Understanding Your Car's AC
Posted on January 28, 2020
It's hard to imagine the world before air conditioning, especially when you are driving in rush hour traffic in August! It's not well known, but according to Automobile magazine the 1940 Packard was the first car to offer factory-installed air-conditioning. Thankfully, the trend caught on and by 1969 over half of all new cars sold came with life-changing A/C.
Of course, today, most car makers offer a basic air-conditioning system in their base trim levels. Some vehicles come with complex climate control systems that allow you to adjust the A/C for different section of your car and digitally chose a specific temperature. While we love our A/Cs, not everyone knows what makes them work. At North York Chrysler, we thought it would be a great idea to give you a closer look at how the average vehicle air conditioning system keeps you comfortable.
How Car Air Conditioning Systems Work...As with the air conditioning you have at home or work, your car's A/C is made up of three main components: the compressor, evaporator, and condenser. The compressor is a pump that is attached by a belt to your car's engine crankshaft. The unit's refrigerant (R-134a or HFC-134a) is drawn into the compressor, once there the compressor puts the gas under pressure and pushes it out to the condenser.
Once the refrigerant in gas form hits the condenser, it is pressurized and creates heat but the air flowing around the unit's tubes cools the refrigerant until it turns back into a liquid again. After a drying process, the refrigerant enters the evaporator, which is often located in the foot well of your car. At this point it is a low-pressure liquid at roughly 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit). Because of its chemical makeup, the refrigerant won't freeze, instead, the heat of your car's interior turns it back into a gas again.
Finally, there is a fan right outside the evaporator that blows cool air into the cabin and carries the hot air away. This basic process happens repeatedly and keeps you cool even in the hottest weather. When you run low on refrigerants, your local dealer, like the experts at North York Chrysler can "recharge" your A/C unit.
Find Standard Air Conditioned Cars
While we offer an amazing selection of vehicles and climate control systems, we are especially proud of those available on the 2016 Dodge Journey. The 2016 Dodge Journey features a number of different air conditioning systems including standard air conditioning with tri-zone temperature control and optional air conditioning with tri-zone automatic temperature control.
Whichever 2016 Dodge Journey you choose, you can rest assured that you and your passengers will always be comfortable and cool. To learn more about your car's air conditioning or about any of the vehicles we offer at North York Chrysler, please contact us today or drop by our dealership for a test-drive.