Summary
– Step 1: Keep your air conditioning working in summer and winter!
– Step 2: Maintain your air conditioning
– Step 3: Call a professional for maintenance
– Step 4: Change the cabin filter
The democratization of air conditioning in cars is a pure joy to fight against high temperatures. However, for the air conditioning system to maintain its efficiency, regular maintenance and inspection are necessary. If some operations require the intervention of a certified specialist, others are easily achievable without any mechanical knowledge. Here are our tips for maintaining your car’s air conditioning system and spending a cool summer.
1. Running the air conditioning in summer and winter!
If the car air conditioning is essential in the middle of summer, it is quickly forgotten as soon as the temperatures are milder. The risks of breakage are then higher. Indeed, leaving your air conditioning at rest for several months to use it suddenly and intensively does not spare the system’s components. For this reason, consider running your air conditioning once or twice a month for 15 minutes throughout the year.
2. Taking care of your air conditioning
When you use your air conditioning, it is essential to take care of its operating system. Here are some good habits to follow:
– Turn off the air conditioning for a few minutes before turning off the engine so the system can shut down smoothly.
– Don’t turn it on full blast as soon as you turn it on, but rather cool the cabin gradually.
– When the car is parked in the sun, let the hot air out of the windows when you start driving, then turn on the air conditioner.
3. Calling a professional for maintenance
An air conditioning system should be recharged approximately every two years, and this should be done by a licensed professional. The cost is between $60 and $100.
It is an opportunity to ask for disinfection of the circuit and the cabin filter change, making the bill rise to around $150. But you can easily change the filter yourself.
4. Changing the cabin filter
The cabin filter helps to reduce dust and allergens from the outside that are carried by the ventilation system.
There are three types of cabin filters to choose from:
– the pollen filter: it retains pollen and other allergens;
– Activated carbon filter: more efficient than the pollen filter, it also retains outside air pollution. It is particularly recommended in cities;
– the polyphenol filter: guarantees healthy air throughout the cabin.
Note: the pollen filter can be replaced by an activated carbon filter for greater efficiency.
The cabin filter should be changed when:
– the ventilation airflow loses power (e.g. you cannot defog the windshield);
– an unpleasant smell comes from the ventilation system.
To replace your cabin filter, refer to your vehicle’s manual to locate it. It is usually straightforward to access and should be visually checked regularly.
– After locating the cabin filter compartment, remove the old filter.
– Spray the new filter and lines with a can of antibacterial spray.
– Put the new filter in place.
– And, don’t forget to close the filter compartment.
Hope this post helps you out. Remember to share your experience in the comment section below.
You can read more here:
4 Easy Steps to Change Your Car AC Air Filter;
4 Easy Steps to Change a Motorcycle Air Filter;
A Guide to Understanding Automotive Mechanics;
My Car Is Overheating! What Could Be Wrong?