Air-conditioning in Halifax

Air-conditioning in Halifax

The authorities will know immediately you are broken down. Because of their computer networks.They will immediately get out to their breakdown vehicles. Moving you to safety before the vehicle travelling at 90 MPH in that instantaneous moment it passed that bridge/gantry .So that put the RED X signal on will be fully aware that you are broke down in front of them. Of course, without your hazard warning lamps on, because you are frustrated and panicking in that broken down vehicle

Car Air-Conditioning

Check Your CAR AIR CON – to Cool You In British heat Wave that is expected?

Car air con

Firstly, I know that we have all seen and heard these  false weather warning ! So, in the past and nothing ever comes of them. Especially from the “Daily Express” newspaper group. This warning from the “Daily Mirror” is of a heat wave that may last up to two weeks; nice if it happens.

I did think though that it was about time I did an article about your air conditioning system. In my opinion, it is always a good thing to remind our customers. That it is important to have your air con system checked out and serviced.

Car air con in winter

Many drivers make the mistake of turning their car air con off in winter. I appreciate that with it on the car uses slightly more fuel. But the truth is that when it is switched off. Then the parts of the car air con system are not being used and will eventually deteriorate. Up to the present time, most of the parts and hoses are often made of rubber and plastic. Because it is a sealed system. You are likely to get a loss of pressure.

Of course, due to leakage and this leads to the system failing. In due time, with the car air conditioning system not working and probably leading to a more expensive repair. Some of our customers think that the heating system will not work. Hence with the air con switched on. But this is not so, the car will be hot or cold with the air con in winter and summer.

How does your air con work?

Basically, all car air con systems work in a similar fashion. It operates by taking a gas known as R134a refrigerant and pressurize it in a sealed system using a compressor. As the system is pressurized it heats up by absorbing the air around it. The hot gas is then passed through a series of tubes, similar to a car radiator which dissipated the heat.

The gas loses its heat and gets really cold by turning into a liquid. Consequently, this is the stage when the cold air is blow into the cars cabin! Cooling you down.

Some of your cars air con component parts

At the very heart of your air con system is the compressor. The compressor is the part that takes the R134a refrigerant gas and pressurizes it  to cool the air. The compressor is operated by an engine belt. But has also had an electric clutch system that controls the demand for colder air. In other words, the compressor will turn on and off as you demand colder air in the cars cabin.

Importantly, the next part to explain about is the Condenser. The condenser is mounted at the front of the car next to the main car radiator. For this reason and is usually smaller in size. This is the part that converts the gas into a liquid as it becomes cooler. Just like the radiator cools the water down that comes red hot from the engine, a similar principal.

The next part is like a small radiator and is called the Evaporator. The evaporator does exactly opposite to the condenser and super-cools the liquid as it passes through the tubes. At this stage air is forced through and into the cars cab. Thus, super cooling the cars interior to the delight of the occupants on a hot sunny day. As the gas cools down again it is turned back into a liquid and the cycle starts over again.

Another important part of your car air con is called the thermal expansion valve.

The expansion valve controls the flow of the super-cooled refrigerant to the evaporator; Without delay, this equipment helps to regulate the cold air that ends up in your cabin. The next part of the car air con system to mention is the accumulator also known as the “drier”. The drier protects the compressor from damage that may be caused by any liquid that makes its way back and could damage the compressor. It does this by a chemical process that absorbs any moisture to the system, it also acts as a filter catching any small pieces of rubbish that may have made its way into the system.

That just about covers the general idea of how your car air con system works without trying to get too complicated. Cars have all got different variants and are fitted with sensors to pick up temperature and differences in pressure, but most Old Cars work off a similar system. Toyota Cars have a different system to say BMW cars.

We at Pellon Auto centre here in use a Duel gas air con machine to service the cars with and what it does is to recirculate the gas and add more if required and then re-pressurizes the system. Many cars loose pressure because they have not had their air con switched on in winter and the system has lost pressure, but most servicing machines can find a fault and we use a special spray to find any possible leaks in the cars system.  

