MAKING YOUR A/C LAST

We are often asked what people can do to get more life from their a/c system. There are a couple things everyone can do.
#1. Do not idle your vehicle with the a/c on. Cars and light trucks were designed to be in motion. Air is forced through the front of the vehicle while in motion. This Ram air passes through the a/c condenser, cooling it and lowering the internal pressure. Pressure and heat kill systems. When a vehicle idles, only air pulled through by the engines fans provide fresh air. The longer a vehicle idles the hotter and more stagnant the air gets. When we are out and about we see people with a car full of people idling while parked at a drive through or store waiting. They have no idea the damage they are inflicting on the compressor. Eventually they will be in for very expensive repairs.
#2, keep the area in front of the condenser and between the radiator clean. This area plugs up with leaves and bugs. The lack of air flow increases heat and pressure just like example #1.
#3. Use your a/c in the winter. Using the defroster also helps because your compressor is activated with the defroster. This helps keep the lubricant flowing and seals soft. There are also cases of some compressors locking up from lack of use and lubricant.
Follow these tips and you will increase your systems lifespan and overall performance.

Working With Your Technician

As a technician, I am dedicated to repairing auto air systems properly. I want them to last and look like the person who did the repairs was a craftsman.
As a customer there are things you can do to help me or any other technician accomplish this.
First, be prepared to give an accurate description of the problem. Is it intermittent? Does it make noise? How long has it been broken? Anything you can offer helps. It is extremely important to let technicians know if someone (including you) has been working on the system. Important clues to we use to diagnose a problem can be skewed if others have been working on it, for example, adding refrigerant.
Second, TIME. I realize how difficult it is to give up your car. Its your office, lifeline,and independence. However, it is far more inconvenient to have to return multiple times when it has not been fixed properly. I recommend setting up a day to drop vehicles off with us. We start by doing a basic diagnosis of the problem. Often it is simple and we can then determine how long and how much to repair it. Most problems we see are leaks. Some leaks are present at all times. Others may only leak at certain times or after a vehicle has cooled down for an hour, maybe longer. Most vehicles can still be diagnosed and repaired within the same day. By letting your tech have the time he need to do his job correctly will result in better repairs and decrease the chances you will have to return.

Spring Time Performance Checks

Now that its warming up its very important to turn your a/c on and make sure its working. During the colder months, seals shrink and cause refrigerant leaks. By getting your a/c serviced or repaired now you can take advantage of our pre-season pricing as well as flexible schedule. Once it gets hot, we book up fast so dont delay.

Welcome to my blog

My name is Bob Steinmann, owner of Century Auto Air of Tucson, Arizona. We repair auto a/c systems, sell parts, and repair a/c hoses. One of our specialties is the resealing of compressors. take a look at our Denso video. We sell the seal kits on our website www.centuryautoair.com .