Your car air conditioner system takes heavy abuse in the Miami heat. It is difficult to prove the value of your vehicle and find a buyer if the A/C system doesn’t work efficiently or work at all. PartsMax and its aftermarket car parts in Miami has the solution for savvy car owners who like to do their own repairs and save money. How do you know when it is time to replace your car air conditioner condenser?
Sometimes the cause of a failed car air conditioner system can be as simple as a blown fuse if the interior fan is not blowing hot or cold air. Your interior climate control may also have a malfunction in the servos. Servos are either mechanically or electronically controlled to alternate and mix hot or cold air. There is typically a separate A/C relay that is used to activate the compressor and generate the refrigeration. This should be checked before any parts are replaced. The need to replace the condenser may be as obvious as a leak, damage, or debris clogging the fins.
As vehicles age, the delicate rubber seals at every union and the high-pressure hoses begin to deteriorate. The noticeable effect is visible if you see white residue on your black A/C hoses or have the refrigerant recharged at a repair shop with a UV dye added for leak detection. In such a case, you will need to overhaul the entire system with new seals, hoses, a receiver/dryer, and possibly a new compressor and condenser if you did too little, too late. A compressor may fail by being overcharged or overheating from a refrigerant/lubricant leak. Once it fails, it can send metal debris into the fine passages of the condenser that can clog passages or create leaks.
The air conditioner condenser is typically mounted in front of the engine radiator in your vehicle. Both depend upon the airflow of the vehicle moving to transfer heat into the atmosphere and cool the elements circulating. Unlike a radiator, a condenser condenses a refrigerant that is actually a vapor when it enters into the condensation chambers of the thin radiator-like component. These condensers are typically made of soft aluminum and can even begin to leak at the seams.
People who replace air conditioner condenser parts often fail to consider all the other steps necessary and waste a lot of time playing with toxic refrigerant. You can save money and do the job right by taking a few precautions. You want to first verify that you have a leak. If there is no white residue and the vehicle is under five years old, you should take it to a professional to verify you have leaking refrigerant and to evacuate the system. You need to replace all the seals and lubricate them by soaking them in gasoline. Replace the rubber hoses and make sure you have a new dryer/receiver sealed for the A/C tech to install immediately before recharging.
If you have tightened all the unions correctly and fitted the correct seals, you will have a system that operates like-new once again.
You can find your new air conditioner condenser, cooling fans and radiators in PartsMax Miami, you can find out what other aftermarket parts you can find here!
*Use at your own discretion, this content is for educational purposes only.