4 Things to Know About Your Maintaining You Vehicle’s HVAC System in Salem, OR

 

4. Replace the Air Filters

Air filters seem like something that mechanics say you "need replaced" just to charge you for extra parts and labor- but in fact a cabin air filter is really important for your HVAC system. If your cabin air filter gets clogged with debris like trash or leaves, it can restrict air flow to your cabin. Simply replacing this disposable air filter every other time you get your oil changed can help to keep your A/C running smoothly and prevent you from melting on a hot Summer day. The cabin air filter is typically located near the firewall separating the cabin and the engine compartment, or it might be found around the glovebox. Swing by an authorized service department like ours to learn more.

 

3. Regularly Use Your A/C

Every Summer, millions of people get into their car on the first truly hot day of the year, and are dismayed to realize- or remember- that their air conditioning doesn't work. One common reason for this is a failure on the part of the air compressor's clutch. It can freeze or get stuck in a position that doesn't allow the compressor to do its job, thus affecting the A/C. The best way to prevent this is to regularly use your air conditioning. Now, of course, you don't want to blow cold air into your car's cabin when it's below freezing and snowing outside! However, every three weeks or so in temperatures above freezing, it's good to kick on the A/C for a few minutes -- anywhere from five to fifteen -- just to keep everything working properly.

2. Heater Core Flush

If your heater is only pumping out luke-warm air instead of that comforting heat you need when it's freezing outside, you might be in need of a heater core flush. Your heater core can, over time, get dirty, clogged, or rusty and fail to fully allow the hot engine coolant to flow through the system. By performing a heater core flush, all of this blockage should get washed away and the heat can better be directed into the cabin.

 

1. A/C Recharge

If the air conditioning refrigerant is leaking out of your system somewhere, the air generated by the A/C won't be as cold as it could be -- if at all. It's possible to replace the lost refrigerant by recharging your A/C. This should be performed by a trained professional because refrigerants are hazardous to the environment and your health, so they need to be properly caught and stored. Once the A/C has been recharged, it should be fully operational. If it's not, that means there's a problem somewhere else in the system.

Note: Recharging your A/C is a temporary fix to a permanent leak. It's best to address the cause of the leak before recharging to ensure you don't need to recharge the AC system again next summer or even sooner.