Driving in the summer is supposed to be fun. Summer isn’t complete without a vacation road trip or a day trip to the beach. But what is supposed to be an enjoyable ride can quickly become a miserable experience if you have a broken air conditioner. Rolling the windows down will do if it’s not too hot, but if you’re in traffic or trying to chat with your passengers on the highway, you’ll really wish your A/C worked. The good news is that if you have a broken air conditioner, you can take it to a mechanic at Top Level Automotive to have it fixed!
There are also some easy things you can do to maintain your A/C. Check out these tips from a mechanic to stay cool this summer!
Don’t ignore odd noises or smells.
When you turn on your car’s A/C, it shouldn’t make a lot of noise. It should sound pretty much the same as the fan, but maybe a little louder. If you hear rattling, buzzing, or anything unusual when you turn on the A/C, you should have a mechanic check it out. That goes for smells, too. The air conditioning system uses coolant, but you shouldn’t be able to smell it. Coolant has a distinct sweet odor, so it’s unlikely that you’d mistake it for anything else. If you can smell coolant, that means it’s leaking, and you should have it looked at right away.
Avoid overheating the car.
We all know the experience of getting into a hot car that’s been sitting in the summer sun. It’s unpleasant for you, but it also strains your A/C system. When the car is that hot, it is difficult for the air conditioner to cool it down, especially if the engine has been off for a while. While it’s not always possible to park in a shady spot, you can put sunshades in your windshield that will help keep the temperature down.
Keep up with routine maintenance.
To avoid costly repairs of any kind, you should keep up with your car’s recommended maintenance schedule. Having a mechanic check out your car periodically helps you stay ahead of major issues that you might not notice until it’s too late. There are also areas of routine maintenance, like replacing the air filters, that will improve the performance of your A/C system.