Hope this air con advice  was of use to you

 Pellon Tyre and Auto centre offer car and van servicing and repairs to all makes of vehicles. We are members of Unipart Car Care centres and give a nationwide guarantee for all our work and parts. We also sell tyres online from our website www.pellontyres.co.uk

 

Important Notice

Because of air pollution then we now have to use a new type of gas on new car models. Importantly, we will notify our customers as to which type they have on there vehicles. So, new style gasses cost twice the amount as the old type gasses. We are sorry about this and charge as fairly as possible ?

   

   

Car Air-Conditioning

Air-Con Service-Service your cars AIR-CON the weathers getting hotter ?

Air-Con Service

Air-Con Service

Air-Con Service Summer may be here at last.

Our weather here in the UK is forecast to get get hotter this Summer. The weather companies including the BBC have said that a high pressure system is due to start building.

 Although motorists are feeling the pinch.With the economy and the price of fuel. It could be a nightmare stuck in your car with the kids screaming in the back.Just because they are too hot.

We all know the feeling. Especially on roads like the A14 and M11, busy holiday destinations. Where there are always traffic jams whatever time of day. You can be guaranteed of getting caught up in a huge snarl up.

If this happens and the temperature reaches 30 degrees. Thus, you will definitely need your cars Air-Con working. Also now is time to have your Air-Con serviced. 

It is no good leaving it until you are on your journey.

If you are driving on the Continent and your AC fails. It could cost you up to 10 times the price as it does here in the UK. In France.

A friend of mine , (who lives there). Always waits until he visits the UK to have his Air-Con Service. Also buys tyres and batteries, because of the price difference.Especially, between here and the other European countries.

Just out of interest.The first air con- system for a car was invented back in 1939 by Packard, in America and was the first to be fitted in the factory in 1940. The first refrigerant originally used was highly damaging to the atmosphere, and a safer gas was later used in the 1960s.

Air-Con Service

Here at Pellonautocentre in Halifax GB. We have many customers that have an annual Air-Con service. This ensures that their car performs properly all the year round.It ensures that  their  system works without a hitch.

This will clean out all the dirt and germs that have built up in the course of time. It will also recharge the gas as necessary. The other option would be to leave yours on until there is a drop in the  temperature and performance.

This way will leave a risk of leaving yours on  until there is a problem, the problem may arise with the result in a bigger repair and service bill.

Either way, in between summers, you do still need to think about your air conditioning system, we recommend that you leave yours on all through the autumn and winter, this stops the gas pressure from falling.

Most of the public do not know

that you should leave the Air-Con on all year round, but I do understand that the cars now coming out with smaller and greener engines will use more fuel with the Air-Con Service in cooler weather.

Any bad smells coming from your air- con system should be checked at your nearest Autocentre for a Car Service, if you do not know of one in your area look online for your nearest Unipart Car Care Centre, where you will get free advice on what to do with your car  Air-Con System.


In the Halifax area of West Yorkshire, you can have your Air-Con Service done by experts, and should be looking to pay around £45 for a complete Air-Con service.

Pellon Tyre and Auto-centre offer car and van servicing and repairs to all makes of vehicles. Selling  tyres online from our website www.pellontyres.co.uk . Using the tyre selector and choosing your tyre size. Consequently, we offer courtesy cars to local motorists. So, who need to go to work and leave their car with us for work doing. We are also an official MOT testing station.

Car Air-Conditioning

Air Con Problems for the owner of this VW Golf ?

Air Con

4-year-old VW Golf has Air Con Problems

As I have said many times this is the time of year that we can be busy rectifying air con problems on our customer’s cars. This year we are enjoying a nice warm sunny summer. So, because many of the new model cars have been fitted with air con as standard. Of course, then the need for the air con to work and cool the car interior has never been more important. Many of our customers also travel to continental Europe for their holidays. So a good cold air con system is imperative for a good and comfortable journey.

There are many reasons why your cars air con can fail you. By and large, the commonest being that the customer switches it off in the winter time. Importantly, when summer comes expects their  air con to work normally. But in over half the cases their system will need a re-gas. After the re-gas is when other problems occur. The main problem is that if the air con system is not used then the system does not get lubricated. Consequently this will dry out causing common problems such as failed “O” rings and rubber hoses, due to the drying out process.

