What Are the Reasons Why a Car's Air Conditioning Sometimes Suddenly Stops Cooling?
2 Answers
Car air conditioning sometimes suddenly stops cooling due to the following reasons: 1. Insufficient or too little refrigerant; 2. Excessive refrigerant; 3. Loose drive belt of the car's air conditioning compressor; 4. Excessive impurities in substandard refrigerant and refrigeration oil; 5. Moisture infiltration into the refrigeration system. The usage method of the air conditioning is: 1. Turn on the AC switch; 2. Adjust the air outlet selection knob—direct the air outlet upward when cooling and downward when heating; 3. Adjust the fan speed switch; 4. Adjust the air recirculation conversion knob; 5. Adjust the temperature control knob. The maintenance methods for the air conditioning are: 1. Clean the air conditioning vents promptly; 2. Maintain the air conditioning condenser in a timely manner; 3. Clean or replace the air conditioning filter element promptly.
As a technician who frequently works on cars in repair shops, I've encountered many cases where the air conditioning suddenly stops cooling. The most common issue is refrigerant leakage, as aging pipelines are prone to cracks or poor sealing at joints leading to gas escape. If the compressor's clutch sticks or fails, it may click during startup but won't turn; loose belts also fail to transmit power. A condenser clogged with debris causes poor heat dissipation, or an electric fan not spinning can trigger a protective system shutdown. Electrical problems like blown fuses or stuck relays may cut power without response during overload. A dirty air filter reducing airflow might also falsely trigger abnormalities. In such cases, don't push through—safely pull over to inspect basic components and seek professional help to fix leaks before the system worsens.
