In 1980, 72 percent of all new cars had air-conditioning as a standard feature. By 1990, that had increased to 94 percent, and today almost every make and model comes equipped with air conditioning. The problem is, the cost of maintaining these systems is getting astronomically expensive and, thanks to the refrigerant being used in most vehicles, today’s automotive A/C systems require a lot of maintenance.
“If you drive a vehicle 2017 or newer it most likely has the new refrigerant in it,” said Vince Klimkosz, owner of the three area locations of Vinnie’s Mr. Fixit. “The new refrigerant is very very expensive, almost triple the cost of the old stuff and it leaks so much easier than the older refrigerant. This stuff is just brutal. There are a few manufacturers, ones you wouldn’t expect, having a lot of problems with this new refrigerant leaking.”
After just 20 minutes on a 26-degree day, the inside of a car with windows rolled up can hit 42 degrees Celsius. After 40 minutes, it can hit 48 degrees. After an hour, that interior temperature can reach over 50 degrees. Now, imagine the typical length of your Friday afternoon commute along a jammed 401 at rush hour and you’ll quickly understand the value of having a fully functioning air conditioning system in your vehicle running at maximum efficiency.
“We’ve gotten spoiled with air conditioning,” said Klimkosz, whose company offers expert air conditioning maintenance and repair at all three Vinnie’s locations. “It’s one of those options you almost can’t live without, especially when heat waves come. It’s almost strange to think we used to drive vehicles without air conditioning for so many years. When problems come and they act up, they’ve become very expensive to maintain.”
With the climate crisis growing and new threats like this June’s “heat dome” driving rising temperatures, not having air conditioning could be considered a health and safety issue. Older cars used to have flip-around windows that would direct air flow directly onto passengers and vents that could be opened to let fresh air flow into the vehicles. Today’s vehicles are a little more airtight, which makes a fully functioning air conditioning unit a vital piece of the cabin’s interior air quality system.
Besides having your air conditioning systems regularly maintained, Klimkosz said there are other things you can do to protect your investment and keep your A/C working longer.
“For example, you should make sure there is no debris built up around your condenser,” he said. “Bugs, grass, and other stuff clogging the condenser can make your A/C work harder. Another thing is to replace your cabin air filter. If you want your cooling unit to work having a clean cabin air filter is important. You’d be surprised how much stuff gets caught in that filter. When we get them in here and take them out, sometimes they’re just full of leaves, debris, mould, mouse turds, everything you can think of. Replacing them goes a long way to keeping your A/C going.”
Klimkosz said a new model car with an air conditioner working at maximum efficiency should be able to drop the interior temperature 20 to 25 degrees lower than the air temperature outside.
“If it’s 90 degrees outside, you should be able to get down to 70 or even 65. It’s all based on the limitation of the refrigerant. They all have limitations, and the new R-1234yf refrigerant has smaller molecules that cause it to leak more. The new stuff is proving to be a challenge for all auto makers to make a system that doesn’t leak.”
When just climbing into your car on a hot day, Klimkosz recommends opening all the windows to let the hot interior air escape. Then roll up the windows before engaging the air conditioning.
Visit any of the three locations of Vinnie’s Mr. Fixit to have your air conditioning inspected by our licenced technicians. Book your appointment today and visit Vinnie’s online.