Automotive and diesel
Air Conditioning and Heating
Air conditioning fails in July and the heater fails in January, and both come down to the same handful of parts. We find the leak rather than just topping it off, and we use the refrigerant your vehicle was built for.
What it usually turns out to be
You do not need a diagnosis to call. Describe what it is doing and we will tell you whether it is a shop job.
It blows cold for a while and then goes warm
Usually low charge, and low charge means a leak, because refrigerant is a closed loop and does not get used up. It can also be the system icing up or a clutch cycling out. We find where it is going instead of topping it up and sending you off to come back in six weeks.
The air comes out but it is not cold, ever
Different problem from the one above. We check whether the compressor is engaging at all, then pressures on both sides, then the controls. A compressor that never engages is often an electrical or a pressure-switch fault rather than a dead compressor.
Air only comes out of one set of vents, or will not change
Blend doors and their actuators. It is a control problem rather than a refrigerant problem, and it is worth saying which vents on the phone, because it saves diagnostic time you are paying for.
The heater is cold and the engine temperature is normal
Usually coolant flow through the heater core: air in the system, a blockage, or a stuck blend door. It also sometimes means the cooling system is low, which is worth knowing before it becomes an overheat.
It smells musty when you first turn it on
Almost always the evaporator staying wet, and there is usually a drain involved. Unpleasant rather than urgent, but easy to fix and worth mentioning while the vehicle is in for something else.
What we do
- Evacuate and recharge
- Leak diagnosis
- Compressor, condenser, evaporator and drier replacement
- A/C hose repair and replacement
- Heater core replacement
- Heater hose service
- Thermostat replacement
- Dash control and automatic temperature control repair
What we do not do here
- We find the leak rather than topping it up. A recharge without a diagnosis is a repair with an expiry date, and you will be back in the warm part of the year.
- We do not promise same-day air conditioning work. In July everybody discovers this at once, and we would rather give you a real date than a hopeful one.
- We do not publish pricing for this. What it costs depends on where the leak is, and the range between a hose and an evaporator is most of the difference.
- Rooftop air conditioners on an RV are the appliances page, not this one. This page is dash air in a car or truck.
Before you call, have this handy
None of it is required. It just gets you a real answer on the first call instead of the second.
Whether it ever worked properly for you
A system that has never been right since you bought the vehicle is a different story from one that faded over a season.
Whether anyone has put a can of refrigerant in it
Including you, and including the kind with sealant in it. Nobody is judging, but sealant in a system changes what we can do and it is much better known up front than discovered.
What it does, and when
Cold at speed and warm at idle, cold in the morning and warm by afternoon, one side cold and one side not. All of those point somewhere different.
Questions
Questions we get asked
Can you just top it up?
We would rather not, and here is why. Refrigerant is a sealed loop, so if it is low it is leaking, and a top-up without finding the leak is a repair that expires. We will tell you what it takes to fix it properly and you can decide.
How long does it take?
It depends entirely on where the leak turns out to be. A hose is a short job and an evaporator is a dash-out job, which are very different days. We will tell you which one you have before we start.
My car takes the older refrigerant. Is that a problem?
Tell us the year and we will tell you where you stand. Vehicles built across the changeover need care, and converting a system is a decision rather than a default.
The air conditioning in my motorhome is not working. Is that here?
Depends which one. Dash air in the cab is this page. The rooftop unit that cools the living space is on the appliances page. Call and describe it if you are not sure.
Why is my heater cold when the engine runs at normal temperature?
Usually coolant not getting through the heater core, which can be air in the system, a blockage or a stuck door. It can also mean the cooling system is low, which is worth catching before it turns into an overheat.
Talk to someone who works on these
Call the shop and we will tell you the soonest realistic date rather than book you and hold your rig. Mon-Fri 8:00 - 5:00, Saturday 8:00 - 12:00.