Auto A/C repair: How to fix common air conditioning problems

When your car’s air conditioning breaks, you’ll know. The airflow won’t be as strong. It won’t come out cold. Or, in some cases, air won’t come out at all.

Your air conditioner can lose about 5 percent of its original efficiency per year if you neglect regular maintenance. To keep cool throughout the hot summer months, you should schedule an auto A/C repair at least once every year.

At Telle Tire & Auto Centers, we’ve been performing auto A/C repairs for four generations. Our reputation is built on generations of long-term relationships and proven performance.

Over the years, we have perfected the repair process—we can determine the source of your air conditioning troubles and cool your car off in no time.

Is your car’s air conditioner not working?

Schedule an auto A/C repair service today.

Common car air conditioning problems and how to repair them

Here are some common St. Louis air conditioning problems we see, and how to solve them.

  1. Your car’s air conditioner is blowing out hot air
    There are many reasons why your A/C unit could be failing to blow out cool air—compressor failure, motor failure or a blown fuse. The most likely culprit, however, is a refrigerant leak.Since refrigerant is both harmful to your car and the environment, you need to fix this quickly. We’ll find and repair the source of your air conditioning leak, and recharge your A/C system with the proper type and amount of refrigerant.
  2. Your car’s air conditioner has weak air flow
    It’s possible that mold is growing in your evaporator, preventing sufficient air flow. Or, it could be that you have a broken seal or loose ductwork somewhere in your car’s air conditioning We’ll find the source of the air restriction and fix the problem at its source.
  3. Your car’s air conditioner isn’t blowing at all
    If your fan isn’t blowing at all, it’s likely that your ventilation fan—the fan that blows the cold air throughout your car—is broken. Sometimes, this can happen in conjunction with other problems such as mold growth in the evaporator or loose ductwork. We should be able to fix your fan at the same time as any other issues, and get your auto A/C blowing cold air again.

How does an auto A/C unit work?

Every car and every auto A/C unit is different and understanding how exactly your car’s AC system works is difficult. That’s why you need to choose an auto A/C repair shop that knows how to repair everything from refrigeration systems to modern computerized components.

In most cases, your car’s air conditioning is made up of five components: the compressor, condenser, receiver, expansion valve and evaporator. These components are the moving parts that make your A/C unit work. The refrigerant—usually a gas or liquid—is the cooling agent. The refrigerant moves through the unit and, eventually, cools down your car.

The refrigerant starts in the compressor as a gas. It compresses the gas refrigerant before transferring the gas to the condenser, where it is further condensed into pressurized gas.

From there, the refrigerant travels to the receiver, a metal receptacle which filters out any harmful debris or acids. Then it reaches the expansion valve, a tube that regulates the flow of the refrigerant through the system and converts the high-pressure refrigerant to a low-pressure liquid.

Then the refrigerant reaches the evaporator, where the refrigerant absorbs the heat in the air and reduces the humidity of your car. Afterward, the resulting vapor form of the refrigerant is recycled back into your car’s air conditioning unit.

The Telle Difference: Family values, expert knowledge

Telle Tire & Auto Centers have been servicing St. Louis cars for over 82 years. Over the years we’ve perfected the science of automotive repair and the art of serving customers. We require the most out of our employees while catering to our customer’s every need.

We offer the best warranties in the business. And, while you wait for us to complete your A/C repair, feel free to help yourself to coffee and snacks. If you need us to, we’ll drive you to and from work.

That’s the Telle Difference.

Trust your car with the automotive repair technicians that go the extra mile.