Air Conditioning Fault Diagnosis in Cardiff
We diagnose vehicle air conditioning faults at our workshop in Cardiff, on all makes. When the air conditioning stops blowing cold, the cause is often electrical rather than a lack of gas: a failed pressure sensor, a compressor clutch that is never switched on, a blown fuse or relay, a wiring fault, or a climate control module that has logged a fault. We find the cause and tell you plainly, with the readings to show it, what the system needs. We diagnose air conditioning faults only: we do not regas, recharge or repair air conditioning systems. Read on for what we check.
Why the air conditioning stops being cold
Low refrigerant is one cause, but it is far from the only one. A faulty pressure sensor will stop the compressor engaging even when the gas is fine. The compressor clutch or its control circuit can fail, cooling fans and relays can stop working, and a climate control module can switch the system off to protect it. Regassing a car with one of these faults does not fix it.
We read the fault codes from the climate control and engine modules, look at the system pressures and temperatures on live data, and test the sensors, wiring and connectors until we know exactly which part has failed.
What we check
The electrical and control side of the system: pressure and temperature sensors, the compressor clutch and its control circuit, fuses, relays and wiring, cooling fans, the blower motor and its control, and the climate control panel and modules. You leave with a clear diagnosis rather than a guess.
If the system needs gas
If the diagnosis shows the system is low on refrigerant, has a leak, or needs a part in the gas circuit such as a compressor or condenser, we tell you exactly that, with the fault codes and readings to back it up, so you know what it needs before any gas work is done.
Air conditioning is not just for summer
The system dries the air as well as cooling it, which is why the fastest way to clear a misted windscreen on a wet Cardiff morning is air conditioning and heat together, not heat alone. Using it through the winter also keeps the compressor seals lubricated — systems that sit unused from October to May are the ones that leak.
Electric and hybrid vehicles
On an electric car the air conditioning does more than keep you comfortable: on many models the same circuit cools the traction battery, and the cabin is heated by a heat pump running off the same system. A fault can therefore cost you range and, in warm weather, charging speed. We diagnose air conditioning and heat pump faults on EVs and hybrids as well as on petrol and diesel cars.
Book an air conditioning diagnosis
Call 02920 220 380 or contact us. Tell us what the air conditioning is doing and we will book the car in for a diagnosis. While it is here we can also look at servicing, MOT or diagnostics.
Contact A1 Diagnostics
Get in touch today for expert advice we are here to help diagnose any air conditioning fault you might be experiencing when out on the road.