snowflake button on the dashboard and miraculously expects everything to work! We all know what it does for our comfort in the car on warm/hot days but we certainly don't know how it works behind the dashboard, appreciate if it is even working properly or understand the all year round benefits of Air-conditioning! Car air-conditioning over the past five years has become more
& more popular in our vehicles. In fact 80% of new car registrations now come with Air-conditioning as standard. For car manufacturers air-conditioning is now deemed a must to sell vehicles in a competitive market and it is generally considered a mandatory accessory for the customer (especially if you have ever had the benefits of air-conditioning in a vehicle before!)Unfortunately, car Air-conditioning is one of the least understood aspects of our vehicles and from maintenance perspective is certainly neglected.
Although car manufacturers now need to fit it to our vehicles they don't advertise that air-conditioning does in fact need maintenance. Additionally, manufacturers do not include it in their maintenance service schedules (or in fact even undertake air-conditioning servicing unless specifically asked) due to the fact they need to demonstrate as low "servicing/running costs" as possible for non "risk to life" equipment. In addition, it is also not deemed profitable business due to the expensive equipment required and the additional skills/coverage needed to be acquired by their technicians.Air-conditioning will generally appear to work faultlessly but over a reasonably short period of time, but unknowingly to ourselves performance severely deteriorates.
We don't generally notice it until it is too late or when it doesn't work at all on that hot day. Without regular maintenance our Air-conditioning could then need major repairs potentially costing anything up to over £1000 for major component(s) replacement!Other aspects of air-conditioning relatively unknown are:
*It is recommended to have an annual performance test/check-up.* To keep your air-conditioning in top performance it requires full servicing every two years (Recommended: including dehydrator replacement and a Cabin Air Pollen/Micro-filter replacement (if applicable to your vehicle)).* Run your air-conditioning all year round to lubricate seals and prevent leakage. * Don't ignore a problem if your air-conditioning isn't working too well and fix problems as soon as possible to prevent major and expensive repairs.* Up to 15% of a vehicle's refrigerant gas is lost every year. This in turn means the air-conditioning components need to work harder (also affecting your fuel consumption) to maintain the cooling performance required inside the vehicle and potentially starving the compressor of vital lubrication.* Over time the air-conditioning dehydrator expires and the system starts to hold moisture. This mixing with the refrigerant creates harmful corrosive acids which react within the system. * Air-conditioning is a highly pressurised system that can develop leaks at any time, which will stop your system from working!* Overtime bacteria build up on the cooling evaporator from condensing air which generates nasty odours inside the vehicle (smells like wet concrete!) This can also create "sick car syndrome" to your passengers.* Air-conditioning cannot be serviced by the DIY mechanic due to the need for specialised equipment, handling of dangerous refrigerant gases and the potential of illegally releasing harmful refrigerant into the atmosphere!Since I believed that my vehicle air-conditioning has not been serviced before I decided to use Auto Aircon
(Essex) Ltd to fully service my MR2 Turbo. Auto Aircon (Essex) Ltd are mobile specialists in air-conditioning/climate control systems who can undertake all air-conditioning requirements including: Major fault diagnosis and repairs Performance testing Refrigerant re-gas Full system servicing Leak detection and repairs Anti-bacteria treatment and odour removal!The basis of their full service is a complete 35-point check of the air-conditioning system.
A full service includes the following procedures:i) Initial system test to identify current performance and overall operation
ii) Complete recovery of refrigerant gas and identification of lost gases.
iii) Complete check of system and related components including belts, pipe work and hoses and all major Air-conditioning components for operation
iv) Check of heater/air-con controls
v) Check of compressor oil levels and replacement of dehydrator
/pollen filter (if required)vi) System evacuation
(30 minute Vacuum of system to remove all air and importantly moisture)vii) Re-Charging recommended quantities of refrigerant gas and oil
viii) Final performance check and another check for potential leakage within the complete system.
In addition to the above service Anti-bacterial and odour removal service can be completed as well as all major fault diagnosis and repairs.
It is clearly evident that a well-maintained air-conditioning system will bring you all year round benefits, which will aid your driving skills and making you more attentive by:
a) Keeping you cool in warm weather with fresh, filtered air, removing pollen and other air-borne particles
(particularly useful for allergy sufferers), and, b) When the sun's not shining, de-misting your vehicle's environment and helping keep the air dry, warm and comfortable.
I consider that the work completed has been extremely professional
& beneficial. I would thoroughly recommend Auto Aircon (Essex) Ltd.Thanks
Ian