Sometimes we may get a customer in who says that the car is blowing cool air into the cab, but not cold air. This is usually when the air con is set at high with the fans on high but the car is still only blowing in the cool air, we have all been there, you just can’t get the car cold enough?

What we do in this case is first to check that the cooling fans are running

On the Refrigeration Condenser (the thing that looks like a radiator usually at the front of the car’s engine) when the air con system is switched on. Naturally, checking out the condenser for any debris such as dead leaves, dust or insects that may be clogging the condenser up, you would be surprised what we find clogging the Air Conditioning Condenser Unit up?

We also check out the Pollen Filter or cabin filter as it is sometimes known as, if it clogged up then we will replace it. We then check the pressures of the air con system to see if they confirm what they should be set at in the user’s manual. The condenser is a very important part of the air con system.

It works the opposite way to the radiator (evaporator), it sits at the front of the car and air is blown over the condenser, but the air soaks up the heat and then cools the refrigerant inside the air con system. All this is done under high pressure, the air carries the heat out of your car and the refrigerant converts it back to a liquid. The liquid is then sent back to the evaporator (a low-pressure area) and the taking place of the system moving from a high-pressure area to low-pressure area forces the refrigerants temperature to perform a rapid drop and the cycle starts all over again, super cooling the cab of your vehicle (simple?).

VW Golf had an air con cooling problem

On a day last week, we had a car presented to us with this exact problem, we carry out all repairs and other work on car  air con systems here at Pellon Autocentre in Halifax UK. Subsequently, the air was coming out in the cab cool but not super cool. The car was a 2010 VW Golf (only 4 years old). The

the customer left the car with us and we proceeded to connect up our air con machine and re-gas the cars cooling system. The problem was spotted straight away because the car started to leak out the liquid from the condenser at the front of the car. After an examination of the condenser, we found out that car had recently had a minor bump at the front end, and consequently damaged the air con condenser. In earlier times this is what happened to car radiators nowadays this is where the air con condenser sits and so takes the brunt of any damage from stones or small accidents.

However this was one of our easier jobs to do and we replaced the condenser with a new one, re-gassed the system and the customer and his VW Golf went on their way, with a nice cold cabin their car.

Car Air-Conditioning

Car Air conditioning (air con)-A busy time of year

Car Air conditioning

Car Air conditioning bring many problems for their drivers

Here in Halifax in the UK, we are experiencing a particularly warm and pleasant summer. We are at the moment in the middle of the main holiday season and trade can be a little hit and

miss. Many of our customers have had their cars serviced in preparation for their summer holidays, so the servicing side of the business can be a little slower this time of year.

However, one of the things that have kept us going in this hot summer is the number of cars with Car Air conditioning systems that break or have never worked for years. The hot weather makes them dig deep into their pockets and have the air con Operating Systems serviced or repaired. The cars that come to my garage with problems are usually older cars and some come to us complaining that they are having strong smells coming from inside the car.

This is due to the Car Air conditioning system not been used often

with a build-up of nasty’s in the evaporator located just behind the dashboard, this consists of molds, fungi and bacteria, that can cause some drivers to feel ill. This problem can be remedied by using an anti-bacterial spray which should get your car back to smelling fresh again.

Unfortunately, the Car Air conditioning system in cars are not covered by warranty and the system will need servicing from time to time when the gas starts to deplete and the air con system stops working properly, leaving the driver hot and sweaty.

For some reason motorists in the UK, where we have four seasons a year switch off their air con systems in the winter time. I do not think they know that you can run the air con and the car heater at the same time and also the smaller cars with the lower engine capacities will use much more fuel and so they switch the air con off.

Car Air conditioning system can dry out if not used

This result is that the system will dry out and start to damage some of the internal parts. Including small “O”, rings that act as seals within the air con system. These are normally lubricated by the “PAG OIL” that circulates within the system when the air con is in use. The consequences of this are the refrigerant gas that is confined to the system . So,will leak out through the broken “O” ring. Causing it not to work.

To find where the leak is we have to re-gas the system . So,and try to find the leak with a special chemical .That we use to show us where the leak is and then repairing the fault.

