Full of Hot Air (Air Conditioning)
December 29, 2024
In warm weather, you want to be in a cool vehicle. When we're talking cool, we don't mean stylish or trendy, but cool as in not sweltering inside. And if your vehicle's air conditioner stops working correctly, it seems to always break at the worst time—during a heat wave.
Automotive air conditioning problems fail for a number of reasons:
- Blower motor not working. No air comes through the vents, even though the rest of the system could be working fine.
- Refrigerant leak. When the gas that cools the air off escapes from the air conditioning system, your air conditioner can no longer cool off the outside air
- Condenser and compressor. These are parts of your AC system that compress and expand a refrigerant gas to cool off the outside air. They are fairly complex.
When you bring your vehicle into our service center, we'll run a series of diagnostic tests to figure out what isn't working correctly. The air conditioning system has a lot of parts. There are electrical and mechanical components plus a series of hoses and tubes that all can wear out over time. Any one of these can fail.
A lot of drivers think they have a "Freon leak" and believe that if they get their AC system recharged with the refrigerant, everything will be fine. But AC systems are so complex, it usually takes a trained technician to accurately figure out where the problems are.
Sometimes the solution is simple. If your blower motor wears out or there's a fuse that has blown, the technician can replace the bad parts and you'll quickly be back to enjoying your rolling refrigerator. But when compressors or condensers go bad, those are much more involved and expensive to fix.
For instance, electrical problems can sometimes lead to acid to build up and corrode other parts of your AC system. Sometimes that causes so much damage, your whole air conditioning system has to be replaced. That's why it's always a good idea to have your AC regularly maintained. Our technicians can find a problem early and prevent more expensive repairs down the road. That's really the cool way to go.
Charlie's Fast Lube Anna
1215 East Vienna St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
618-833-4999
http://www.charliesfastlubeanna.com
Need Service?
More articles from Charlie's Fast Lube Anna

Road Trip? Check! (Trip Inspection)
October 12, 2025
After months of postponing travel far away from home, a lot of us can't wait to hit the road and scream "Road Trip!" again. But how long has it been since the vehicle you're planning on taking has had a thorough inspection? And is it roadworthy for several days on the highway? Time to schedule a... More

Muffler: Victim of Winter (Muffler Repair)
October 5, 2025
So you almost got through the winter until, one day, your muffler started sounding like a dragster, loud and obnoxious. It's not surprising. All that road salt and brine can cause rust to punch holes in a muffler, and that should raise a big, red warning flag about the safety of your vehicle. O... More

Beware of Potholes! (Avoiding Pothole Damage)
September 28, 2025
You may live in a region where roads become pockmarked with craters known better as potholes. They're caused by moisture seeping through a compromised road surface that can freeze, expand and literally punch holes in the road. And when your vehicle hits one of those holes that's big enough, the... More