Reasons for Hot Air Out of the Car AC Vents

While driving the car in the hard summers, it can be really annoying when you switch on the AC and instead of a cool breeze; you experience a blow of warm air. The ride can even become more painful if you are stuck in traffic. This problem doesn't happen due to the hot sun outside the car or it is neither seasonal, the AC can stop functioning at any point in time to make you feel the heat of negligence. Fortunately, there are many potential reasons to look after that makes your AC blow warm or hot air into the cabin.

Low refrigerant

Freon is the chemical refrigerant responsible for the cold air out of the AC system in your car. This refrigerant cools the warm air pumped into the AC before it is distributed back into the cabin. So, a low amount of refrigerant can affect the degree of coldness of the air coming out of the AC. The new AC systems are more sensitive and will not work properly if there is not enough of this chemical. They require a specific amount of freon and the proper way to check the system for the correct volume of freon is with a charging machine. This device will first remove the entire refrigerant from the system and then refill it with the correct amount for proper operation. A leak can develop slowly and result in insufficient freon in the AC system.

Bad compressor

The compressor is the heart of the AC system, which pressurizes the refrigerant to absorb the heat from the air in the cabin and release it outside. A bad compressor is not able to pump the refrigerant through the system and results in lack of cooling power. This makes the AC blow warm air inside the cabin. Even sometimes, the clutch stops moving and creates a problem for the compressor. The clutch allows the pulley to engage and disengage from engine power. When the clutch malfunctions, then the compressor either is activated all the time or doesn't receive power from the engine. In such cases, it is always recommended to replace the compressor for better and efficient results.

Stuck blend air door

The car's ventilation system houses a small hatch called the blend air door that draws in cold air when the temperature is lowered in the AC system of the car. If you observe there is still no change in the cabin temperature, then the AC unit is still drawing heat from the engine. And instead of blowing cold air to lower the temperature of the cabin, the AC system blows out hot air, raising the temperature inside the cabin.

Blocked condenser

The condenser consists of a series of tubes with fins around them and its work is to release the heat absorbed by the refrigerant. The refrigerant enters the condenser as a high-pressure vapor, but as it flows through the condenser, it cools down and turns into a cold high-pressure liquid. The condenser is more susceptible to blockage due to external things like leaves, dust, and debris. It can also get blocked due to the failure of the compressor which allows metal particles to flow into the condenser along with the refrigerant. A blocked condenser do not allow the refrigerant to properly move through the tubes and cool down which results in the blowing of less cold air out of the AC vents.

Damaged cooling fans

The cooling fans in the air conditioning system in the cars are mostly used to keep the condenser cool. As a cool condenser can only efficiently convert the gas into a liquid and allow the AC to render cold air inside the cabin. When the fans stop working, then the condenser gets too hot and is unable to convert the hot refrigerant vapor into the cold liquid form. And the end result is the AC blows out warm air and raises the temperature inside the car.

Conclusion

The AC systems play an important role when it comes to the level of comfort while driving the car for a long or short distance. And when the AC fails to maintain a cold temperature inside the cabin, then everyone inside the car feels the heat. The best way to avoid such a situation is timely servicing the air conditioning system. Regular maintenance keeps the AC fresh and cold throughout the year and keeps you away from receiving hot air out of the AC vents.

Louden motorcars have been providing car service and repair only to the owners of BMW, MINI, Mercedes and Porsche for the last 40 years in and around Dallas. We are rated among the top 10 shops in the U.S.