For many people, summer is the time for road trips, whether you have a destination in mind or not. For others, it means that it will be hot while you sit in traffic. No matter which scenario describes your summer driving experience, you want to make sure your car has a working air conditioning system. Trust us, this is an auto repair that you want to take care of at the beginning of the summer before it gets really hot.
There are a lot of things that you can do to stay on top of your auto repair. Here are some tips to maintain your car’s A/C this summer.
Run your A/C.
It might seem a bit odd to run something as a way of maintaining it, but it’s actually important for your A/C, especially in the summer. When you run the air conditioner for a few minutes once a week or so, the refrigerant and air circulate through the system, and the compressor stays lubricated. It’s also an easy way to check if it’s still working. If you notice that your A/C is broken sooner rather than later, you have a better chance of needing a basic repair rather than a major one.
Check your levels.
Specifically, you want to check the coolant and refrigerant levels. Both of these fluids are essential to the operation of your air conditioning, and coolant also keeps your car from overheating. If there has been a particularly hot stretch when you used your A/C a lot, it’s a good idea to check those fluids to ensure they haven’t dipped below the recommended levels.
Clean your filters.
Your car’s cabin air filters keep pollen, dust, and other dirt and debris from the outside out of your car, even if the A/C isn’t on. Over time, the filters get clogged and no air can pass through them. You can clean an air filter a couple of times, but eventually, you do have to replace it. When you should do this varies from car to car, but it is usually every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. If you drive on dirt roads or in dusty areas, you will have to replace the filters more frequently.