In fact, this was the case just the other day. A customer called into to see us with a problem with his Car Air conditioning. In fact, it was not working at all. The car was an older Volvo V40 and the customer always switched the air con off in winter. The car was five-year-old and so we started the process of re-gassing the system. So, in order that we could find out what the problem was.

Indeed, we used our special leak detecting tool.

Finding out the place where the gas had leaked more or less straight away. The problem was due to his air con system drying out. Breaking one of the “O” ring seals. This is a common thing with most cars. If the engines do not run then the hoses and other rubber parts will dry out and perish, because of no lubrication exactly the same as the air con system, the “PAG OIL” circulates in the system and oil all the parts when the system is running. The particular “O” ring was located in the high-pressure pipe part of the condenser which had to be removed and a new one fitted. Here at Pellon Autocentre can repair most models of cars air con and heater systems in the Halifax area of West Yorkshire.

Many other things can go wrong with air con but I will cover those when and if they happen in other blogs.

The new “O” ring was fitted and the driver drove away much happier with his nice cool Volvo.

Pellon Tyre and Auto-centre offer car and van servicing and repairs to all makes and models of vehicles. Significantly, we also sell tyres online from our website www.pellontyres.co.uk  . Finally, by using the tyre selector and choosing your tyre size.

Car Air-Conditioning

Air-Conditioning Time-Service your cars AIR-CON the weathers starting to warm up ?

Air-Conditioning Time

Keeping You Comfortable While Driving:

The Value of Using and Maintaining the Air Conditioning in Your Vehicle

Your level of comfort and the condition of your vehicle are directly correlated to how well you operate and maintain the air conditioning (AC) system in your vehicle. Let’s investigate the benefits that come from this aspect of car maintenance, which is frequently ignored.

An air conditioning system that has been properly maintained will keep the interior of the vehicle cool and comfortable, which is especially important during the sweltering months of summer (Air-Conditioning Time). Comfortable drivers are attentive drivers!
Better Air Quality: Performing maintenance on your air conditioner can help improve the air quality inside of your vehicle. Filters should be cleaned or replaced on a regular basis as part of preventative maintenance to cut down on dust and allergens.

Defogging the Windows Your vehicle’s air conditioner is an essential component in the process of defogging the windows as quickly as possible. This maintains clear visibility, which contributes to conditions that are safer for driving.
Having your air conditioner serviced on a regular basis can help you avoid having to pay for expensive repairs down the road. If you catch any problems early on, you can avoid having to pay for more expensive repairs later.
Protect the Value of Your Vehicle Having an air conditioning system that is fully operational helps to protect the value of your vehicle. If you are thinking about selling your home, having a functioning air conditioner can be a major selling point.
Comfort for Passengers: Everyone in the vehicle will be able to travel in comfort if the air conditioner is in good working order, elevating the overall experience of taking long car rides or short trips to the grocery store.

Improve Your Car’s Fuel Efficiency Your car’s air conditioning system can use more fuel if it is not properly maintained. Regular maintenance keeps it operating at its peak performance, which contributes to improved fuel efficiency.
In conclusion, there are a variety of advantages that come from maintaining and making routine use of the air conditioning system in your vehicle. It improves the comfort of driving, helps maintain the quality of the air around you, and even helps preserve the value of your vehicle.
Keep in mind that a cooler car is not just a comfort; rather, it is an investment in improved driving, improved health, and improved vehicle longevity. Keep your cool and drive safely!

Air-Conditioning Time; Air-Con was invented in 1939 in the USA

The weather here in the UK has now started to get warmer, and it is generally the Air-Conditioning Time of the year that motorists turn their air conditioning on and find that it isn’t

working as good as they would like. Sometimes the won’t be getting cold, and sometimes there will be a musty sort of smell coming from the inside of the car. It is just not the same driving on a hot day with the windows wound down. You will probably find that your air-con needs to be re-gassed, or a more thorough service and inspection may be required.

was invented back in 1939 by Packard, in America and was the first to be fitted in the factory in 1940. The first refrigerant used in air-con was thought to be  highly damaging to the atmosphere, and a safer gas was later used in the 1960s.

Most of our customers know that it is  Air-Conditioning Time choose again and choose to have their air conditioning serviced yearly.

This will clean out all the dirt and germs that have built up in the course of time, it will also recharge the gas as necessary. The other option would be to leave your air-con until there is a drop in the air con temperature and performance.

