Air
Conditioning Tips
Source:
S & S Service
Centers
Summer
is getting closer and all of us will be depending on our air
conditioners to keep us cool, so we thought it might be a good idea to
discuss a few common air conditioning questions. Our June 2002 issue of
Car Care Tips discussed types of refrigerants and our procedure for
identifying leaks.
What is the
best way to get maximum efficiency from my air conditioner?
We
get asked this a lot. First, let's clarify the terminology of your A/C
controls. The fan speed is controlled by the fan switch or blower
switch. The different modes of air output are usually controlled by
either a sliding lever, a rotary switch or a series of push buttons.
These control whether the air comes out on the floor, through the dash
vents, through the defroster vents or a combination of the above. Some
of these automatically turn on the A/C compressor, while other cars use
a separate button to command the compressor on. Also, some have "MAX"
and "NORMAL" positions of the mode switch, while others have a separate
button or lever to change between "RECIRCULATE" and "OUTSIDE AIR"
positions. Even others automatically go to "MAX" or "RECIRCULATE" when
the temperature control is placed in its coldest setting. These can be
the most important things to remember, because to get the most
efficiency from your A/C system, it's best to cool off a hot car by
lowering the windows slightly, turning the A/C to "NORMAL" or "OUTSIDE
AIR" and putting the blower on a medium speed. This takes outside air,
cools it and forces the hotter inside air out through the open windows.
Once the air in the car has cooled down to a more comfortable
temperature, switch to "RECIRCULATE" or "MAX" so the system can take
the already cooled inside air and recirculate it so it will gradually
get colder and colder. Then make yourself comfortable by adjusting
blower speed. This procedure will cool your car quicker, keep it cooler
and even save you some gas by not causing the system to run
continuously.
What about that
musty odor?
More and more we hear this question, and it is usually coming
from
owners of later model vehicles. The odor is caused by fungus, bacteria
and microbes growing inside the evaporator core case. The
moisture-laden environment caused by condensation is quite conducive to
the growth of these organisms. The automakers downsized these
evaporator cases, added more fins and packed them closer together on
the evaporators, which made them more prone to trap moisture and
contribute to the growth of fungus. There are several methods to combat
this growth. Some newer vehicles come with a device to run the A/C
blower for a period of time after the vehicle is shut off. This dries
out the evaporator case. There are also chemical fixes: from as simple
as spraying Lysol into the A/C air intake to as complex as drilling a
hole in the evaporator case, spraying in an expanding foam fungicide
then letting it convert to a hardened shell of fungicide. One of the
least expensive, although not the most practical methods, would be to
turn off the A/C compressor a mile or so before you get where you're
going, but leave the blower running to allow the evaporator to dry out.
Not much air is
coming through the vents. What's wrong?
Many late model vehicles now come equipped with "cabin air
filters."
These actually work just like your furnace filter at home to reduce
dust and allergens in your vehicle. Many people are unaware that their
vehicle even has one (or two) of these filters. When the filter gets
dirty, the volume of air through the vents is lowered, so check yours
today or ask us to inspect it. Many are very convenient to change, but
some require disassembly of certain components. A clean filter could
make a world of difference on a hot, humid, summer day.
R&R
Automotive 