Why is My AC Blowing Warm Air?
Even in Milwaukee, summer temperatures can leave you sweating in your vehicle as you drive home from work or to a fun outdoor activity. When you reach for the air conditioning controls in your vehicle, you should feel an icy blast, not a lukewarm trickle. Take action when a car AC blows hot air at you to avoid heat stroke and stay cool this summer. In most cases, the repair is relatively easy and can be completed the same day you bring your vehicle in for servicing.
Six Common Causes of Warm AC Air
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- Diverter Gate
- Low Refrigerant
- Clogged Air Filter
- Weak Blower Motor
- Failing Compressor
- Failing Condenser
Why is the AC Blowing Hot Air in My Car?
When your car is blowing hot air that is hotter than the outdoor air, you’re getting heat from the engine rather than the cooling flow you want. This indicates a broken diverter gate in the car’s ventilation system. Depending on what the technician needs to remove to repair the gate, the repair may take a day or two. Having this part repaired isn’t just a matter of restoring your car’s AC capacity. It’s also essential for emergency cooling of the engine in overheating scenarios.
Car AC Blowing Warm or Cool Air
Most cars with AC issues blow air that is only about as warm as the air outside are lacking in freon instead. Just like your home air conditioner, your vehicle AC relies on a coolant gas to absorb heat from the air and deliver the cooling effect you need. We can quickly test your car’s refrigerant levels and refill your system with an EPA-approved option to restore your vehicle’s cooling capacity.
If you can get your car to provide some cooling but know your AC used to work better, it may need a check for refrigerant leaks or a clean air filter. Reduced air flow leads to reduced cooling, so let us check your entire ventilation system if you notice the pressure from the vents isn’t as strong as it used to be. A clean cabin air filter also improves the air quality in your car, reducing unpleasant odors and circulating air more efficiently for window defogging and defrosting. Aside from the filter, the blower motor that moves the cold air over the refrigerant coils could be failing. That’s another cause for air that comes out weakly and far too warm.
What about when your car provides steady AC in the morning, but not in the afternoon sun? Or when it makes a loud noise and then switches from blowing cold air to warm? That’s the compressor failing to provide the necessary pressure to move the refrigerant around the AC system. Again, it’s a part we can easily replace to keep you cool on hot summer days.
Without the loud noise and sudden switch to warm air, it could be an issue with the condenser as well. This part cools the refrigerant after it absorbs heat, so you’ll get a little cooling at first, then a slow switch to warm air from the vents.
Routine Car AC Maintenance
With a little routine maintenance for your car’s heating and cooling system, you can prevent the situation where your AC in car blows hot air. We recommend:
- Having your cabin air filter replaced every 15,000 to 30,000 miles, or more often if you drive down dusty roads
- Getting your refrigerant levels tested at the beginning of every summer and replaced as needed
- Undergoing refrigerant leak testing if you seem to lose cooling capacity soon after a refill
- Having the condenser and compressor tested and replaced as necessary
- Running the AC system 10 minutes a week, even in winter, to keep the system lubricated and primed
- Clearing debris away from the base of your windshield to reduce filter clogging.
If you’re still wondering why does car AC blow hot air, drop in for a visit to our service center here at Genesis of Milwaukee. We can narrow down the potential issues and restore the function of your car’s AC system as soon as possible. There are still plenty of hot days left in the summer, and you don’t want to spend your afternoons sweating in the sun when a cold blast from your car’s vents can cool you off in a hurry.
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