The air conditioning unit in your vehicle operates similarly to a refrigerator. Your vehicle’s air conditioning unit is designed to move heat from the inside of your car to outside of it.

Your vehicle’s air conditioning unit has six major components:

• The refrigerant: carries heat. In modern cars, refrigerant is a substance called R-134a. Older cars’ refrigerant is called r-12 freon, which is more expensive and difficult to find than R-134a.
• The compressor circulates and compresses refrigerant within the vehicle’s cooling system.
• Your vehicle’s condenser changes the refrigerant from gas to liquid and expels heat from the car.
• The expansion valve (sometimes called the orifice tube) is a nozzle that simultaneously drops the pressure of the refrigerant liquid, meter its flow and atomize it.
• Your vehicle’s evaporator transfers heat to the refrigerant from the air blown across it, cooling your car.
• The receiver or dryer filters your vehicle’s refrigerant and oil, removing moisture and other contaminants from them.

When you start your vehicle’s air conditioning system, the compressor works by putting the refrigerant under pressure, sending it to the condensing coils, which are generally in front of your vehicle’s radiator. The condenser expels hot air to outside the car, cooling the air within the vehicle. When this happens, the refrigerant is cooled, and it changes form a gas to a liquid, which then passes through the expansion valve and to the evaporator.

Once the evaporator receives the liquid-state refrigerant, it loses pressure and cools the remaining liquid. The vehicle’s blower moves air across the evaporator and into the vehicle’s interior. If you keep your air conditioning unit turned on, the refrigerant goes through this cycle continuously.

If any of these components is damaged, it can turn your cool car into a furnace during the summer months. Your vehicle’s air conditioning issue could be as simple as topping off refrigerant to replacing a valve. When your air conditioning unit is not working as it should, bring your vehicle to Westgate High Tech Auto Care. One of our trained air conditioning specialists will inspect your car’s air conditioner, all lines, the evaporator and the compressor for leaks and wear.

Omaha Air Conditioning Repair
Let’s talk about air conditioning and repair issues for the Omaha, NE area. Most of us in Omaha we don’t give our air conditioning a second thought as long as it’s making cold air. But it’s a complex and expensive system that we should think about before it starts blowing hot air.

Most Omaha area car owners don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. Maintaining your SUV air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well.

Along with the refrigerant, a special oil circulates in the system. The oil lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and we all know that air conditioning repairs can be costly.

Air Conditioning Repair and Maintenance
The refrigerant in the air conditioner contains a special oil that lubricates and cools the A/C parts. When enough refrigerant leaks out, your air conditioner still makes cold air, but the parts don’t have enough oil to protect them and they wear out faster than they should so it’s important to service the air conditioner as recommended by your Omaha NE service center.

Omaha NE Air ConditioningReplacing old refrigerant has another benefit: refrigerant tends to gather moisture and become corrosive. That causes leaks in the system which can be expensive to repair. Fresh refrigerant protects the air conditioning components and keeps the system operating at peak efficiency so it doesn’t have to work as hard to keep you cool.

Even with regular service A/C parts can just wear out. Normal wear and tear eventually gets to all moving parts.

Addressing early problems can save on more extensive repairs down the road. For instance, a common failure is the clutch that turns the compressor on and off. If you can take care of a bad A/C clutch when it first starts having problems, you may be able to save the compressor. Wait too long and you’ll have to replace both.

Our Service
Air conditioning service at Westgate High-Tech Auto Care in Omaha starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it’s inspected for cracks or wear.

The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation by your Westgate High-Tech Auto Care service advisor. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the SUV system is retested. Your Westgate High-Tech Auto Care technician will also perform a temperature drop test.

If needed, the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the air conditioner is working, and you’re on your way.

How often this should be done at Westgate High-Tech Auto Care varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your SUV owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your understanding Westgate High-Tech Auto Care service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

Air Conditioning Repair FAQs

Your air conditioning system uses refrigerant to create cold air. The most common reasons Omaha drivers lose their cold air have to do with the refrigerant.

The first is not enough refrigerant. Refrigerant is a gas in the system and very small holes in a hose, seal or coupler can allow enough to leak out to prevent the creation of cold air.

Another potential problem for Omaha auto owners is contamination. Over time the inside of the rubber hoses can deteriorate and little bits of rubber can clog up various filters and other key parts of the SUV A/C system, preventing proper circulation of the refrigerant. And a component could also be worn or broken. So the first step for Omaha motorists who can’t cool their SUV is a thorough air conditioning inspection, looking for leaks and worn parts. In fact, Federal law requires an inspection before adding refrigerant. Some states do not allow topping off a leaking system.

Once any critical repairs are made, refrigerant is added. At the same time, special oil is added to the system. This oil cools and lubricates various components as it circulates along with the refrigerant. If you have a refrigerant leak, you also have an oil leak – and it’s vital that both be replenished for proper function and protection of your A/C system.

Sometimes overlooked by Omaha motorists is the fact that a worn serpentine belt (which drives the A/C compressor) leads to belt slippage which puts additional strain on the compressor. Replacing your serpentine belt and belt tensioner on schedule at Omaha will extend the life of your A/C compressor and other key belt driven accessories.

Give us a call for the premier air conditioning service and repair in Omaha!

Westgate High-Tech Auto Care
12300 West Center Road
Omaha, NE 68144
402.397.8144