak.
To definitively identify a refrigerant leak, one of our expert technicians needs to inject dye into the system to trace it. Once they identify the source of the leak, they repair and recharge your car A/C so it can blow fresh, cold air once again.
2. Faulty Condenser
When your A/C system pulls the heat and humidity out of your cabin, the refrigerant absorbs them. In turn, the condenser's function is to keep the refrigerant cool so the cycle can continue. If the condenser isn't doing its job, the process breaks down. That's when you get slapped in the face by a blast of hot air.
The condenser is at the front of the car, between the grate and the radiator. It utilizes air flowing through the grate to assist in cooling. If the condenser is blocked or clogged by road debris, air won't reach it, preventing the refrigerant from cooling correctly.
If you have a faulty condenser, you may be able to see the problem by looking through the grate. Also, consider whether your car A/C problems started after a fender bender or bumper bump, in which case your condenser might have broken on impact.
3. Broken Compressor
The compressor is the heart of your car's A/C. It's responsible for circulating the refrigerant through the system. If this part isn't working correctly, the antifreeze won't be able to reach the condenser for cooling.
Compressor issues tend to pop up after long periods of inactivity, such as long winters when A/C isn't necessary. However, to prevent this from happening, many newer vehicles keep the condenser active year-round by activating it under the defrost setting.
4. Problems with the Electrical System
If all the A/C components are in working order, your car may be blowing hot air because of an electrical issue. A frayed wire or a blown fuse can prevent an otherwise healthy A/C from functioning. Diagnosing and correcting an electrical problem begins with performing a complete visual inspection of your car's fuse box and wiring.
If any of these issues are causing your car to blow hot air, drive to your local Tires Plus. We'll give your A/C a thorough and accurate inspection. We'll explain what's needed now, and what can wait, so the decision's yours. After all, at Tires Plus, you're in the driver's seat. Let's make sure it's a cool one.
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When you’ve paid a premium for air conditioning in your car you’re ready to be comfortable when you hop in. Of course, it takes a few seconds for the air to get cool, but what if you’ve waited a minute or so and you’ve still got your car air conditioner blowing hot air in your face? Before you zip down to the dealership and pay for a vehicle inspection to figure out why your car’s air conditioner is not blowing cold air, try checking a few common easy to fix problems listed below.
“Why is my AC blowing hot air?” Check These Common Causes:
- Blocked condenser
- Broken cooling fans
- Broken condenser
- Low refrigerant due to a leak
- Electrical faults
The condenser in your air condition system looks a lot like a radiator and is mounted at the front of your vehicle. It is used to cool the hot compressed refrigerant back to ambient temperature as it comes from your compressor and
uses the air your car is traveling through to do that. If this isn’t accomplished, the refrigerant will still be hot when it travels through the expansion valve. If this is the case the hot refrigerant will only be cooled back down to ambient temperature so your AC won’t work. Since the condenser is at the front of your vehicle, it has the opportunity to get clogged by all kinds of road debris from leaves to plastic bags or anything else you might drive into. A quick
visual inspection of the condenser through your grill can help you tell if it’s blocked.
Like having a blocked condenser, having broken cooling fans can cause a lack of cooling at your condenser and could cause your car AC blowing hot air. The fans could actually be broken, like a burnt out motor, bad mount a chipped fan blade, or they could simply have an electrical problem like a blown fuse or burnt out relay.
Since your condenser is at the front of your vehicle it is also subject to less kind road debris like rocks, sticks or other hard objects that may puncture it. If the puncture is large and easy to see, replacement is likely your best bet. If you cannot see the puncture, consider adding UV dye to your air conditioning system to identify the puncture point, or simply add Red Angel Air Conditioning Stop Leak to your air conditioning system to quickly and permanently seal the leak.
Similarly, you may have low refrigerant due to other causes like loose connections, old hoses or the simple escape of refrigerant over time. These small leaks can cause your air conditioning system to stop blowing cold air. Before you recharge your air conditioning system, add Red Angel A/C Stop Leak to ensure your system is properly sealed and will hold your new refrigerant.
Lastly, you could have an electrical problem with your system. Like broken condenser fans and electrical fault can cause a normally working system to stop working simply due to a bad connection or faulty sensor. Electrical problems can include a faulty signal from your ventilation system caused by a broken wire or bad module, bad sensors tripping off your system or even a sensor in your vehicle’s motor that is causing the system to shut off inadvertently. For more information on tracking down electrical issues like this, read our article on diagnosing electrical problems.
A simple visual inspection and a can of Red Angel A/C Stop Leak is all you need to solve many of the common easy to fix problems with your air conditioning system! Stop by one of our partnering auto parts stores today to pick up a can of Red Angel A/C Stop Leak & Conditioner today!
- AutoZone
- Advance Auto Parts
- Bennett Auto Supply
- CarQuest Auto Parts
- NAPA Auto Parts
- O’Reilly Auto Parts
- Pep Boys
- Fast Track
- Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts Specialists
- S&E Quick Lube Distributor
- DYK Automotive
- Fisher Auto Parts stores
- Auto Plus Auto Parts stores
- Hovis Auto & Truck Supply stores
- Salvo Auto Parts
- Advantage Auto Stores
- Genuine Auto Parts stores
- Bond Auto Parts stores
- Tidewater Fleet Supply
- Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts
- Any Part Auto Parts
- Consumer Auto Parts
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