Aircon Servicing

Your vehicle's air conditioning removes heat from the air and carries it out of the vehicle to leave behind cool air. It does this through a refrigerant that can become dirty or leak. Per Australian law, only a licenced and qualified mechanic, like our team at Terry Wallis Motors, can service or repair car air conditioning systems.

At Terry Wallis Motors, we suggest getting your air conditioning serviced at least once a year to ensure that there is no bacteria growing or any clogged filters. If your refrigerant has started to evaporate or leak, then your car's A/C system will start to lose its cooling properties and will make the vehicle work harder, resulting in more fuel used. Let us fix it.

You may have noticed a bad smell coming from your vehicle's air conditioning system. This can be caused by a number of different things such as the evaporator core having fungus, bacteria or microbes growing on it. Terry Wallis Motors use ultrasonic technology to remove any bacteria and keep you and your vehicle healthy.

Why do I need a car air conditioner system service?

The compressor needs the right amount of oil in the refrigerant to prevent it from seizing up. When the air filters become clogged with dirt and bacteria it will affect the performance of the entire system and it can even cause it to fail to operate altogether. Aside from impacting air conditioner performance, dirty air filters can cause all kinds of health problems too.

Your vehicle air conditioning system ought to be checked for problems annually for any signs of problems with the connections, seals and hoses to make sure refrigerant levels have not diminished over time. Regular service of your auto air conditioner keeps refrigerant at optimum levels meaning the system does not need to work as hard and this in turn protects the system from damage and means less fuel is being used.

Why does the car air conditioner need to be recharged?

Your car air conditioning system is designed to remove heat from the air within the interior of the vehicle and carry it out of the vehicle, leaving only cooled or 'conditioned' air to be redistributed. This is achieved using a special compound called refrigerant, capable of readily absorbing heat as a gas and quickly losing heat as a liquid.

While it functions much like a domestic refrigerator, there are still some crucial differences. Seeing as it is mounted on your car, the air conditioner is subject to an epic amount of movement and vibration in addition to functioning outdoors.

Being exposed to the elements and very extreme operating conditions and being operated intermittently rather than being Always On can cause decay of the seals, hoses and connections. An automotive air conditioning system should to be checked at least once a year while being properly serviced every 24 months to ensure there are no problems or refrigerant loss due to failure or leakage from these points.

Simply by cooling the air in your car under normal running conditions, the filters of the air con get dirty. If the system is run infrequently, seals may dry and crack allowing them to leak and the air conditioning system can lose as much as 15% of its refrigerant in a single year. Even without leaks, the gas in a car air conditioning system will eventually degrade or evaporate over time and should be recharged regularly to keep the air con system in peak running condition.

Can I service my own air conditioner?

Under Australian law, only qualified mechanics with the appropriate licences are able to service or repair car air conditioning systems, especially where regas (recharging of the refrigerant) is concerned. Strict guidelines and procedures must be adhered to when handling refrigerant, which must always be fully recovered and not allowed to escape into the atmosphere during servicing.

Refrigerant can also pose serious health risks if handled incorrectly. Specialist equipment is also required as the air conditioning system is under extreme pressure and must be pulled into a deep vacuum to remove any moisture, which can seriously damage the system.

You can find out more about licensing on the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) Website.