A vehicle AC recharge means putting more refrigerant to your vehicle. It is a very common maintenance requirement for older vehicles that still use Freon as a refrigerant. Most modern cars have started using a refrigerant called R134a instead, which doesn’t need to be topped off quite as often. If you have a newer vehicle that requires more refrigerant on a regular base, it is possible that your vehicle have an AC leak somewhere in the system.

What we do: Canadian Auto/Napa Auto Care in St Albert we’ll investigate an AC leak in addition to other problems and help you stay cool on the road. There is a possibility on the other hand, a clogged cabin air filter can also result in the loss of a vehicle AC cooling, and therefore, we will inspect the cabin filter first, before recharging the AC. An excellent first step is to examine your AC compressor. By watching how the clutch and pulleys engage, we can usually tell quickly if the problem is low refrigerant, electrical malfunction, or something mechanical.

How It Works: Unless you have at least a little bit of experience as a mechanic, it will be difficult to tell the difference between low AC refrigerant and other problems that could be causing the AC to malfunction. All you need to recognize is that if you have a malfunctioning car air conditioner. When you can’t get cool in your car, it’s time to bring it to Canadian Auto/Napa Auto Care in St Albert.

In the case of a vehicle AC leak, bad electrical signals, or mechanical failure, the system may call for other small repairs. In many cases, though, there is a good chance that you need more of a refrigerant like R134a in your vehicle. We’ll get you back to an appropriate level of air conditioning refrigerant and send you on your way. Since we have all the required equipment on-site, it’s as easy as that!

How Long It Takes?

Since 2014, some cars started running on R1234YF. 1234YF is an effective coolant, but unfortunately, not many shops service it because it requires specialized equipment, which makes it hard for these car owners to get their vehicle AC recharged.

We would recommend regular yearly inspections of the air conditioning system to catch weaknesses while they are still small and can be repaired less expensively.

Canadian Auto/Napa Auto Care Centre in St Albert is an authorized, trusted, and approved facility to have your vehicle air conditioning inspection performed, repaired, and recharged. We have all the proper equipment to diagnose, repair and recharge your car, truck, SUV, and minivan regardless of the year, make and model from domestics to imports like; Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Volvo, Lincoln, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Ram, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen and many others.

The most obvious sign that a car’s air conditioner isn’t operating properly is that it stops cooling the air temperature down in the vehicle. If you are no longer receiving cool air, even if you already set the climate control in your car to the lowest degree, then it is a sure indication that your AC system will need recharging.

On the other hand, a clogged cabin air filter can also result in the loss of AC cooling, and therefore, it is always advisable to inspect the cabin filter first, before recharging the AC.

One of the most crucial elements of a vehicle’s air conditioning system is the compressor clutch. The compressor clutch applies pressure to your air conditioning system, and it also maintains the refrigerant running to keep it functioning adequately. Because it is a system that constantly cycles on and off, it will ultimately wear out and eventually break.

If there is a problem with the compressor clutch, your air conditioner will not be able to blast cool air for any considerable length of time. A dysfunctional or aging compressor will not be able to keep track of the refrigerant circulation in your system, and it won’t be able to supply you with the cool air you require.

There will be visible signs of refrigerant leakage, which is a more significant indication that the vehicle’s air conditioning system needs recharging. If you detect puddles of refrigerant beneath your car, or a greasy coating on the AC components, then a leak has already formed. The presence of a leakage will make the air conditioning system to break down, and eventually it will stop working altogether.

The compressor squeezes the refrigerant into a high-pressure vapor, transforming it into a pressurized liquid in the condenser. The condenser, which functions similarly to a radiator, and performs together with radiator fans, enables the liquified refrigerant to flow and absorb heat from the evaporator. Refrigerant leakage, or impurities obstructing refrigerant flow, are the primary causes of a malfunctioning condenser.

Determine what type of refrigerant your vehicle requires:

On 1995 and newer passenger cars and light trucks up to about 2015, the correct refrigerant is R-134a, we Refer to the A/C information decal under the hood to make sure your A/C system is a R-134a system.

Starting with model years 2014-2015 a growing number of vehicles now use a different type of refrigerant called R-1234yf. These applications, use R-1234yf only, never R-134a.

On most 1994 and older passenger cars and light trucks, the original refrigerant was R-12. R-12 is no longer available to do-it-yourselfers (although some bootleg R-12 of questionable purity and quality is still coming into the U.S. and Canada from south of the border). When older vehicles with R-12 A/C systems need refrigerant, they can be refilled with recycled R-12 from other older cars (this requires taking your car to a repair shop for professional service), or with an alternative refrigerant other than R-12, or with R-134a (which requires certain modifications).