Why is the car air conditioning not cooling well?
2 Answers
Car air conditioning not cooling may be due to a broken compressor, or it could be a faulty compressor clutch. When the car air conditioning is in cooling mode, the compressor clutch engages, and the engine drives the compressor to operate. The compressor continuously compresses the refrigerant and delivers it to the evaporator. Inside the evaporator, the refrigerant expands and absorbs heat, thereby cooling the evaporator. The air blown by the blower passes through the evaporator, where the cooled evaporator cools the air, allowing the air conditioning vents to blow cold air. If the compressor is broken, it cannot compress the refrigerant or deliver it to the evaporator.
Last time my car's AC wasn't cooling either, and it turned out the condenser was clogged with willow catkins when I took it to my regular repair shop. The veteran mechanic said this happens a lot in summer - when the radiator fins get blocked, cooling efficiency drops by 30% immediately. If you hear the compressor clicking on and off frequently, it's probably low on refrigerant. Here's a little trick: turn off the AC and switch to external air circulation at red lights to reduce engine load. By the way, my cousin's car had an even weirder issue last year - the blower motor resistor burned out, causing no airflow from the vents. For such hidden faults, it's best to use a diagnostic scanner. I recommend getting it checked early - driving in mid-summer feels like being in a steamer.
