Air conditioning in a car can be a life saver on hot summer days. It keeps the air in your car cool and comfortable. But in the winter you don't want cold air in the car. For a lot of people, car air conditioners go unused in the winter and they wait until spring to check them out. At that point, small problems like leaks will have had time to become larger so it makes sense to check your air conditioner in the winter as well, before you actually need it.
Run your air conditioner occasionally during the winter. When the air conditioner in your car isn't used regularly, the seals and compressor could wind up failing when you begin using it heavily in the summer. You don't necessarily have to run it to the point where it puts out cold air. You can run it with the temperature dialed up. In this way, you can use it to recirculate the warm air in the car.
Check the air temperature at different settings. Change the temperature settings while you are running your air conditioning. Do the temperature of the air coming out of the vents change appropriately? If not, you may have a slow leak in your system.
Listen for odd noises. If you hear vibrations or other unusual noises when the fan is running, it could be that there is debris in the blower fan that needs to be removed.
Check the air flow from the vents. It should remain constant. If it begins to diminish, the evaporator could be experiencing problems.
Take your car in for servicing. If you do find a problem with your air conditioning, schedule a service appointment. Technicians will have the specialized equipment needed to properly diagnose and repair air conditioning problems. Don't simply have your system recharged. It is only a Band-Aid on the real problem and won't be a permanent solution.
