KEY POINTS:
Last weekend appears to be a forerunner of the summer to come and the weather forecasters have been telling us we're in for a long, hot one, possible the hottest in years.
While sitting in a traffic queue on the way back from the beach I turned on the air-conditioning, only to hear the asthmatic wheezing of a 90-year-old man emanating from under the bonnet.
There was a foul puff of something from one of the vents and that was about it.
Once regarded as a luxury, air-conditioning is now a standard item in most cars and hence mostly forgotten about until it goes wrong.
As with most things under the hood in a car less than 10 years old, mere mortals can't fix it, so servicing of an air-conditioning unit is best left to the professionals, but here are a few things to keep an eye on.
As your car becomes older, or when the air-conditioning system is used infrequently, bacteria, mould and fungi can start growing just behind the dash panel on the evaporator, causing unpleasant odours. An anti-bacterial treatment that destroys any growth can solve the problem.
If you feel the car doesn't seem as cold as it used to be, the air-conditioning system may need servicing. Most vehicles lose up to 15 per cent of gas during the course of a year. The small seals can dry out over time, leading to a gradual decline in system performance.
If you run the system on an occasional but regular cycle in the winter it will help to keep it well lubricated and leak-tight. It also keeps the seals and hoses moist, thus preventing them from drying out and cracking, which can lead to leaks.
Strange noises coming from the air-conditioning should be seen to immediately. Some noises could be early symptoms of a compressor failure (the compressor is the air-conditioning pump).
The compressor is usually the most expensive part of the system and if the bearings collapse or the compressor seizes up, it also means the rest of the system is compromised.
Don't worry about a pool of water forming under your car after using the air-conditioning. This is just water dripping from the air evaporator. The evaporator has a drain tube fitted to allow the condensation to drain away.
Have your air-conditioning serviced regularly, even if there are no visible problems.
Just as the other systems of your car need servicing regularly, the same is true for the air-conditioning system.
The compressor needs oil or it will seize up. If the filter becomes blocked, the performance of the system will deteriorate and can stop working entirely. Normally the refrigerant gas has to be recharged after four years from the manufacture of the unit and then every two to three years.
Regular maintenance will save you money in the long run and guarantee comfort in the hottest months.
