9 WARNING SIGNS YOUR CAR NEEDS A/C SERVICE SOON

Since a lack of cold air is the most painfully obvious sign your A/C is on the fritz, we’ll address this one first.
The exact temperature of the air coming out of your A/C will vary depending on the ambient air temperature outside. As a general rule of thumb, if everything is working properly and it’s set to max cold, your air conditioner should crank out air that’s 30 to 35 degrees cooler than the air outside. That’s a pretty hefty difference, and you’re bound to notice if the air isn’t blowing cold enough on a hot day.
The most common culprit for air not blowing cold is that there isn’t enough refrigerant in the A/C system. Refrigerant (sometimes known by the brand name Freon) is the lifeblood of your A/C system, and it can’t work properly without it. If levels are low, you’ll need to recharge your car A/C, which just means adding more refrigerant into the system.
A/C recharging can be done at home, but unless you know exactly what you’re doing, you may end up adding too much refrigerant and damaging the system, so it’s recommended that you bring the vehicle in for service.

Maybe your air is cool enough in the front row, but your unfortunate backseat passengers are sitting back there sweating bullets because the rear vents aren’t blowing cold. The A/C system is designed to cool the entire passenger area, and if it’s not, it can overtax the A/C, which can eventually wear out the whole shebang and cause discomfort for all.
First, you should check to see if there is any air coming from the vents to the affected area. If no air is coming out at all, it could be an issue with the internal workings vent itself, or the vent may simply be clogged with debris. This will likely require taking the assembly apart to properly diagnose.
Uneven cooling can also be a sign of a problem with the thermostat that controls the A/C temperature throughout the cabin.

Now, let’s say everyone is getting the short end of the stick, and the entire cabin isn’t being cooled properly due to weak airflow.
The quickest and simplest thing to check is the cabin air filter, which is responsible for filtering out excess debris to make sure it doesn’t come through the vents. Over time, these filters will become clogged, and they’ll need to be swapped out for a new one. It’s generally recommended to have your cabin air filter replaced every 15,000 miles, or roughly once a year. These are almost always easy to check and replace in a matter of minutes.
If the cabin air filter is in good shape, reduced airflow may be happening because of low refrigerant, or in some cases, a faulty compressor.

Perhaps the air is blowing just fine all around the cabin, but it cuts out at odd intervals or switches on and off without you touching the controls.
The compressor is actually designed to cycle on and off at certain intervals when the target cabin temperature is reached, so there may be no action required at all. You may also notice it cycling in other circumstances, like when it’s excessively hot out, or when the vehicle is heavily accelerating.
However, if you notice that the compressor starts cycling quicker than usual, it may be an indication that an electronic module has failed. It can also be a sign that your compressor is going bad and needs to be replaced.

Do you hear a rattling, clicking, or other unexplained sound when you crank the cold air? It’s probably a sign that something is amiss, but the specific problem will vary depending on the sound.
If you hear a persistent clicking or knocking, it’s likely a sign of a loose part or a bracket rattling around somewhere in the belly of the mechanism. This is common in older vehicles, and you’ll want to have it repaired before other pieces potentially shake themselves loose.
A squealing noise is a common indicator that a belt is loose or worn. Many A/C systems run using a serpentine belt attached to the compressor, and when this belt wears out, it’ll need to be replaced for proper air conditioner function.
Rattling when the A/C is engaged may be a sign of something more serious, like a compressor failing.
If you hear any sort of abnormal noise with the A/C turned on, it’s important to immediately turn the air off and head to a service center for diagnosis.

Do you feel things start the shake, rattle, and roll when the air is blowing? Well, there are a couple of things it could be.
It may be something simple like improper idle air control, which refers to the automatic adjustment of air intake when the car is stopped and running. If your idle air control is out of whack, the car may shake when idling, and running the A/C can make this shaking more noticeable.
On the other hand, it could be something more serious. When it’s running, your A/C compressor motor puts a certain amount of strain on the car’s engine due to the power it draws. If the motor has anything wrong with it, it may develop a reduced capacity to handle the extra stress from the air con. It could be something relatively minor like bad spark plugs, or something more serious like worn engine mounts. Either way, you should schedule time at a shop ASAP.

Nobody likes weird smells, especially in a hot car in the dead of summer. If you notice the telltale musty smell of mildew, the most likely cause is an issue in the A/C system.
If the system isn’t working correctly, mold may accumulate over time. It can grow in the cabin air filter if it’s not changed regularly, but it can also grow inside the A/C evaporator. Water collects inside the evaporator as part of its regular function, and this water is usually funneled out through a specialized drain, but if the evaporator isn’t draining properly, the persistent moisture can cause mold to form. You don’t want to be breathing mold on a daily basis, so if you smell mildew, don’t wait to schedule A/C repair near you.
There are products available at auto shops that are formulated to get rid of mildewy smells, and these can fix the issue. But, if the problem persists after using these products, your evaporator drain may be plugged up solid. You can check this by running the A/C for a while on a warm, humid day, and checking under the bottom of your car. If everything is working as it should, you’ll notice a light drip of water beneath the vehicle, probably under the rear of the engine bay. If you don’t see any water dripping after running the air conditioning, it might be clogged.

This one sort of goes hand-in-hand with the mildew issue because it also means that condensation from the A/C is ending up where it shouldn’t.
The cause of this is usually a leaky drain in the A/C system, but you may not notice it right away, because the leak often only appears on the passenger side floorboard. So, if you don’t regularly have passengers or stash your knickknacks down there, you may go weeks before you catch it. If left unaddressed, this issue can cause a damp smell to pop up. Luckily, it’s a minor problem, and it rarely causes long-term damage.

Many people don’t pay all that close attention to their precise fuel economy, but newer cars with advanced vehicle diagnostics can keep track of these numbers to the decimal, making it much easier to gauge fluctuations in gas mileage.
If you get noticeably decreased gas mileage—especially if it’s in tandem with any of the other issues on this list—you guessed it, you may be due for A/C repair. Since the air conditioning taxes the engine slightly, it can cause the motor to work harder and burn more gasoline while moving.
It’s worth noting that a small dip in gas mileage when using the A/C is perfectly normal, especially in warmer locales where the A/C has to work harder. It doesn’t necessarily signify a problem unless fuel economy takes a significant hit while the cool air is pumping.

If your ride is experiencing any of the above symptoms and you think you may need car air conditioning service, contact our certified service center at Molle Chevrolet today. While you’re at it, be sure to ask about our service specials to see all the ways you can save on car A/C repair near you.