News

by: Mike Najjar

Most St. Louis drivers wait for their air conditioning to fail before they service it at Master Auto Repair. That’s because many St. Louis and St. Louis motorists don't really understand that automotive air conditioners need periodic service. Let me share some of the reasons why they fail.

First, like every machine, the sedan air conditioner parts need lubrication. The lubricant is actually mixed in with the refrigerant (that’s the stuff that makes the air cool). So sometimes, even though the air conditioner is still making cool air, the oil that lubricates the parts has just been used up: and unlubricated parts can fail in all MO cars.

Now here’s a tip for St. Louis drivers: You should run your air conditioner every so often during MO winters. This circulates the lubricant to help keep the seals from drying out.

The air conditioner actually removes some of the moisture in the air. So if you have trouble with fogging on your windshield during MO winters or during a rain storm, running the A/C on the defrost setting should help. Now on some St. Louis cars you can’t run the A/C at the same time as the defroster. Don’t ask me why, but I suspect lawyers were involved.

Also, air and water can get into the A/C system. That can reduce the efficiency of the system and also lead to corrosion that causes damage. St. Louis drivers should periodically purge the system and replace the refrigerant to clear out the air and water.

St. Louis drivers should be aware of early warning signs of trouble: One might be that the air’s not as cold as it used to be. You may hear an unusual noise when the A/C cycles on. Those are signs to get your vehicle into Master Auto Repair in St. Louis before the damage gets worse.

So following the recommended service intervals in your sedan owner’s manual can help prevent mechanical failure of your air conditioning system. You’re A/C system contains some expensive components like the compressor, condenser, dryer, etc. Anything St. Louis Metro and St. Louis car owners can do to lengthen the life of their A/C is well worth it.