The air-conditioning system of your car is basically a refrigeration system since its purpose is to keep the occupants cool when inside the car. You usually don’t give much thought to how the system works or its components until you realize that the air conditioning is not working on one of the hottest days of the summer. In order to be able to troubleshoot your car’s air-conditioning system, you do need to become familiar with the components, which are: the compressor, which works to compress the refrigerant in the system and circulate it throughout the refrigerant, which is what carries the heat the condenser, which expels the heat the air-conditioner removes from the car to the outside the expansion valve, which causes the pressure of the refrigerant to drop so that the meter flows and it atomizes the evaporator, which is responsible for cooling the inside of your car by transferring the refrigerant to the air that blows across it the dryer, which removes the moisture from the air. You also need to have a basic understanding of how your car’s air-conditioning operates. It is beyond the scope of this article to explain this process in great detail but “Automotive Air Conditioning Systems offers a full explanation. When you do have problems with the air conditioner, the first thing you should do is check to make sure that you do not have any leaks. These are easy to find and will not mean that you have to dismantle anything inside the system in order to effect repairs. You can buy fluorescent dye at most auto parts stores and the instructions on how to use it to locate leaks are printed on the label of the can. You can also poke a pen into one of the valve to try to let off some pressure. It is important that you wear eye protection if you try this, but if there is no pressure, then this is another way of determining whether or not you have a leak in the system. Check out the compressor by starting your car and turning on the air-conditioner. When you look under the hood and see that the pulley in the center of the compressor is not moving, then you have a problem with this clutch of the compressor. This could be caused by something as simple as a fuse that has blown, a wiring problem in the dash of the car or you may have to add some refrigerant to the system. Some of the other things you can check for in trying to troubleshoot the car’s air conditioning system include a foul odor coming through the vents, bad switches, broken wires or a failure on the part of the seal in the compressor. If you really don’t feel comfortable trying to fix the air conditioner, then you should consult with a professional trained to work on such problems. Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil