Automotive A/C Service and Repair

Air Conditioning Maintenance, Service & Repair

Air Conditioning Maintenance

Most Greenfield Indiana area car owners don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. Maintaining your car or truck air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well.

Along with the refrigerant, a special oil circulates in the system. The oil lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and we all know that air conditioning repairs can be costly in and around Indianapolis.

Air conditioning service at Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals in Greenfield Indiana starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it’s inspected for cracks or wear.

The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation by your Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals service technician. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the system is retested. Your Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals technician will also perform a temperature drop test.

"Running your vehicles Air Conditioning in the Winter months can help maintain your A/C system"

If needed, the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the air conditioner is working, and you’re on your way.

How often this should be done at Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your car or light trucks owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your considerate Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

Let’s talk about air conditioning service and repair issues for Indianapolis or more specifically, Greenfield Indiana. Most of us living in cities such as Lawrence, Knightstown, Shelbyville, Pendleton, Warren, and any other suburbs in Hancock County Indiana don’t give our air conditioning a second thought as long as it’s making cold air. But it’s a complex system that we should think about before it starts blowing hot air.

The refrigerant in the air conditioner contains a special oil that lubricates and cools the A/C parts. This oil is eventually used up. Your air conditioner still makes cold air, but the parts don’t have oil to protect them and they wear out faster than they should so it’s important to service the air conditioner as recommended by your Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals service center.

Replacing old refrigerant has another benefit: refrigerant tends to gather moisture and become corrosive. That causes leaks in the system which can be expensive to repair. Fresh refrigerant protects the air conditioning components and keeps the system operating at peak efficiency so it doesn’t have to work as hard to keep you cool.

Even with regular service A/C parts can just wear out. Normal wear and tear eventually gets to all moving parts.

Addressing early problems can save on more extensive repairs down the road. For instance, a common failure is the clutch that turns the compressor on and off. If you can take care of a bad A/C clutch when it first starts having problems, you may be able to save the compressor. Wait too long and you’ll have to replace both.

Check your owner’s manual or ask your Greenfield, IN service advisor at Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals for service recommendations. And if you’re hearing strange sounds when your air conditioning turns on, or if it just isn’t as cold as it used to be, have Jenkins Auto Repair Professionals see what it’ll take to keep you cool.