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Is your car blowing hot air? Getting at the root of the problem can be a costly and frustrating exercise
Photo by Kevin Van Paassan
/National Post
Cars are awesome, until they&#;re not.
I call it the absence of malice problem: I only notice something is wrong because I take for granted how often everything is right. Turn the key and go; it&#;s what we demand of today&#;s cars, and it&#;s what we overwhelmingly get. When things do go awry, it&#;s always interesting to see how people cope. When your brakes go from spongy to making that funny grinding sound, you call your mechanic or drive straight to the dealership. If the engine suddenly starts cutting out, or a tire blows and you thwap to a halt by the side of the road, same thing.
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Think hard before fixing that broken air conditioner
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But if your air conditioning starts blowing hot air, you do other things. You punch the dash; you adjust the little vents. You jam away at the settings. You turn it off and turn it on again. And again. Then you leave the car in the driveway overnight, and go out the next day and actually believe it might be OK, like it just needed a little rest so it could become air conditioning again.
My Dad didn&#;t believe in air conditioning, so we stuck to the plastic seat in the back of the station wagon, our small legs requiring skin grafts when we tried to move. There was a choice, of course. We could sit on a blanket instead; the temperature at sweltering levels, and we could pick between itchy wool and molten plastic. We&#;d fight over the windows and stick our heads out like puppies, which was fun until Mom and Dad did up their windows and my father would yell &#;buffeting!&#; and make us close them. I liked that sound, the suction of air that whumped around the interior of the car, making me think this was what outer space must sound like. Children without air conditioning develop excellent imaginations.
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If your car is older and blowing hot air, you might want to give your next steps a hard think. The voyage to the root of a dead air conditioning system can be exasperating, exhausting and expensive. Your coolant has leaked out, and you can&#;t just top it up. It&#;s illegal to add a gas to your system that depletes the ozone (in Canada, usually R134A); you have to find the leak, and this is where the fun begins.
Very basically, your car&#;s air conditioning system is made up of three major components: the compressor, the evaporator and the condenser. There are lots of hoses, tubes, valves and sensors connecting them all. A technician has to figure out where the leak is occurring, and will pressurize the system with nitrogen to find out. This diagnostic isn&#;t the expensive part. Several shops told me it&#;s about an hour at shop rate to tell you what&#;s going on.
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Find the leak, fix the problem, easy. Sort of. These are expensive parts and systems, and one of them &#; the evaporator &#; is usually behind the dash which requires a lot of rip-apart work. When the kids were small, I had a 10-year-old car. The air conditioning went, I foolishly let an eager young mechanic talk me into letting him fix it. I committed to Phase One believing it was Phase Done. While the 600 bucks was huge to me at the time, having the A/C working again seemed like a necessary one.
Until a week later, when I once again had vents blasting hot air. I slammed back into the garage with no good grace, demanding that he fix the fix. And that is when I learned the most valuable lesson, ever, about old cars and air conditioning.
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All of the parts of that system are the same age, which means if one goes, why shouldn&#;t the others? Finding the leak and replacing one is zero guarantee that you can&#;t develop another leak in another part in a week or a month. Was I prepared to go perhaps $1,500 dollars in to get back my arctic air? On a car that was maybe worth $2,000? I told the kids we were now driving like in olden times.
I&#;ve watched mechanics explain this to a customer. I&#;ve witnessed the truth of the term &#;shooting the messenger&#; more times in places that specialize in auto air conditioning than just about anywhere else. My theory on expensive mechanical repairs to older vehicles is pretty simple: if a car you trust has cost you little in recent years and needs a couple grand to keep it going for another year or two, that&#;s cheaper than new car payments while you take some time to consider your next purchase.
My theory on air conditioning? It&#;s a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have for most of us. Drop the windows, find a nicer blanket and stick your head out the window.
Besides, this is Canada. Snow is just around the corner.
Photo by Kevin Van Paassen
/National Post
www.lorraineonline.ca
Originally published July 30,
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Sommerfeld has been polishing her skills as an advocate for over 16 years, helping decipher a complicated industry for consumers who just need good information. A two-time AJAC Journalist of the Year, ask her anything - except to do a car review.
Driving.ca&#;s Lorraine Explains columnist and host of The Driving Podcast
After beginning her career in writing with The Motherlode column in the Hamilton Spectator in , Lorraine added automotive journalism to her file in . After stints with The Toronto Star and The Globe & Mail, she has been with Driving.ca since . She began hosting The Driving Podcast in , and helmed The Lemon Aid Car Show for seven years. She has been a member of AJAC since .
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After years of partaking in adventures like driving Smart cars in the Yukon winter, competing in the Gazelle Rally in Morocco, off-roading in Argentina, RVing around much of Canada, hypermiling across Canada and chasing down Route 66 (twice), Lorraine now writes as a consumer advocate.
She is a prominent voice on radio stations across the country, and her debut novel, A Face in the Window, was released in July .
