AC Diagnosis
What is air conditioning diagnosis?
When the air conditioner stops blowing cold, or starts making a strange noise, a properly trained and certified technician must perform a set of diagnostic tests to understand what component is at fault, and what is needed to complete the repair.
How does the air conditioning system work?
The air conditioner is a group of several components that are responsible for removing heat from the interior of the vehicle, and introducing cool air into the vehicle. Specific parts of the A/C system perform this function by changing the refrigerant to liquid or gas as needed to cool the evaporator. Air is then passed across the cooled evaporator, and into the cabin for the occupant's comfort.
If your A/C is providing little cooling or none at all, it may be that the system is leaking A/C refrigerant. As the system becomes low on refrigerant, you may hear the A/C compressor cycling on and off rapidly when the A/C is turned on.
What are the symptoms of an air conditioning problem?
When the air conditioner fails, the most common symptom is warm air from the vents, but squeaking or grinding noises may be heard from the engine, even through the A/C is working normally. When the air conditioner is activated, the engine idle speed will not dip as it normally would.
Can I drive with an air conditioning problem?
In most situations, a vehicle with a faulty air conditioner is perfectly safe to drive. However, if grinding is heard from the compressor pulley, bearing failure may occur, causing the serpentine belt or drive belt to work its way off the pulley. If the belt breaks or falls off, other necessary belt driven components will stop working as well. If this occurs, the battery warning light will illuminate, and the engine will stall due to lack of electrical power.