There are places where you can put off fixing your car’s air conditioning. Georgia in July isn’t one of them.

When somebody comes in and says, “The A/C just needs Freon,” we understand why. Low refrigerant can absolutely cause poor cooling.

But there’s another question we need to answer: why is it low?

Refrigerant Isn’t Engine Oil

An automotive A/C system is designed as a closed system.

If refrigerant has been lost, simply adding more may get the vents cold again, but it doesn’t necessarily address why the system stopped cooling in the first place.

There may be a leak. There may be another problem. And there are different refrigerants and service requirements depending on the vehicle.

We want to know what we’re dealing with before throwing something into the system.

Warm Air Can Have More Than One Cause

Poor A/C performance can involve several parts of the system.

Possibilities include refrigerant level, leaks, compressor operation, electrical controls, airflow problems, cooling fans and other components.

That’s why “not cold” isn’t a diagnosis. It’s the complaint.

What About A/C Recharge Cans From the Parts Store?

We understand the appeal.

The car is hot, the can isn’t expensive and the instructions make it look easy.

The problem is that the amount of refrigerant in the system matters, and adding refrigerant doesn’t repair a leak or diagnose a failed component.

Some consumer products may also contain additives or sealers that aren’t necessarily something we’d want introduced into every A/C system.

If the system isn’t cooling properly, we’d rather find out what’s wrong.

“It Gets Cold While Driving but Warm at Stoplights”

Tell us. That’s exactly the kind of detail that can help.

So is: “It cools for ten minutes and then gets warm.” “The passenger side is colder.” “The fan doesn’t blow very hard.” “It makes a noise when I turn the A/C on.” “The A/C stopped suddenly.”

Those aren’t random details. Different symptoms can point the diagnostic process in different directions.

Georgia Heat Makes a Marginal System Obvious

An A/C system that seems acceptable on a mild morning can struggle badly when the car has been sitting in the sun and outside temperatures climb.

That doesn’t necessarily mean something failed overnight.

Sometimes a system has gradually lost performance and the first truly hot weather finally makes the problem impossible to ignore.

Don’t Forget Airflow

Sometimes the air itself is cold but very little of it is coming through the vents.

That’s a different complaint from air that blows strongly but never gets cold.

When you call, describe which one you’re experiencing. It gives us a much better starting point than simply saying, “My A/C is broken.”

At Automotive Services, we service automotive A/C systems and diagnose cooling complaints for customers around Marietta, East Cobb and Woodstock.

If yours has decided that blowing 90-degree air counts as air conditioning, give us a call. We’ll figure out why. (770) 928-6126

Related reading: Services • Contact Us • Blog 8: Georgia Heat Maintenance