Is Your Car Overheating When The Auto A/C System Is Turned On?

What could be more frustrating than not being able to feel cool air from your car A/C during the hot summer days? There is actually something worse – the auto A/C system overheating! You can tell this is happening when the engine, dashboard, and even the seats start to heat up after you switch on the A/C. Sometimes, the car A/C might overheat even when the air conditioning is on for only a few minutes. Not only is this an uncomfortable situation for the passengers, overheating could also lead to serious damage for your car, especially in the summertime.

Check Your Compressor If It Is Overloaded

When an A/C compressor is overloaded, it puts great pressure on the engine, from which it draws a huge amount of power. A malfunctioning A/C compressor would put extra strain on the engine in order to try to do its usual job, which of course it would not even manage to do. This would cause the compressor as well as the engine to overheat, and you can feel it very strongly in the car. Another reason why the engine overheats is because the compressor is no longer able to manage the power usage from the engine on a rotational load like it should normally do, and hence the engine overheats.

Make Sure The Cooling Fan Is Working

If the compressor is overheating even when your car is stationary or moving at slow speeds, this is due to a clogged passage in the radiator, blocking the airflow. This can lead to other issues with your car. One of them is that it can cause the fan switch to fail, thereby causing the compressor to overheat.

Examine Components Of The A/C System

Sometimes, the cooling system is not working because of the failure of individual components that make up the system, some of which can seem like very small components. Yet, each of these components are important and necessary for the A/C system to work effectively. Check the parts like the condenser fins if they are clogged, condenser fan if it is faulty, or water pump that has malfunctioned. There might also be corrosion happening in the radiator tubes, preventing the proper flow of the refrigerant.

Test The Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor

Sometimes you may notice that your coolant temperature sensor shows a “hot” reading, indicating the compressor is overheating. However, if it shows the same reading whether the A/C is on or off, then the reading is definitely suspect. Test to see if the sensor is faulty before a misdiagnosis.

To replace any components of the auto A/C system, you can purchase spare parts online from our trusted web store. However, if you are inexperienced with this sort of work and need proper assistance, simply contact a trusted auto A/C professional at R & Y A/C Compressors and we will take care of it for you.