If it needs a recharge, it has a leak.
A car’s air conditioning is a sealed system. It does not consume refrigerant the way an engine consumes oil. So if it is low, the refrigerant went somewhere, and putting more in without finding out where is a repair with an expiration date on it, usually next summer.
What it usually turns out to be
A leaking o-ring or a condenser damaged by road debris, both of which sit at the front of the car where rocks hit them. On a system that blows cold at speed and warm at a stoplight, the answer is usually the cooling fan, which is the same part that shows up in overheating complaints: one fan, two symptoms.
How you’d know
Cold on the highway, warm at a stoplight
Airflow across the condenser. Usually the fan.
It got worse gradually over two summers
A slow leak. It can be found with dye or with an electronic detector.
It blows cold then warm, over and over
Often the system icing up, or a pressure switch cycling the compressor.
A smell when you first turn it on
The evaporator, not the refrigerant. Different job, and a much cheaper one.
Nothing happens at all
Could be the compressor, could be a fuse or a relay. Worth checking the cheap end first.
What we do
System performance check: pressures on both sides, and vent temperature
Leak detection with dye or electronic detector
Compressors, condensers, evaporators, hoses and o-rings
Cooling fans and their controls
Evacuate, recharge to the manufacturer’s weight, and verify
You get the number before the work starts, not after.
Call the shop and describe what it’s doing. If it needs to come in, we’ll tell you when to bring it.
Mon–Fri 8–6 · Sat 8–2Sun closed
| Monday | 8am – 6pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8am – 6pm |
| Wednesday | 8am – 6pm |
| Thursday | 8am – 6pm |
| Friday | 8am – 6pm |
| Saturday | 8am – 2pm |
| Sunday | Closed |