Most Gig Harbor auto owners worry about a breakdown or a tire blowout on a busy Washington highway but don't worry too much about failure of their air conditioning system. A breakdown at the side of the road can be a miserable and dangerous affair during Gig Harbor rush hour, but so can a long ride in a hot car, truck, SUV.
A lot of Gig Harbor drivers judge their vehicles' air conditioning systems as "non-essential" and so may neglect them in favor of repairs and maintenance that keeps the car, truck, SUV running. But preventive maintenance of an air conditioning system is simple and inexpensive, while auto a/c repair can be very expensive in Gig Harbor.
Gig Harbor motorists should have the refrigerant in their air conditioning system checked regularly to ensure it is adequate and clean. Air conditioning systems often fail because air and water have contaminated the refrigerant. Air reduces the efficiency of the refrigerant, and water can cause rusting of the system's components. If your refrigerant is contaminated, the system should be evacuated and recharged. This will actually extend the life of your air conditioning system, preventing pricey repairs, and keep it at peak performance.
Inadequate refrigerant indicates a leak in the air conditioning system. Over time, seals in the system can crack, causing the refrigerant to leak out, reducing the efficiency of the system. Replacing these seals will keep your car, truck, SUV air conditioning system at its best, and, again, will help you avoid more costly repairs.
At Mackert Automotive, we advise our Gig Harbor customers to run their air conditioner periodically in the winter. This will keep the seals from drying out and cracking, saving them the inconvenience of this relatively minor repair.
Check with your car, truck, SUV owner's manual or with your Gig Harbor service specialist for information about how often your car, truck, SUV air conditioning system should be serviced.
Another piece of good auto advice: if your car, truck, SUV air conditioner isn't working or is starting to show signs of breakdown, NOW is the time to get it fixed at Mackert Automotive in Gig Harbor. Waiting will only increase the chances that you are in for major repairs and a costly repair bill.
On a final note, if you own an older vehicle, you should check into upgrading the air conditioning system. Vehicles manufactured before 1993 often contained a refrigerant known as Freon. The manufacture of Freon was outlawed in 1993, leading to an ever-dwindling supply, which leads to an ever-steeper price for Gig Harbor auto owners in Washington. If your vehicle still uses Freon, you should have it retrofitted to use the new, EPA-approved R134A refrigerant. The retrofit will actually pay for itself by reducing the cost to recharge the refrigerant in your car, truck, SUV.
Remember, preventive maintenance - of your entire car - will keep you on the road. And, in this case, it will help you keep your cool!