Before you go ahead and trade your old cars for cash, why not try to fix things first and see if the old junker still works? You don’t need to be an expert mechanic in order to tinker around with your old machine and you might save yourself the trouble of having to spend hundreds of dollars for car maintenance.
One problem you might have for old car models is a malfunctioning air conditioner, which basically makes your car’s interior sweltering hot instead of cool. Here’s a quick know-how on your car’s AC system and what could have possibly gone wrong to make it stop working.
Understanding the AC System
The air conditioning system in your car functions like a refrigerator does: it is supposed to keep your car’s interior cool while transferring the heat elsewhere; in this case, outside the car.
As such, the AC is basically made up of components and parts you can find in a refrigerator. These include the refrigerant, the substance which transfers the heat from your car’s interior; and the compressor which helps circulate the refrigerant in the AC system. It also has a condenser which expels the heat and an evaporator which cools your car.
Possible Problems
While it may sound complicated at first, you might now gain an idea where the problem is.
A leaking system is a possibility, which means that the refrigerant simply escapes without being able to carry the heat and the system no longer has enough pressure inside to function correctly. You can check this by finding the low-side valve and using a gauge to check the pressure level.
Another problem is if the compressor is no longer turning. This could be caused by any of the following: either the system is low on refrigerant or there is a problem with a bad wiring or a bad fuse. Other problems might be a broken fan belt or the compressor’s seal failure.
Solutions
Now that you have an idea what could be wrong with your car’s hellish AC system, you have several options. You could approach an expert with your diagnosis and let them do the repairs or you could attempt to do the repairs yourself. However, this is not advisable in the case of leaks, since you might damage other parts of the system.
If a low refrigerant is the problem, you will simply need to purchase a refill, but older models might be using a hard-to-find and expensive type of Freon. In that case, you might indeed be better off selling your old cars for cash