English degree from McMaster University in Hamilton
Wakefield Castrol, Technical Writing Topics, winner
AJAC Jaguar Land Rover Journalist of the Year, winner
AJAC Jaguar Land RoverJournalist of the Year, runner up;
Kal Tire Business Writing Award, winner;
Subaru Feature Writing Award, runner up
AJAC CAA Road Safety Journalism Award, winner.
AJAC Jaguar Land Rover Journalist of the Year, winner
Bridgestone Feature Writing, runner-up.
AJAC Jaguar Land Rover Journalist of the Year, runner-up.
AJAC Castrol Technical Writing Award, winner.
: Linkedin: Lorraine Sommerfeld Twitter: TweeetLorraine
Learn more about Author AddressNotice a light blinking from your air conditioning unit? That blinking light is an indication of an internal problem with your air conditioner. The indoor green operation light is made to blink when the AC unit detects an issue or problem from one or more of its components. The flashing light is meant to signal the user to check with the air conditioner parts.
Most internal parts of an air conditioner will need to be checked and fixed by an aircon technician. Our technicians at Luce are more than knowledgeable about their trade, and will be glad to check your AC unit for one or more of these common reasons for a blinking light:
Reason Description Solution Refrigerant Leakage Refrigerant levels low due to perceived leakage in the refrigerant lines. Top up refrigerant levels and have a technician fix the leaking refrigerant lines. Incorrect Installation Installation failed; unit detects a problem that stems from installing the unit. Re-install the unit with the help of an experienced technician. Poor Air Circulation Blockage or debris buildup leads to inadequate air circulation in and out of the unit. Remove blockage from vents, and keep indoor and outdoor vents clear of debris. Issues with Electrical Wiring or Circuit Breaker Box Tripped circuit breaker, power outage, or issues with electrical wiring are causing the unit to malfunction. Reset the tripped breaker in the circuit breaker box. Frozen Evaporator Coils Dirty evaporator coils or faulty parts are causing the evaporator coils to freeze up. Have your unit cleaned and checked by professional aircon cleaning companies.&#;
A refrigerant leak is the most likely culprit for older air conditioning units, especially if the flashing light is accompanied by lack of cold air. If your air conditioning system is not blowing cold air into the room, chances are there is a leak in the refrigerant lines that needs to be fixed immediately.
When the air conditioner is improperly installed, there are often problems that arise after the AC unit has been running for a while. There may be parts moving around in the interior, or the drain lines, coils, and drip trays may have issues from the installation. It is difficult to pinpoint the cause of the blinking light, exactly, but poor installation attributes to one of the causes.
An air conditioning unit may give off a blinking light if it has poor air circulation. Air conditioners, particularly window air conditioners, require adequate air flow to function properly, and a blockage, dust buildup, or debris might be hindering this, prompting the air conditioner to give off a flashing light.
Another problem may be with the power source. Check with appliances running under the same circuit breaker as your air conditioner to see if the issue is with the breaker box. If other appliances are also faulty, then you may need to take a look at your breaker box for any tripped circuits, and reset it.
There are a couple of reasons for frozen coils. One is the outdoor weather, but it may also be caused by dust buildup, a faulty condenser, or clogged drain lines. The blinking light indicates a problem with the evaporator coil, which will create a domino effect of malfunctioning parts as the problem goes unfixed.
The best way to upkeep your air conditioner is to go for air conditioning service once every six months. This way, you remove the dust buildup, and minimize the chances of experiencing an issue with your unit later on. The technician would also be able to catch minor problems before they further damage your unit.
Take your air filter out of your AC unit, and give it a thorough vacuuming or washing. Wash the filter under running water, and brush soap over the mesh to remove dirt trapped within the fibers. Let the filter air dry before placing it back into the unit. This maintenance routine should be done every two weeks for the best AC care.
The codes for each model and brand of aircon unit will be different from another. A Mitsubishi aircon light blinking would indicate different problems from that of a Daikin AC light blink. You will often find a comprehensive list of codes in your manufacturer's guide when you first bought your unit, so we suggest familiarizing yourself with these codes to better understand them.
Check your breaker box for any issues with the circuit breaker. If your air conditioning system has completely shut down, you may have problems with the power source. Have the circuit breaker replaced, or remove unnecessary appliances from the same socket if you notice the circuit breaker keeps tripping.
Clear away anything blocking the vents of your AC unit. There should be no wall, partition, or debris blocking air flow from going to and fro the unit. Check the outdoor unit as well for any leaves, dried grass, or other debris that may be blocking the vents. Clear them with a brush or vacuum cleaner.
That flashing light is a warning for users to know about the issues within the aircon unit. Your unit is informing you of a problem with its parts so you can check on them before they further damage the rest of your aircon.
Always have an experienced professional check the internal aspects of your aircon for you. Our friendly and helpful technicians here at Luce will be glad to assist you with any aircon-related issue, problem, or concern you may have.
The company is the world’s best how to remove bus air conditioner supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.