What To Know About An Auto A/C Refrigerant Leak

Causes and Fixes

What’s A Hint That Your A/C Refrigerant Is Leaking?

A car's refrigerant is pretty hard to notice since it's colorless and odorless, so it rarely leaves any signs or odor when it's leaking. The most obvious sign that your air conditioning refrigerant is leaking is if the light on your dashboard goes off. However, it may not go off before you notice the signs. If your car's A/C system is blowing in warm air even with the climate control dial turned to the coldest setting, that's one sign the refrigerant is leaking. You might also notice a strange clicking noise when the air conditioning is running. Though more than likely, someone else standing outside your vehicle notices those noises before you do from within your car.

What’s Causing Your A/C Leak?

Components in your car can become damaged, even when you perform regular maintenance. There are the bigger, more obvious causes of component damage, like fender benders and car accidents, that can cause damage to the condenser and evaporator. Sometimes, the damage can sneak up on you when the wheels kick up road debris or flying rocks. Sometimes, it's even just the o-ring, seal, or hose that has gone bad and started to corrode, and it can be easy to catch them during a maintenance appointment scheduled before summer comes along and makes you sweat in your car on the road.

How You Can Fix It

Where the leak is happening will determine how it can be fixed. If it's the o-ring that needs to be replaced, that's just a few dollars with the cost of labor factored in. There are other parts that could cost more to replace, like the air conditioner line or even the condenser that needs to be replaced. One of our helpful professionals can help you find where the leak is happening and walk you through how it can be fixed. At Buck & Doe Auto, we can look into the issue and help you work out what work needs to be done and how much it will cost you. Just call 970-702-0313 to get scheduled for an inspection!