It’s almost freezing outside, so we know car air conditioning maintenance isn’t the first thing on your mind.
However, keeping up with the air con isn’t just for summer! It also has an important function through the winter: to help defrost the windscreen and keep it fog-free.
Winter Car Air Conditioning Maintenance: 3 Tips for Success
Here’s what you need to do to keep your air con working in peak condition (thus prolonging the life of your vehicle and can preventing issues from happening when things start to warm up):
Keep Things Moving
Your vehicle’s air con system has many parts that are simply meant to move. And, while that’s not typically a problem during the long Australian summers, if you turn off the air con for the majority of the winter, things can go wrong.
This is because the system is packed with refrigerant and oils and that need to move around to keep certain parts lubricated. If everything stays stagnant for too long, then the lubricant won’t be able to get to these parts and this might cause leaky seals and other costly repairs.
To avoid this, simply run your air con every few weeks on full-cold for about 10 minutes just to allow the coolant a chance to move through the system and keep the rubber seals and pipework lubricated.
Hot tip:
If you’re worried about freezing while performing this routine maintenance, just run your heater at the same time. This way, your cooling system can run and lubricate the system, but you’ll be comfortable too.
Don’t Forget Defrost Mode
If your car doesn’t smell as fresh as it used to, don’t reach for an air freshener just yet.
It’s possible that you need to run your vehicle’s defrost mode for about 5 to 10 minutes. By doing this, you can prevent mildew in your car and clean out any excessive moisture – the likely culprit of the “sour” smell.
Check the Cabin Filter
Another culprit of poor airflow and sour smells could be your vehicle’s cabin filter. Often forgotten during winter car air conditioning maintenance, your cabin filter can often become clogged with animal hair, leaves, and dust – severely handicapping your vehicle’s HVAC (heating, ventilation, and cooling) system.
Need some help keeping your air con in top shape this winter? No worries.
The friendly team at Sutherland Automotive is here to help. Feel free to get in touch today.