There is a risk of leaving your air-con until there is a problem, the problem may arise with the result in a bigger repair and a bigger bill. Either way, in between summers, you do still need to think about your air conditioning system, we recommend that you leave the air-con on all through the autumn and winter, this stops the gas pressure from falling.

Many motorists are under the impression that Air-Conditioning Time is just for hot weather.

In fact, you will need to use it all year round, otherwise, it will be highly unlikely to be working properly on the hot days we do have, (as we are experiencing at the moment) In the colder months of winter, you can use your air- con system to warm the car, and it will also remove moisture from the air so that windows do not get misted up, this something that drivers do not know.

If your car is fitted with climate control it is often tempting on really hot days to turn the cold button as far down as it will go, but unless you are on a long journey, the chances are the system won’t be able to achieve the low temperature that you are looking for. Then when you exit the car, you feel like you’re stepping into a hot, steaming forest. Not very comfortable at all.

You are much better off aiming for an in-car temperature of just a couple of degrees lower than the outside temperature.

You will feel more comfortable in the car, and it won’t be such a shock when you get out of the car, (we have all been there, when we hire a car in say Spain and the inside of the car are nice and cool, then when we get out it’s like stepping into an oven), if you don’t have the inside temperature so cold then your body won’t get such a shock when you hit the heat.

Any bad smells coming from your air-con system should be checked

out by a good auto-centre as soon as possible, particularly if you or any of your family has any breathing problems such as asthma. It indicates that there are bacteria in the car’s air-con system (often caused by leaves going mouldy and blocking up the exterior vents in Autumn, so do remove any that you see there!)

you can also smell the bad smell coming in from other cars, this is very common and nothing to worry about.

In the Halifax area of West Yorkshire, you can have your air-con serviced by experts.

Pellon Tyre and Auto-centre offer car and van servicing and Car Air Conditioning Service and repairs to all makes of vehicles. how long should an ac run to drop 1 degree, how long can ac run continuously, ac cycling every 8 minutes, how many hours should split ac run per day, how long should ac be off between cycles.

Air-Con Service

1234Yf Car Air conditioning gas is here at Pellon Autocentre.

1234Yf Car Air conditioning gas

1234Yf Car Air conditioning gas

So, although we are now out of the European Union then there are certain things that we are still aligned to! Of course one of the continued alignments is for vehicles. This includes a new directive that came into force this January. Consequently referring to a new type of air conditioning gas. So the new gas is known as 1234YF. This new gas will eventually replace the other older gases thus used in car air conditioning units. So, the old gas was redeemed as “not environmentally friendly” and had to be replaced.

Subsequently, the reason is that the old style gas that we used was damaging the environment when it leaked out from the vehicles. Known as “R134” refrigerant the old gas was considered as a damager to “global warming” and had to be replaced.

In fact the R134 gas was considered to have a much worse effect on the environment than the dreaded “carbon dioxide”.

New gas has a higher cost

Of course like all new product developments then this new gas comes at a higher price to motorists. So, this new gas is a result of years of development and industry research. Initially, the gas has been developed by two manufacturers and so the end costs to the consumer are considerably higher. So the new gas the 1234YF is more expensive than its old counterpart the R134 gas.

Importantly though this cost should level out as other manufacturers kame the price more competitive and more vehicles are using the new gas.

Can my garage supply the new gas!

Of course, the answer is yes your local garage or autocentre will have access to the new  gas. So, here at Pellon Autocentre we have invested in a new air conditioning gassing machine specifically for re-gassing cars with the new 1234YF gas installed. So, if you know that your car is charged with the new gas it may be prudent to check with your garage and make sure they are equipped to do the work! Apparently, not all garages have made the investment required.

This could also include the main dealership garages, so its well worth a check before you have a wasted journey. Finally our image shows a new BMW with air conditioning issues using the new 1234YF air conditioning gas.

Car Air-Conditioning

Air conditioning system flushing- Vital procedure says Nissans

Air conditioning system flushing

Air conditioning system flushing

Customers are well advised to book your cars in early when it comes to having their cars air conditioning looking at. Especially after lockdown when cars have been stood for a while. Importantly, things like your air conditioning are affected. Of course all cars that have been stood for a while should have a full service and check over.

