In summers you can not go without an air conditioner running in your car. Whenever there are problems with your AC, and you are forced to open the windows then the hot air coming from outside can make you sick, and the drive can become so unpleasant. The air conditioner is a must-have in summers to make your ride comfortable.
But what if your AC only works when accelerating? This problem can be very frustrating as you can not accelerate all the time and AC will stop running as soon as you stop the acceleration.
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How Does Air Conditioner In Your Car Works?
The air conditioning in your car starts working with the compressor, it pressurizes the coolant and converts in the state from gas to liquid. The liquid passes through the condenser in which various tubes are arranged and the fresh air from outside contacts with the liquid refrigerant then the heat moves from the liquid and mixes with the air. The desiccant absorbs the moisture and refrigerant creates the cooling effect.
The converted refrigerant then moves to the evaporator. The air from the car will be drawn into the evaporator and go inside the evaporator core. Since now the refrigerant temperature is cooler and it converts the outside hot air into the cooler one. This hot and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant again travels back to the compressor. And a new cycle takes place and you get the cool, dry, and fresh air.
Why Does Your AC Only Work When Accelerating?
There are many causes responsible for your car’s AC to work ineffectively but here are three common reasons listed below:
1. Your Condenser Fan Is Damaged
A condenser fan performs an integral function while cooling the air surrounding it. While functioning the AC cannot work with its full potential if the condenser fan is damaged.
While accelerating the fan is not required as much since it provides enough air running at high speed. But when the car is not accelerating the fan is the only source available for cooling the air. That is why when you are not accelerating your AC won’t work as efficiently.
2. Low Level Of Freon
If your system is manufactured before 2003 then freon is gas-filled in to provide cooling inside the AC. Due to its hazardous impact on the environment (freon plays a most significant role in depleting the ozone layer), the manufacturers were sent strict instructions to not use freon in ACs. But if your Car is manufactured before 2003 then most probably the gas-filled inside is freon. A low level of freon is caused due to continuous running, whenever your car is running at a high speed compressor can pump the Freon easily as compared to when idle.
3. Presence of Dust And Debris
The presence of any foreign material in your air conditioning system can cause less effective cooling, due to obstacles caused in between the process. This hits even harder when the car isn’t accelerating and running idle, Cleaning the debris present inside your machinery can help to reduce the damage.
How To Fix Your AC?
Now if your car’s AC only works when accelerating, what can you do to fix your air conditioner so that it can run effectively even when you are not accelerating:
1. Clean the condenser part of your AC but try to not do any damage to the AC. So with light hands clean out the debris accumulated in your AC.
2.Replace the compressor if the compressor is causing the problem or just visit a mechanic and ask him to replace it, if it’s repairable then ask him to repair the compressor rather than replacing it.
3. Leaking of the refrigerants can certainly cause a problem since when moisture and freon mix together it creates a dangerous gas, that can corrode the AC system, to prevent this damage prevent any leakage, if there is any leak happening then ask the mechanic to refill the freon gas and stop any leakage gap which is creating the trouble.
4. There are a number of different reasons as to why the fan of your AC is not working properly they might have blown fuses, any electrical issue, or maybe cracked by dirt coming inside from the road. But the good news is it is very easy cheap to fix your fan of the AC any experienced mechanic will help you to fix the damage in very less amount.
5. If the condenser is causing the damage then simply go to a mechanic and get your condenser replaced, since the condenser is responsible for taking the hot air inside and cooling the gas by liquifying and pressurizing it inside the condenser.
6. Any electrical issue can be repaired easily but must be acknowledged as soon as possible, if not addressed then that can cause acid buildup that can do severe damage to your system. Go to a repair shop as soon as you find out that there are problems in your AC caused due to electrical fault.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace AC Compressor In Your Car?
The cost of replacing the compressor varies according to the model of your car and the labor charges. The labor cost alone to change a compressor can be in the range of $300 to $500, which is a huge amount. And the parts themselves can cost you about $200 to $600.
But preferably you should spend a little more in buying a new good quality compressor for your car rather than saving some amount here and getting an old second-hand compressor from a junkyard, which can save a little money here but can lead to damaging the whole system. Repairing that will cost you a lot later.
Conclusion
So, now you know what are the reasons when your ac only works when accelerating, and how you can fix them and prevent your AC from any further damage. But unlike any other damage, you can not predict when your AC is declining its efficiency and can be damaged at any point in between your ride leading to an unpleasant ride in summers.
So to prevent this situation from happening, visit any repair shop and ask an experienced mechanic to check your car’s air conditioning system already. That will stop any damage that could happen from continuously running a faulty AC system and prevent spoiling your ride in the summer.
You can comment down any other query below in the comments section, till then have a good air-conditioned drive.