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Get Your Car's A/C Checked Before Summer Hits in AZ

Get Your Car’s A/C Checked Before Summer Hits in AZ

If you live in Arizona, you probably already know just how important car air conditioning is. This is especially true in the summer months when temperatures regularly climb over 100°F and stay there for hours at a time. Many residents in the Tucson area make a point of getting A/C maintenance at their homes before the temperature gets too brutal, and it’s also a good idea to get a car A/C tune-up. Taking a proactive approach to your car air conditioning system is important for a variety of reasons:

  • If the mechanic has an opportunity to identify minor issues and potential problems, the repairs will be relatively inexpensive. If you wait until the problem grows, on the other hand, it may end up leading to costly repairs.
  • Arizona is extremely hot. Because of the summer weather here, we wouldn’t recommend going without air conditioning for any amount of time. In other words, we highly recommend against letting your car’s A/C go out in the first place. Even if you take it in for emergency car A/C repair as soon as you can, you’re still going to be dealing with an uncomfortable drive to the service center. Sitting in a hot car gets unpleasant in a hurry, so prevent yourself from getting into that situation in the first place.
  • Taking good care of the air conditioning system in your car will add years to the life of its parts. When one part is worn down or malfunctioning, even if it isn’t enough to cause a complete failure of the car A/C system, the inefficiency caused puts more strain on the other parts. Being proactive will save you a lot of time, money, and discomfort in the long run.

Does Hot Weather Affect Car A/C?

The hotter it is outside, the more frustrating it will be if your car can’t cool down. Unfortunately, there’s actually the highest level of risk that your air conditioner will fail during the hottest times of the year. This is because trying to combat the excessive heat puts additional strain on your A/C system.

Once the temperature gets higher than roughly 90°F, the air conditioner in your car starts to work at full capacity. Most people also turn the air conditioner all the way up and run it for a long time while they drive because it feels so nice to get a good cold blast while the weather outside is scorching hot. Unfortunately, making your air conditioner work as hard as it can for extended periods of time is hard on it.

You can reduce the burden a little bit by running your system on low (or at least as low as you can while still staying comfortable). This is easier said than done at times, but some Tucson residents intentionally run their errands in the early morning or late evening when temperatures are cooler because this makes it easier to stay comfortable. Other than that, your best bet is to get a car A/C tune-up before the months that will place the most demand on your system.

Car A/C Tune-up for Summer

Since running your car’s air conditioning on low isn’t always a great option when it’s extremely hot outside, it’s important to make sure everything is in good shape and ready for the hard work. Suppose you bring your car in for regularly schedule A/C maintenance. In that case, the technician can look at a variety of different components to see if your system is experiencing any of the most common problems:

  • Check the refrigerant levels, recharge if needed, and look for leaks in the system that could cause your refrigerant to get low.
  • Look into the status of the blower to make sure it’s clean and functional.
  • Confirm that the inner controls are working as expected.
  • Examine related components like the radiator coolant operation, hoses, thermostat, and pressure radiator cap.
  • Inspect the compressor belt.
  • Perform a cooling system pressure test and confirm that the A/C pressure meets specifications from the manufacturer.
  • Measure the temperature coming from the internal vents.

How Do I Know if My Car Is Having Air Conditioning Problems?

The more proactive you can be, the better. If you’re not taking your vehicle in for regularly scheduled maintenance, it’s even more important to know about the early warning signs that it’s time for car A/C repair:

  • It doesn’t blow as cold as it used to or doesn’t get cool as quickly as it used to.
  • The air coming out smells musty, mildewy, or otherwise unpleasant in any way.
  • The defroster doesn’t work or takes a long time.
  • The air conditioning in your car only works when you’re driving, and it stops being effective when you’re at a standstill.
  • You notice your car air conditioning system blowing hot air.
  • Even when you turn the fan setting all the way up, you can barely feel any cool air coming out of the vents.

What Do You Do if Your A/C Goes Out in the Summer?

If this happens to you in Arizona, it means you’re going to want emergency car A/C repair as soon as you can get it. If your car is parked in the sun with the windows up while the temperature is 100°F, the temperature inside your car can reach levels over 150°F. Since Tucson regularly reaches high temperatures of roughly 110°F or more every summer, the temperature in your vehicle will be even higher than 150°F.

Not only is it uncomfortable to sit in heat that extreme, but it’s also dangerous. You might be tempted to try to save some money by rolling the windows down to catch a breeze while you drive, but that isn’t the best plan if you have any interest at all in being comfortable in your car. Instead, bring your vehicle to a reliable mechanic who can see what’s wrong with your car’s air conditioning and get it working again as soon as possible. Every day you procrastinate is a day your car stays hot, so find a vehicle service center in Tucson today.

Where Can I Get My A/C Checked?

Most places that work on cars, from Tucson’s used car dealerships to your local auto repair shop, can provide car A/C repair. With that in mind, we recommend choosing a place that has a great reputation in the community. Since the air conditioning is so important when it comes to keeping you cool, it’s probably best not to trust the job to someone unless you know they can do it right. Beyond that, it’s also a time-sensitive issue, so look for someone who will let you schedule service right away.

Save Money on A/C Repair at Cactus Auto

Here at Cactus Auto , we pride ourselves on offering the best deals. That isn’t just when it comes to buying a used car, either. We also offer excellent prices for the most common maintenance, including car A/C repair. While our prices are always good, you can save even more money today by checking for our car repair and service coupons !

Image Source: Bjoern Wylezich / Shutterstock