Car Air Conditioning Not Cooling? (9 Reasons)
We all rely on our car’s air conditioner to keep us cool on hot summer days. When it’s really hot, nothing feels worse than no cool air coming out of your car’s vents.
If you turn on your air conditioner and only warm air comes out of the vents, then there’s clearly something wrong with your air conditioner. However, this doesn’t mean that the whole system isn’t working properly. Only one component of the entire system can be defective. Just one defective component can cause your air conditioning system to completely fail. The most difficult part is identifying which component caused this malfunction.
Common Causes of a Car Air Conditioner Not Cooling There are many possible reasons why your air conditioner has stopped providing cool air to your car. Instead of guessing what the cause is, understand what the most common causes are. Here are the 5 most common reasons to look out for if your car’s AC isn’t cooling.
1) Dirty/Clogged Cabin Filter
A dirty cabin air filter is often overlooked when identifying problems with your HVAC system. This filter catches dust, bugs, leaves, and more. If air isn’t flowing as intended, your AC’s cooling performance will almost certainly suffer.
Luckily, cleaning or replacing your cabin filter yourself is easy and one of the most cost-effective maintenance practices you can perform.
2) A/C Compressor Failure
Your air conditioner compressor is responsible for compressing the refrigerant to high pressure. If your air conditioner compressor is failing, it won’t be able to compress the refrigerant. This will eventually cause the air cooling process to fail completely.
3) Coolant Leak
Refrigerant is like the blood of your air conditioner. When hot refrigerant condenses in your air conditioner’s condenser, it produces cold gas that flows out of the vents as cool air.
If there isn’t enough refrigerant flowing through your air conditioner, it won’t produce cool air. A common reason for low coolant levels in the reservoir is a coolant leak.
It can be difficult to find the location of the leak. Thoroughly inspect the system’s hose connections for cracks and leaks. Even if there are no signs of a leak, coolant can be lost very slowly over years, and refilling the air conditioning system is the only solution.
4) Faulty A/C Condenser
The A/C condenser is a complex radiator designed to cool the coolant, not the engine coolant. It’s usually located at the front of the vehicle alongside the main radiator.
If the cooling capacity of the condenser is exceeded or the A/C condenser is not functioning properly, the refrigerant will remain superheated. Then all you’ll see is a lot of hot air coming out of the vents.
5) Electrical Issues
Remember that your air conditioner runs on electricity. Numerous cables connect your air conditioner to your car’s battery and the controls on your dashboard. If any of these cables are worn or damaged, it can affect the power your air conditioner needs to function properly and produce cool air.
It can be difficult to diagnose this problem on your own, since it seems like the entire electrical system is at risk. However, if all other electrical components are working, you should perform a visual inspection of the wiring to identify the problem. If you are not familiar with this task, it is best to hire a professional mechanic.
6) Faulty Accessory Belt
If your air conditioner or accessory belt is faulty, the compressor may not be able to transmit power from the crankshaft. If the compressor is not turning, you will not get cold air. Check the belts on your car to make sure they are in good working order and do not slip when the air conditioner is running.
If you are not running the air conditioner, it may appear that the compressor is not turning even though the belt is turning around the pulley. This is because the compressor has a clutch that stops spinning when the air conditioner is off. When you turn on the air conditioner, you will see this clutch engage and the compressor start spinning.
7) Faulty air conditioner clutch
Clutches wear out over time, and the clutch on your air conditioner compressor is no exception. If your air conditioner clutch is broken, you may notice a burning smell coming from the engine compartment when you turn on the air conditioner. You may also hear a squealing noise as the clutch starts to slip as it tries to engage.
8) Blown fuse
A blown fuse in your vehicle can also cause your air conditioning components to lose power. Fuse boxes are usually located in the engine compartment and footwell of most vehicles.
If you find and replace the blown fuse and it blows again, you have an electrical problem. Fuses often blow because a short circuit causes too much current to flow through a component. Another common cause of a blown fuse is improper jump starting.
9) The Heat is On
This may seem obvious, but leaving the heater on will blow hot air even if you have the air conditioner on. Since air conditioning dries out the air, a good way to keep the dry air comfortable in the winter is to run the air conditioner and heater at the same time. This is especially useful if you live in a rainy or humid environment.