If it is hot outside, you may rely on your car's air conditioner to keep you and your passengers cool. But if it stops working, you may get hot, cranky, and frustrated. There are many reasons why an air conditioner may not be working correctly. if your car's AC isn't working, here are a few things you should troubleshoot to try to determine the reason why:

If the Air Conditioner Is On

Many newer cars have lights that help to indicate whether something is on or off in your car. If you go to turn your car's AC system on, the light on your dashboard should light up. If you turn it on and you feel nothing and the light is not on, this indicates that the problem is likely electric. There may be a short in the fuse or a problem with the wires. A mechanic can take a look and help determine whether wires, a fuse or both need to be replaced. 

If Air is Blowing Through the Vents

If you turn on your air conditioner and the light does turn on, place your hand up to the vents. This will help you to determine if air is blowing through the vents. If no air is coming through the vent, you likely have a problem with the compressor. This is typically the most costly air conditioning repair to make. 

How Much Air is Blowing Through the Vents

If, when you place your hand to the vent, you feel some air blowing, but it is not a lot, you may have something impeding the flow of air into your car. Open up the hood of your car and check to make sure there is not any debris blocking the air intake area. Additionally, check the cabin filter and air filter. If they are full, replace them. This may solve your problem. 

How Cold the Air Is

If there is a lot of air blowing into your car when the air conditioning unit is turned on, but it is warm air, you may have a Freon leak or need your Freon topped off. Typically, if there is a leak, you will go from cold air one day to hot air the next. If the Freon needs to be topped off, it will slowly go from cold to warm over the course of several days or weeks. 

When you turn your car's AC unit on, you expect it to work. But when it doesn't, you will want to repair it to help stay cool. If your air conditioning unit in your car is not working, an automotive inspection, service and repair company can help you get it working again. 

For more information, contact a company like Modern Auto Air.