Automobile repairs cost a bundle nowadays and it’s not just the average American who’s feeling the pinch. Admittedly, car service shops offer the best alternative, with the training, expertise, and equipment that they have; no one could contest how successfully they can do the job of repairing or maintaining automobiles and car parts.

Nonetheless, with all the news about rip offs that happen in service centers, vehicle owners are now seriously considering ways on how to avoid having to go into a car repair and maintenance facility. Most reputable car shops are all right, but the expense of having to bring in your car for consultation and pricey parts and service, a lot of auto owners really think twice before having their car serviced.

With other, cheaper car service centers, the driver’s worries are not centered on the cost, but on the possibility that their cars might be under the hands of less experienced technicians and that the parts put in are substituted by sub quality parts that come cheaper but are less durable.

Fortunately for vehicle owners, there are some car maintenance jobs that can be done without having to go to a service center. One of these is making a busted air conditioner work. Instead of having to suffer from the heat global warming has caused to build up, here are some tips on how to get that air conditioner working again.

The first thing that you would need to inspect is your fan belt. Sometimes, the cause of the malfunction may be a slipping or a broken belt.

If the fan belt has been righted or replaced and the air conditioner still does not work, check if you need to add refrigerant to it. You will need a pressure gauge, goggles, and a refill kit for this task (ask your friendly auto parts shop for advice). Look under the hood and you’ll find a label that states what kind of refrigerant you’ll need. To find out if your refrigerant is lacking, turn on your air conditioner and see if it engages or if it cools for a bit and then turns off. Refrigerant refill kits are available in auto stores but if your car needs an R12 type of refrigerant, unfortunately, that is more expensive.

R134 type of refrigerant are available in small cans but the older type of air conditioner with R12 can only be bought via your local auto shop ordering for some, which is why it’s more expensive. Aside from that, the auto shops that can do the orders are professionals and might insist on them checking and repairing leaks on your air conditioning system.

You can also consider transitioning to an R134 type of refrigerant if you change your air conditioning system. This is of course harder and more complicated to do. Unless you have a background in automotive repair or air conditioning systems, bring you car to a service center.

See: Gas credit cards

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 8:30 pm and is filed under Air Conditioner, Car Maintenance, Car Parts, Gas Cards Articles, Repairs and Other Services. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.