Silly things can often occur! Because cars are built to be used then many things can go wrong with your cars infrastructure. Silly things like gaskets can shrink! Especially rubber gaskets. Also rubber steering joints that hold the grease to lubricate the steering can dry out causing steering wear to advance in time.

Air Conditioning fits this bracket

Of course, cars have many rubber pipes fitted to their infrastructure. Including, your air conditioning system. So, if the weather picks up. We eventually have a hot spell then motorists will panic to have the air conditioning checked out and work again.

This particular attached article is giving good advice to garages and Auto-Centres who offer the air conditioning repair and refrigerate service. So, to bring our customers up to date then things are returning to normal after the catch up time with the covid19 MOT restrictions.

Spaces are now available for servicing and general repairs. Including air conditioning work.

One of the major problems that any air conditioning (AC) system can suffer from is contamination of the refrigerant and lubricant mixture, which is necessary for the system’s correct operation. Moisture, particle formation due to uncontrolled

Source: Air conditioning system flushing ‘a vital procedure’, says Nissens

mot testing and car servicing

Vauxhall Vectra Air Conditioning Problems?

It is now the beginning of September and the car air conditioning season is almost over. We still get problems, though. A Vauxhall Vectra came into our garage in Halifax, with the air conditioning not working.

In recent times(during a hot spell) we have had a few Vauxhall Vectra cars in with the air conditioning not working.

One guy, the owner of a Vauxhall Vectra GSL found that when he pressed the air con button in the car the revs dropped on the engine, but there was no cold air coming through into the car?

We discovered that he had a plug connection to the compressor that was not connecting properly. The compressor was failing to engage, because of the faulty connectors wiring. We repaired the faulty wiring and the compressor started to engage. The system worked fine and the customer went away happy.

Another Vauxhall Vectra came into us with her air conditioning failing to work. We tried to re-gas the system but the air con system was not holding the gas. On inspection with our leak detector, we noticed that there was a hairline crack on one of the pipes that were coming from the compressor. This pipe was causing her all the trouble. We ordered a new pipe, fitted it and re-gassed the air conditioning system. Once again the lady went away happy with her air con working to perfection.

The Vauxhall Vectra is also prone to having a damaged condenser.

This is located at the very front of the car and looks just like a radiator. To get to the compressor, you have to remove the whole body panel. When the customer brought in the car, he told us that his aircon was out of order. The first thing we did was to check for leaks with our special fluid. The leak test bought up a leaking condenser.

It looked like the condenser had been hit by a stone and was damaged. This is a common Vauxhall Vectra fault because the condenser is exposed at the front. We fitted a new condenser and re-tested the system before re-gassing it. After the re-gassing the air conditioning

the system worked fine and the guy went away a happy bunny (the day was a scorcher)

Pellon tyre online tyres and car repairing servicing

Auto Air Conditioning-101 Made Easy-An Insight into your cars Air Con System

Auto Air Conditioning

Auto Air Conditioning

Of course, the air conditioners found in the car works similarly to the air conditioners used at present in the offices and houses. In simple words, the air conditioning system of a car is the smaller unit of window air conditioning systems found in many homes.

Although they come out with the same end result. So, the mechanism of a car air conditioning system is quite different from the conventional domestic air conditioning units. The car system in my opinion is a little more complicated.  The car system takes the warm air from out of the vehicles cab and recycles the air. Hence, through the cars air-con system. Returning the air to the cab as cold air.

Auto Air Conditioning-Not for DIY motorists

The system is really a heat exchange unit fitted under the cars bonnet. Therefore the air-con system can be very complicated to repair by the DIY motorist. So if you got certain problems in the car air conditioning system then you need to visit your local car service centre. Such as Pellon Tyre and Auto Centre in Halifax UK.

In order to understand, how the car air conditioning system operates. Then, it is required for you to know some of the various parts of the air-con unit. Although systems slightly differ? so In this system, there are two types of valves. There are expansion and dryer valves, which are required for the correct functioning of the air-con system. The function of expansion valves is to regulate the internal temperature of air, and it controls the refrigerant flow inside the system.

