Things About Your Car Air Conditioning Unit That You Should Know

When you live in a tropical country, driving with your air condition unit running is must. That is unless you like driving uncomfortable and drenched in your own sweat. Just imagine your AC unit not working properly, everyone from the driver to the passengers in the car will suffer. So it should be among your car concerns to get to know your car air conditioning more.

Savings

Having air conditioning unit in your car makes driving around in tropical countries easier. However, despite the comfort that it provides it also means you’re consuming more gas at a faster rate, especially during summer because the unit has to work harder to keep your car cool. But if you get your windows tinted, you’ll be able to save money and gasoline. Window films blocks not just the sunlight but as well as the heat from penetrating your vehicle, so you wouldn’t have to run the AC unit on full blast just to keep the interior cool.

Your Filters

We know it’s necessary to replace air filters because dirty ones restrict airflow and causing the AC system to run longer and use more energy. But only some actually do this. Be more diligent and make a reminder of it on your calendar so that you don’t ‘forget’ to do it every month.

Vents

The distinctive smell of mildew flooding out of your air vents is usually caused by a buildup of bacteria and mold. This can happen to older cars that have had bacteria growing behind the dashboard for years and in cars that rarely run the air conditioning, as they don’t enjoy the drying effects that it provides to excess water on the coils. So if you do your own car cleaning, make sure you clean your car AC vents too.

It Won’t Turn On

Driving when the AC unit is not working can be an unpleasant experience. On extremely hot days, an air conditioning system can overheat and this can cause the fan to burn out. A broken dial can also affect your ability to switch the auto air conditioning on, as well as a broken switch, a stuck valve, a wiring fault, a blown fuse or an obstruction in the air ducts. So if you’re having this issue, it’s best that a professional can take a look at it fix the problem and not let it get any worse.

AC System Is Blowing Hot Air

This can really suck because if there’s anything worse than an AC unit not working at all is an AC unit blowing hot air instead of cool air. When this happens, you’re probably looking at variety of reasons like damaged cooling fans, a blocked or broken condenser, an internal obstruction, an electrical fault, and/or low refrigerant levels. When this happens, it’s best that you take your car to a trusted car servicing center right away to get it checked and fixed as soon as possible.

It Won’t Turn Off

This doesn’t seem like a problem until you’re getting too cold behind the wheel and you’re consuming way too much fuel than you usually do or your car’s battery gets drained because the AC keeps running even with the engine switched off. The culprit behind this can range from faulty or loose ribbon cable, broken controls / dial stuck in the “on” position, broken selector switch, shorted blower resistor, shorted blower motor relay, shorted a/c controller, and/or shorted blower control circuit.

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6 Troubles You May Experience While Driving That Can Really Freak You Out And How To React To Them

6 Troubles You May Experience While Driving That Can Really Freak You Out And How To React To Them

The thing about driving a car on the road is that no matter how precautions you are and no matter how skilled you are as a driver, there are some situations that will just catch you off guard. Here are some of them that hopefully don’t happen to anyone but would help anyone to prepare for. 

1. The Clutch Won’t Come Back

When you drive a manual and your clutch goes limp all of a sudden, it can be a real problem especially if you’re going fast. Park on the side of the road as soon as you can then pop the hood, chances are you’re low on clutch fluid and you need to fill it up.

2. Smoke Starts Coming Out From The Hood

Definitely don’t panic and jump out of your car when this happens! This could mean one of the fluids is leaking or dripping onto an extremely hot part of the engine, which means smoke doesn’t automatically means it’s on fire. In this case, you need to stop driving to let the car cool down if you intend to inspect under the hood. But if you don’t have any idea with such issues it’s best to call a friend or tow to take it to car servicing. 

3. The Brakes Stopped Working

Again, do not panic once you notice your brakes aren’t working. You have to stay sharp and look for ways to stop the car without causing too much damage on it and you or other passengers of you have them on board. Fields, grassy medians, and hills are the best way to naturally slow down your car. If there isn’t any, another option would be to use less concrete things like chain links to crash the car, it will halt your car without too much damage. Anyhow, as long as you’re able to immobilize your vehicle, a paint job or car polishing shouldn’t be a huge sacrifice compared to staying safe and keeping your engine intact.

4. You Crash Into An Electric Truck And Copper Poles Crash Through Your Window

As ridiculous as this may seem, this actually happens. Try your best to stay calm and contact your area’s emergency hotline for immediate help. Once you’re out of the car and safe, you can start worrying about car servicing.

5. Your Tire Blows Out

Hearing a blast can really be startling what more if it’s your car’s tire? Don’t freak out and remember to slow down! Pull in to the side of the road then start changing your car. Let’s just hope you have a spare tire, if you don’t you’ll have to call for tow.

6. You Hydroplane

Yes, when this happens it’s hard not to freak out because your car is going out of control. However, you have to keep in mind not to start stomping on the pedals and over steering. Get yourself together and take your foot off the gas and brake, just focus on trying to make subtle steering movements.

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Top 4 Common Signs Of A Bad Or Failing Radiator

Top 4 Common Signs Of A Bad Or Failing Radiator

As your car’s cooling system, radiators prevent engines from overheating and engine blocks from cracking with heat. So if you start noticing signs indicated below, make sure you take your vehicle to the car servicing shop right away to prevent the damage from getting worse and car repair costs starts piling up.

1. Leaking Coolant Onto The Floor

The coolant, as the name suggests, helps the radiator to cool down.  However, when there’s a leak or crack in the radiator, you’ll see coolant leak on the floor underneath your car, since the coolant flows through the radiator.

2. Overheating

When dirt, bugs, or road grime gets stuck and accumulate in your radiator, it becomes harder for the air to flow through it. As a result, it’s harder to cool the engine especially when the vehicle is stopped and the radiator have to rely on just the fan to keep it cool which is why it overheats even when idle.

3. Sludge In The Radiator

The coolant in your vehicle should be yellow or green or red normally. As the radiator goes bad, contaminants discolor the fluid making it a rusty or oil color. This turns into sludge and the fluid will not be able to cool the engine efficiently because it will not drain properly and remain in the radiator. This can be from a failing radiator for vehicles that contain a transmission cooler inside the radiator. The barrier between the coolant and transmission fluid fails and the fluids mix. If you or a mechanic notice sludge in your radiator, it will need to be replaced as it can cause extensive damage to the engine and transmission.

4. Low Coolant

If the level is below the minimum line, top it up to the maximum line and monitor on a daily basis. If you have to top up the coolant reservoir each time it is checked, this could indicate a leak. If it seems that you vehicle is always low on coolant then it’s reasonable to suspect that your radiator have gone bad or at least failing.

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