Summer in Fort Worth, Texas! It’s right around the corner on the heels of a very warm Spring. This is the time my friends to do a little preventative maintenance on your car so you don’t get stuck in July traffic without your air conditioner working.
The air conditioner in your car is a pretty simple device with few parts but each part is crucial if you are going to be provided comfort on those 110 degree days. The main component of your air conditioning unit is the compressor; there is also a condenser, a fan and a thermal expansion valve. If all are working properly then you have no worries; if not, be prepared to sweat.
Oh, but that’s not the only thing you need to check before the hot weather gets here. Make sure your radiator is functioning properly and has no leaks. Periodically check the fluid level in the radiator and if that is down you need to check the hoses as there is a good chance you have a leak somewhere.
Also you might want to have your alternator checked as well as your battery. Obviously you won’t be cooling the interior of your car if the battery is dead and the same can be said for the alternator.
None of these repairs are difficult. Replacing an air conditioning unit or a battery or alternator is easy stuff compared to some other repair jobs. However, even if it is easy that doesn’t mean inexpensive if you have an auto shop do the repair or replacement. You are always looking at labor costs between $40-$80 per hour.
On the other hand if you do it yourself then you are simply looking at the cost of the used part and at a salvage yard that cost is low comparatively speaking. The other thing that is nice about a salvage yard is that you are buying recycled parts thus helping the environment.
While we are on the subject of environment did you know that many air conditioning units still have R-12 Freon in them? What’s the problem you say? Well, R-12 has been found to be harmful to the ozone layer in our atmosphere. A new coolant is on the market called R-134a Freon and it is much safe for the environment, so keep that in mind when you are doing your maintenance check up.
We will be standing by at All Import Auto Parts if you should need some replacement auto parts this summer. We are a green company and we have all of your recycled auto parts waiting for your needs.