The air conditioning in the car helps us all through the summer and offers a good alternative to open windows. But you know that too: The air conditioning doesn’t work like it did at first and sometimes it takes ages until the car is reasonably cool and you don’t know why that’s the case. This is exactly why you need to have the air conditioning serviced. You can find out how often you should wait for them in this article.
So, how often should a car air conditioner be serviced? The air conditioning in the car should be serviced every two years. The cost of servicing the air conditioner in the car is 80-250 euros. Since the air conditioner loses about 8-15% of its refrigerant per year, maintenance is required to regain maximum performance. At the latest when your car is no longer getting really cool, you should go to the workshop, as there could also be a leak in the cooling circuit.
In the following paragraphs we will give you more useful tips and also explain why your air conditioning sometimes smells bad. So be sure to stay until the end!
How is the air conditioning in the car maintained?
The process of air conditioning maintenance in the car is as follows: First, the functions of the associated parts are tested. These include, for example, the coolant compressor, the evaporator or the condenser. In addition, hoses and seals are checked to see whether they are leaking and therefore coolant is escaping. If parts are broken or no longer fully functional, they are replaced or cleaned by the right specialist staff. It is also important to mention here that maintenance of the air conditioning system should only be carried out by trained specialists, otherwise considerable damage can occur.
Incidentally, the entire air conditioning system is cleaned with a special disinfectant. As a result, fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms are eliminated and your air conditioning system no longer stinks. In addition, it will have more power again.
Why does the air conditioner stink?
Everyone knows it: you get in your car in summer, turn on the air conditioning and it starts to stink terribly. But why does this happen and what can you do about it?
The air conditioner stinks because fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms settle and give off unpleasant odors over time. Since condensation forms through the evaporator, the multiplication of such microorganisms is only further promoted.
To stop your air conditioning from smelling, you should turn it off before you park your car. This helps to eliminate the remaining condensation and thus counteracts the formation of fungi. Also, you should know that the air conditioner stinks the more often you use it. So try to drive with the window open to avoid the stench.
However, to get rid of the bad smell, you need to clean your air conditioner. You can find out how this works and how much something like this costs in the next paragraph.
How much does an air conditioner cleaning cost?
Cleaning the air conditioning costs between 20 and 50 euros. The price varies from workshop to workshop. Basically, the air conditioning is completely disinfected here, which also means that fungal accumulations or bacteria are eliminated and the stench goes away.
We strongly advise against cleaning your air conditioner yourself, as this is where things can go wrong. Also, once in with the vacuum cleaner will not help to eliminate the stench and get more cooling performance again. The bacteria usually collect in the air filter, which would have to be removed from the air conditioning system and replaced. That sounds simple, but it’s more complicated than you think. The air conditioning really needs to be thoroughly cleaned, preferably by trained mechanics and with the right disinfectant.
Conclusion
The air conditioning in the car should be cleaned every two years to ensure that it works optimally and is still leakproof everywhere. In addition, bad smells are eliminated. The cost of maintenance is between 80 and 250 euros.
You should also make sure that you don’t use the air conditioning too often to avoid it starting to stink. Furthermore, you should keep your fingers away from cleaning yourself, as it often leads to damage to the air conditioning system if you do not have the necessary knowledge.
