2 Signs Your Car's Air Conditioning System Is In Need Of Repair

You do not have to be an automotive wizard to understand that, when your air conditioner ceases to produce cold air, something has gone wrong. Yet that is far from the only symptom that it is time for your car's AC to be serviced and possibly repaired. If you would like to improve your basic car troubleshooting skills, read on. This article will discuss two signs that something is going wrong with your air conditioner and that you should take it to a place like Modern Auto Air.

Strange Noises

If you have started to notice odd or unusual sounds each time you turn on your air conditioner, chances are some part of the system has gotten out of whack. Such sounds may run the gamut from clicking, to whirring, to whining, to rattling. If you are lucky, the problem may just be that some outside debris has made it into your vent system. This can be easily resolved by having the vents cleaned out by a professional.

Yet odd noises may also herald more serious threats. For one thing, it may be the sign of a cooling fan that has suffered damage. A bent fan blade will cause no end of worrisome noise. By overworking the fan's motor, it may also cause it to burn out completely. This will greatly impede your air conditioning system's ability to deliver cool air to the cabin of your car.

More serious still, that strange noise could mean your air conditioning compressor is failing. This may be the result of problems with any number of internal components--from bearings, to seals, to belts. If the sound is especially high pitched, a leaky seal or a worn out valve may be the culprit. Grinding noises more commonly indicate a seized bearing. Should the friction inside of the compressor grow too great as a result of such problems, the compressor belt may break, causing it to no longer work at all.

Foul Odors

Not all air conditioning problems have their basis in mechanical failure. Equally disastrous are those issues that involve water getting into the system from outside. If you have begun to notice dank, musty smells coming out of your vents each time you turn the AC on, you likely have a moisture problem on your hands.

This issue goes far beyond just the inconvenience of a gross smell in the car. You see, moisture that has penetrated deep into the network of your supply lines provides an ideal home for bacteria, mold, and other potentially problematic microorganisms. That means if you do not attend to the problem quickly enough, you may find yourself suffering from allergies and other respiratory problems.  

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