Prepare Your Car’s Air Conditioning For Chicago’s Summer Months
It can get hot in Chicago during the summer months, and the last thing that you want to have happen is to have your air conditioning stop working in your car. If this happens, the problem could be because of low refrigerant (freon) levels.
But there are signs that your air conditioning needs to be recharged, something that can be done at Milito’s Auto Repair.
How Your Vehicle’s Air Conditioning Works
Just like the air conditioning in your home uses freon to cool air, so does your automotive A/C system. The compressor pressurizes the freon, turning it from a gas into a liquid. It’s this change in pressure that allows the system to create cool air that’s circulated throughout the vehicle’s cabin.
A/C systems operate using two different sides – the high side and the low side. Before the refrigerant is converted into a liquid in the high side, it starts out as a gas in the low pressure side of the system. The vehicle is kept cool by the constant circulation of refrigerant through the high and low pressure sides of the system.
However, sometimes these pressurized systems develop leaks, and once the refrigerant and pressure level of an A/C system drops too low, it has to be recharged with pressurized refrigerant before it will function properly.

Signs Your Vehicle’s A/C Needs To Be Recharged
How do you know if your vehicle’s air conditioning needs to be recharged or have freon added? There are a few tell-tale signs.
It’s Blowing Room Temperature Air
One of the most obvious symptoms of low freon is room temperature air blowing from the vents. As discussed above, the A/C system operates by circulating pressurized refrigerant. When the amount drops too low, it eventually begins to affect the operation of the system. This is when you’ll notice that it’s no longer blowing cold air, but rather room temperature air.
The A/C Clutch Fails To Engage
When everything’s working properly, you should hear the click of the clutch engaging when you turn your vehicle’s A/C. Why is this important? Because the clutch works by reading freon levels and allows the compressor to pressurize the freon. If there’s not enough freon, it won’t engage and you won’t hear that click.
Visible Refrigerant Leaks
Another more serious symptom of low freon levels is a visible sign of a refrigerant leak. You can tell that it’s freon if it looks like thin grease in liquid state. Drivers will often find it around the compressor, lines, or inside the cabin or pooled underneath the vehicle. Eventually the loss of refrigerant will cause the A/C system to no longer work.
What Happens With a Vehicle A/C Recharge?
Along with adding more freon, your system will most likely need an A/C recharge. When you bring it to the experts at Milito’s Auto Repair in Chicago, the technician will check your system pressures with gauges, and then look for possible leaks. Once a leak is found, the technician will have to evacuate the system and repair the leak before refilling it with fresh refrigerant.
However, an additional step may be needed if the system has been opened, or any components are changed. In that case, they will remove the system of all atmospheric air and moisture with a vacuum before charging it. While adding a can of refrigerant can be done quickly, this additional step can take a couple of hours.
Where To Get Your Car’s A/C Charged In Chicago
If you’re finding that your vehicle’s air conditioning is no longer working properly, it’s important that you bring it to the experienced technicians at Milito’s Auto Repair in Chicago. The can fix any leaks, add in additional freon, and recharge your system so you’ll be ready for those hot Chicago months.
Contact Milito’s Auto Repair today!