Your car’s air conditioner (AC) and heater are important features that allow you to keep yourself cold or warm depending on the weather and the season.
However, if you want to rely more on the AC during a warmer day, you might be wondering why it isn’t as cold as it should be.
So, why is the car blowing hot air out even when you turned the heater off?
Why is my car blowing hot air out when the heater is off and AC on
Your car can be blowing hot air when the heater is off due to any of the following reasons: a refrigerant leak, a faulty condenser, a broken compressor, or any problems with the car’s electrical system. All these factors can contribute to your AC blowing out hot air even when you turn the heat down.
It is important for you to know that your car’s AC relies on a lot of different components for it to be able to produce cold air.
As such, if there is something wrong with any of those components, you might end up with an AC that is actually acting like a heater instead.
And the only way for you to have those problems fixed is to take your car to the mechanic.
Related:
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Why is my car AC blowing hot air all of a sudden?
If you are out driving on a warm day and you need your AC to perform at its best to keep yourself cold, there are instances where you notice that the AC is actually blowing out hot air instead of cold air in your car.
You checked the thermostat, and you noticed that everything is right in the sense that the heater is turned off.
So, what are the possible reasons why the AC is blowing hot air all of a sudden?
Here are some of the main culprits:
1. Leaking refrigerant
The most common reason why the car’s AC is blowing out hot air is due to a refrigerant leak. This is also the same reason why your home’s AC might be blowing out hot air as well, as it also relies on a similar refrigerant that a car’s AC does.
Refrigerant is a liquid that goes throughout the entire system of your car’s AC as it removes heat and humidity from the interior of the car to allow the entire cabin to stay cool. The main purpose of the refrigerant is to absorb heat so that the AC can blow out cool air.
So, if there is a refrigerant leak, the AC won’t have enough coolant to keep the entire system cold and would end up blowing hot air instead.
A leak can be the result of anything such as an old hose or a punctured evaporator. And the problem with this is that it can be very difficult to spot a refrigerant leak because it does not leave a puddle of mess under the car.
Refrigerant usually evaporates the moment it gets exposed to the atmosphere, and that makes it difficult for you to tell if it is leaking. As such, unless you know your way around the car’s AC and you found a puncture in the hose, you won’t be able to tell that there is a refrigerant leak.
2. Damaged or faulty condenser
One of the things that the AC does is that it pulls the heat and humidity from the car’s interior so that the refrigerant can absorb them.
Meanwhile, the function of the condenser is to make sure that the refrigerant, which absorbs heat, stays cool so that the refrigerant can continue to pull away heat and humidity.
So, if the condenser is damaged or is not doing its job well, the entire system will not work. That is when you will notice that the AC is blowing out hot air.
The refrigerant might be doing its job, but the condenser isn’t doing a good enough job to keep the refrigerant cool. As such, you will experience a gust of hot air blowing in your face the moment you turn your AC on.
The AC’s condenser is located at the front of the car and somewhere near the radiator. What it does is that it uses the air flowing through the grate to make sure that it does a good job of cooling the refrigerant.
So, if the condenser is damaged or is clogged by debris, it won’t be able to do its job properly.
3. Damaged or broken compressor
The compressor is one of the most important parts of the entire AC system because it is responsible for circulating the refrigerant throughout the entire system.
So, if the compressor is broken, the refrigerant won’t be able to reach the different parts of the AC system and won’t be able to get to the condenser to stay cool.
4. Electrical problems
Of course, the AC is an electrical system that relies on the car’s electrical own electrical system to work.
If all of the AC’s components are working, but your car is still blowing out hot air, the problem can be due to electrical issues such as when a fuse was blown or when there is a problem with some of the other electrical components.
Any electrical issue may cause your AC to work inefficiently and would thereby cause it to blow out hot air instead.
5. Faulty cooling fans
The car’s condenser has cooling fans that work together with the compressor to get rid of the excess heat in the cabin.
These fans need to be spinning at the optimum speed to make sure that they are capable of keeping the car cool.
So, if there are problems with the fans, which are not the sturdiest components in a vehicle, you can expect to see issues regarding the AC’s cooling.
How do I fix my car AC from blowing hot air?
If your car has a refrigerant leak, you should know that it is very difficult for you to tell because of the very fact that refrigerant immediately evaporates upon making contact with the outside air.
This means that you won’t easily tell if it is leaking unless you know your way around your car’s AC.
The best way for you to have this issue fixed is to take your car to a technician or a mechanic to have the AC problems diagnosed.
Meanwhile, if your issue is in relation to the condenser, the problem might be something as simple as debris blocking it.
However, if you found yourself in a minor collision in the past, the collision might have damaged the condenser.
This means that the only way for you to have it fixed is to take your car to the shop.
In some cases, compressor issues happen when the car goes through a long period of not using the AC, such as when it is winter.
A lot of people actually keep the compressor working all year long by keeping the AC in the defrost setting so that the compressor won’t go through periods of inactivity.
Finally, if the problem is related to electrical problems, try looking at your fuse box to see if there is a blown fuse.
A blown fuse can be a sign of more serious electrical problems that can only be solved by taking your car to the mechanic.
However, there are some cases when a fuse replacement can actually fix the entire problem.
