During the warmer months, your driving pleasure depends largely on the quality of your air conditioning. With this in mind, follow the AC maintenance tips below to keep your air-con in tip-top condition. Also, watch out for signs of AC faults and have any problems repaired without delay at your local Mitsubishi dealership.
Change the Air Filter Yearly
The cabin air filter keeps the air that flows into your car clean. But over time, this filter usually clogs up, reducing the quality of air you breathe and also the effectiveness of your air conditioning. It's therefore important to inspect your air filter frequently, especially if you regularly drive in dusty environments or heavy traffic with plenty of airborne contaminants.
Have Your Refrigerant Checked
The refrigerant is the substance that circulates through the AC system, continuously changing from gas to liquid and back to gas again. This chemical process generates the cooling process. If your refrigerant is low or leaking, the process will stop and your cabin won't be kept cool anymore. Refrigerant levels and conditions need to be checked often, ideally by an experienced technician, and sometimes topped up or flushed.
Reduce Your AC's Workload
You can lessen the strain put on your air conditioner by making an effort not to overwork it. Try to park in the shade more frequently and decrease the temperature gradually when you enter your car, rather than going straight to full blast and maximum coldness. These small habits will make your air-con more likely to last without malfunctioning.
Schedule Routine Air-Con Servicing at Your Local Mitsubishi Dealership
It's a good idea to have your car's AC serviced twice a year, which will minimize the risk of serious faults. If you fit this into your routine maintenance schedule at your local dealership, it will be easier to remember. You can coincide air-con servicing with your oil changes, tire rotations, and brake inspections.
Watch Out for Signs of Air-Con Trouble: Get AC Maintenance Right Away
It's also wise to be aware of the early warning signs of a malfunctioning air-con system. If the air blowing into your cabin is only warm and refuses to cool, you may have leaking refrigerant. If the air stops blowing completely, there might be a fault with the blower motor, blower resistor, or one of the relays. Alternatively, the airflow might be impeded by a blocked air intake.
Further signs of a bad air-con are water leaking into your foot well and strange rattling noises. If you haven't used your air-con for a while, you might also smell an unpleasant musty, mildewy odor, which means mold has grown inside the AC system and needs to be cleaned out.
Have your car's AC serviced today at Banister Mitsubishi Hampton in Hampton, VA. We're a local one-stop shop for all your automobile purchasing or maintenance needs.Â