This also reminds me that air-con systems are serviced by specialized equipment. Subsequently, our operators have to attend a course and be certified for using this specialist machines that we use.

Auto Air Conditioning-Leaking gas is the main problem

In general though, if your air-con system is giving you certain problems. So, call a local garage. Off course most of the problems that we encounter areas not a simple job to rectify. I recommend that drivers should have an annual air-con service. Possibly, at the same time as as your cars full service. Leakages take out all the gas present inside the air conditioner unit. This is probably the commonest problem that we encounter. Of course with the passage of time, the system becomes useless.

This attached video gives an excellent description of how the Auto Air Conditioning system works in most models of car.

This video represent a “Typical Auto Air Conditioning System – How It Works” as well shows the potential problem of over-charging systems with TXV Valves. Our solution at AC AVALANCHE is to use SMART CLIP Technology for the correct fill!

Car Air-Conditioning

Car Air-Conditioning (air-con)-Who would have thought that we Needed It?

Car Air-Conditioning (air-con)

Air-con was one of the last things that you would have needed here in the United Kingdom’s cool climate, but now that we have it in almost every vehicle, I do not know how we did without it? This time of year is when our customers are starting to get their cars ready for the summer and this includes have their Car Air-Conditioning system serviced.

I must admit though that I remember the pre-Car

Air-Conditioning days of motoring on a hot summer’s day. In those days, the only way to cool down was to open the car’s windows and stick your head out of the window.

Not only that I also remember when the cars windows would steam up in spring and winter, due to condensation, this has now stopped because of car air-conditioning fitted to most cars. We used to arrive at our destination dripping with sweat, with our legs sticking to our trousers and other bits.

Car Air-Conditioning
Car Air-Conditioning

America was way ahead of us here in the UK as far as Car Air-Conditioning is concerned

Although they had far more hot days and they really did need it especially in the Southern states. Air-con in the car was actually invented and used in America as far back as 1939 and Packard were the first car makers to install Car Air-Conditioning as far back as 1940, and although it was a crude system compared to today’s cars Used Cars, it was

better than nothing at all. In fact, it was Chrysler that was the first to introduce a properly integrated air-con system into their cars in 1953 as an optional extra. By 1970 almost half the cars in America were installed with Car Air-Conditioning and us in Europe were still miles behind.  

Car Air-Conditioning (air-con)

At the same time in 1970 the USA adopted a new “Clean air act”, but the regulations for motor vehicles did not come into force until 1990. This meant that the refrigerants inside the Car Air-Conditioning had to be re-cycled and a different refrigerant had to be used.

The gas that we all use at the moment is the R134A, but we think that a newer gas will be used in the near future. European car manufacturers quickly followed suit and air-con was installed in all of the big production cars such as BMW and Mercedes and was quickly followed by the family car market, down to the small cars made by Citroen and the Toyota Yaris.  

Car Air-Conditioning UK hot weather expected.

The main parts of the car air-con system consist of the Air Conditioning Condenser Unit, compressor and evaporator and a few other parts that, these all work together to remove and cool the humidity that is in the air and circulate it into and through the car, the warm humid air is replaced with cool air at the temperature that you set it at. That is until things such as the Car Air-Conditioning Condenser start to go wrong.

It is a well-known fact that cars fitted with air-con use more fuel and so some drivers switch of the air-con when the weather is cold. It is in actual fact false economy to switch off your air-con in winter. This is an extract from the Autokool website…

“It is false economy to turn the system off in the winter.

This can lead to deterioration of the seals and gaskets in your system and, even more, rapid refrigerant loss. On the coldest of days turn the system on to ensure that the windows are demisted and the interior of the car is comfortable.

Contrary to popular belief this does not greatly reduce your mpg or performance. With modern engines and increased fuel efficiency the cost of using your vehicle air conditioning system has been considerably reduced with modern advancements in engineering”.

Most modern garages are equipped to service your Car Air-Conditioning system on your car

And the members of staff at the garage should all be certified to use the equipment and handle the refrigerant that is used, so check out the air-con before the summer arrives and keep yourself cool and dry. car air conditioning, car air conditioning servicing, car air conditioning cleaning, car air conditioning parts.