Air conditioning in the car: an important companion through the summer!

rate us: Google / Facebook ⭐⭐⭐

Temperatures are rising and it's uncomfortably hot in the car. Now only the air conditioning helps. As soon as you switch it on, you can already feel the first cool draft on your hot skin. However, that's not all. Suddenly an unpleasant smell spreads in the car. And you might be wondering: where is that awful smell coming from all of a sudden? This is not only unpleasant for you, but also for the passengers. Now at the latest it is time for disinfection. In addition to the bodywork and the interior, you also have to take care of the air conditioning regularly. Here you can find out what you need to know about maintenance and cleaning – including how much the air conditioning service costs.

Air conditioning in the car

Anyone who is only interested in very specific areas related to the topic "Air conditioning in the car: An important companion through the summer!" can use the following jump links to go directly to the desired topic navigate with just one click. And you can get back to this overview just as quickly with just one click from the selected menu item. However, we recommend that our readers always read the entire article. Some menu items are only really comprehensible and understandable when the complete information article has been read.

1. Why does the air conditioning stink?
2. When the air conditioning no longer cools?
3. Functioning air conditioning increases safety!
4. Air conditioning service: the costs!< /li>
5. This is how the maintenance works
6. Air conditioning service: These services are part of it
7. Disinfect the air conditioning system yourself
8. How the air conditioning system works
< li>Air conditioning: two versions are common!
9. Fuel consumption and costs of the air conditioning!
10. Use the air conditioning correctly

Why does the air conditioning stink?< /h3>

Once the air conditioner stinks, it's time to disinfect it. After all, there is a reason why the faithful companion exudes an unpleasant smell throughout the summer. Mold, bacteria and microorganisms: you feel like in paradise in a warm and humid environment. Both promote that they spread on the evaporator and in the blower box. "return

If the air conditioning is no longer cooling?

The fact that the air conditioning needs to be maintained is not always noticeable from the smell. Sometimes it just doesn't cool as it should. Another sign of an appointment with the air conditioning service. Because the reason for the decreasing cooling function is the refrigerant. The system can lose around 15 percent of the refrigerant every year. There is only one thing that can help: topping up the refrigerant regularly. Experts recommend that you have your air conditioner serviced every two years. If the coolant escapes, it pollutes the environment. Regular maintenance thus fulfills two important points: It protects the environment and saves you from high follow-up costs due to damage that goes unnoticed. "return

Functioning air conditioning increases safety!

This is due to the temperature inside. As soon as it increases, the driver's concentration decreases sharply. This increases the risk of accidents. This makes the air conditioning in summer much more than just a comfort function - it makes an active contribution to road safety. "return

Air conditioning service: the costs!

What the air conditioning service costs you depends largely on the refrigerant used. For older models that use the refrigerant R134a, the service costs between 40 and 120 euros. However, this remedy is now banned. This is why new cars have only been allowed to use R1234y as a refrigerant since the beginning of 2017. This results in higher costs, since the drug itself is more expensive than its predecessor. The service costs between 100 and 200 euros, with the actual price depending on the required quantity and the hourly rate of the workshop. A repair to the air conditioning system can also increase the costs. "return

This is how maintenance works:

The air conditioning service checks the most important components: expansion valve, condenser, coolant compressor and evaporator. In addition, seals and hoses must be checked. They can dry out or age and leak as a result. Manufacturers therefore recommend an annual check. It is best to have this done in a specialist workshop. Incorrect maintenance can cause damage to the air conditioning system, resulting in high follow-up costs. In the specialist workshop, on the other hand, trained specialists take care of the service and use a special air conditioning service device for this purpose. Before the inspection, find out if the air conditioning system is checked - this is not always the case. In most cases, however, you can book the service additionally.

If the cooling capacity decreases, a specialist must examine (e.g. by adding a contrast agent) whether the system is losing coolant. However, even without a leak, part of the agent (it is a gas) is lost over time. For the driver, this means that the air conditioning cools less. At the same time, expensive consequential damage becomes more likely.

There is a reason for this: the coolant is enriched with oil. As a result, it lubricates the compressor and protects seals from drying out. The refrigerant not only helps to cool the interior. If the workshop has to install a new compressor, the costs for this are around 800 to 1,500 euros. "return

Air conditioning service: These services are part of it

Ozone is used to disinfect the system. This professional treatment removes bacteria and fungi. These can have accumulated on the evaporator, but also in the shafts and the air ducts. The treatment with ozone costs around 50 euros.

