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Car Repair Service in Austin and DIY Refrigerants

posted on 4/17/2018 3:57:25 PM
Driving a car without properly functioning air conditioning can be downright miserable. If the air conditioning in your vehicle is not working, you might be tempted to fix it yourself with a DIY air conditioner recharge kit. After all, you are a pretty handy fellow and the kit only costs about 20 or 30 bucks, so it will save you some money.
 
While it all looks good on the surface, mechanics tell a story of danger and expensive repairs should something go wrong. In other words, leave the air conditioner recharge to a professional at Groovy Automotive, your car repair service in Austin, here are the reasons why.  

Manual Air Conditioner Recharge Basics

 
These types of kits might seem like a dream come true if your air conditioner is broken. They are inexpensive and claim to fix your air conditioning in just a matter of minutes. But you should know better by now. What seems to too true to be true often isn’t true at all. 
 
You see, these types of recharging systems don’t evacuate the fluid that is still in your air conditioning system. So, you are basically just adding to the current levels, which is a lot like topping off the old oil with new oil. 
 
Topping off your air conditioning fluid really doesn't solve any problems; in fact, it might make some new ones. Topping off your air conditioning fluid only covers up the problems, it is not a solution.
 

Refrigerant Leak

 
The refrigerant in your air conditioner does not ever evaporate, the only way you can lose some is if there is a leak. And when you just add refrigerant to your air conditioning system, you are not fixing anything.
 
And while many DIY kits contain a sealant to stop leaks, these don't work very well at all and in some cases cause further damage.  
 
Mechanics perform dye tests when they service your air conditioner to pinpoint the exact location of the leak so it can be properly fixed. They also perform an inspection of belts, hoses and pumps.  
 

Contaminants

 
Just as a refrigerant can leak out of your system, contaminants can also leak into your system. Dust, dirt and grime can leak into your air conditioning system and build up over time, eventually causing all sorts of trouble. Even water in your system will cause problems.
 
Manually recharging your air conditioning system yourself will not rid the unit of these contaminants.
 

Mixing Refrigerants

 
There are many types of refrigerants on the market and it is a good idea to add the same as your vehicle already has. Mixing refrigerants can cause damage to the compressor and other components.
 
Air conditioning systems require more than just a DIY kit. If you are in need of air conditioning service, bring your car to Groovy Automotive and we will make things right again. If a DIY kit does solve your problem, in most cases it will be just a temporary fix. And there is a chance you could be causing more problems that will lead to expensive repairs.  
Categories: car repair, Austin | View Count: (54) | Return

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Phone: (512) 450-0951
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Austin, TX 78751
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Fax:
Address: 3511 Guadalupe
Austin, TX 78705

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Contact Us

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (512) 450-0951
Fax:
Address: 4011 Red River
Austin, TX 78751
Email:
Phone: (512) 275-0535
Fax:
Address: 3511 Guadalupe
Austin, TX 78705
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