Also important: Change the filters for the interior regularly. This contributes to cleaner air in the interior and an operational air conditioning system. In addition, pollen don't stand a chance. You can read about how that works here. "return

Disinfect the air conditioner yourself

If you clean your air conditioner yourself, you prevent unpleasant odors caused by bacteria and fungi. Special cleaning sprays and foams help to disinfect the shafts, hoses and the evaporator. These remedies cost between 10 and 15 euros per bottle. However, cleaning the system on your own does not replace professional air conditioning service.

Cleaning foam for disinfection: Spray the foam from the can directly into the evaporator using a longer hose. The foam has to take effect for around half an hour, then you start the engine, open the ventilation nozzles and turn the air conditioning up to full power. This distributes the active ingredient. This variant is particularly active because it fights the bacteria and fungi where they have settled: on the evaporator.

Spray for disinfection: Use the spray inside the vehicle when the engine is running. The windows remain closed and the circulating air fan runs at the highest temperature and level. Then place the spray in the footwell, i.e. in the intake area of ​​the air conditioning system, and activate it at the push of a button. It takes about 15 minutes for the spray to completely escape. One can is enough to disinfect the entire air conditioning and ventilation system. You must not stay in the car during this time. Once the disinfection is complete, you must ventilate the interior thoroughly.

Also important: the cabin filter. You should replace this in the course of disinfection. It is usually hidden in the engine compartment, behind the paneling of the bulkhead. That makes the swap a little more complicated. Nevertheless, the exchange is possible on your own. A new activated carbon cabin filter will cost you between 8 and 35 euros. But the activated charcoal filter is worth its price - because unlike the pollen filter, it filters 92 percent of the toxic nitrogen dioxide from the air in the interior. "return

How air conditioning works

Basically, all air conditioning systems work in the same way: They contain a gaseous coolant that is first sucked in by the compressor and then compressed. This creates pressure that heats the gas. It is then cooled in the heat exchanger, where it changes to a liquid state. If there is water in the coolant, it is then filtered out using a dryer.

The next stop of the refrigerant is the expansion valve. From here it is metered into the evaporator. Passing into the evaporator, it becomes gaseous again as it is no longer under pressure. In order for it to change its state, however, it needs heat. This heat is supplied by the air that flows into the evaporator.

This ensures that the air is significantly cooled as soon as it passes through the evaporator. The cold air is passed into the interior using the ventilation nozzles. The compressor then sucks in the coolant again: the cycle starts all over again. "return

Air conditioning: two versions are common!

Air conditioning systems are divided into manual and automatic models. If you have to operate the air conditioning manually, it will be cooled in the temperature range that you have set. On the other hand, if your car has an automatic air conditioning system, the system regulates itself automatically. Sensors ensure that the desired temperature is maintained - even if the outside conditions change. The multi-zone air conditioning system is particularly convenient: you can regulate it separately here, namely for the driver, the front passenger and possibly the rear area. Some models even vary their performance depending on the position of the sun, depending on the sensors installed. "return

Fuel consumption and costs of the air conditioning!

Since a belt on the engine drives the air conditioning compressor, there is additional consumption. The workload for the engine increases – and so does fuel consumption. According to ADAC, however, manual air conditioning systems consume more fuel than automatic climate control. Because the automatic climate control varies the cooling capacity independently after the desired temperature has been set.

In addition to the type of compressor, the operating conditions and engine performance also affect the additional consumption. The additional consumption varies between motorway driving with 0.3 to 1.5 liters per 100 kilometers and in city traffic with 1.5 to 5.0 liters per 100 kilometers.

Additional costs arise from the coolant replacement, wear on the compressor shaft and workshop costs. However, it does not help to permanently switch off the air conditioning. If the air conditioning system is not used for a long time, the system will be damaged. Because without working, the compressor of the air conditioning system is still driven by a belt. For the compressor shaft, this means insufficient lubrication and a permanent loss of refrigerant.

If the system then has to be sealed and refilled, high costs arise. For this reason, it should not remain switched off permanently, even in winter. Better: Set the temperature a little higher than the outside temperature. In this way, the compressor runs without additional consumption. "return

Use the air conditioner correctly

Of course, that's far from it!

tuningblog has countless other articles on the subject of cars and autotuning in stock. Do you want to see them all? Just click HERE and take a look around. In part, however, we would also like to provide you with news apart from tuning. In our category tips, products, information & We have published articles from car or accessory manufacturers, new tuning wiki terms or one or the other leak. The following is an excerpt of the last articles:

"tuningblog.eu" - on the subject of autotuning and car styling, we keep you up to date with our tuning magazine and present you with the latest ones every day tuned vehicles from all over the world. It is best if you subscribe to our feed and will be informed automatically as soon as there is something new about this post, and of course about all other posts as well.