Car Air Conditioning and Heating in Devon

Air conditioning cools and dries the air in your car, which helps in summer and also clears misted windows in winter. The heating system works separately, using heat from the engine. Both can fail slowly or suddenly, and both are worth looking at early.

Automaster is an independent garage at Longcombe Cross, near Totnes, and we look after drivers across South Devon. Below we explain air-con servicing and re-gassing, air-con diagnostics and repairs, and heating-system repairs in plain English, plus what to tell us when you ask for a quote.

What is an air-con service and re-gas?

A car air-con system is a sealed circuit holding refrigerant gas. Over time a little gas can escape naturally through seals and hoses, so cooling slowly gets weaker. A service checks the system, and a re-gas removes the remaining refrigerant and refills the system with the correct amount of refrigerant and lubricant for your vehicle.

A re-gas can help when the loss has been slow. But if the system is leaking, new gas will escape again and the cooling will fade, so a leak check matters. We will test for leaks first and explain what we find before recommending work. Tell us the make, model and year, and how long the cooling has been getting weaker. A system that is checked early is usually simpler to put right than one left until it stops cooling altogether, and it saves you finding out on the first hot day of the year.

• Air is only slightly cool
• Cooling fades in hot weather
• Cooling worked last summer
• Misty windows are slow to clear

Why is my car air con blowing warm air? Diagnostics and repairs

Warm air can come from low refrigerant, but the cause may lie elsewhere. The compressor may be failing or not engaging, the condenser at the front of the car may be blocked or damaged by stones, a valve or pressure switch may be faulty, a fan may not be running, or there may be an electrical fault.

Other symptoms are a noisy or rattling compressor, a musty smell from the vents, water inside the car, or air that is cold on one side only. A dirty pollen filter can also reduce airflow and cause smells, and it is a simple item to check. Repair costs depend on which part has failed and how hard it is to reach, so we diagnose first and then quote.

Running the air con regularly, even in winter for a few minutes, helps keep seals lubricated and the system healthy. Tell us exactly what you notice, whether it happens at idle or when driving, and whether the compressor clutch engages.

What causes no heat or heating faults?

The heater uses hot coolant from the engine, passed through a small radiator called the heater matrix, with a blower pushing the warmth into the cabin. If you have no heat, the common causes are low coolant, a thermostat stuck open so the engine never warms fully, a blocked or leaking heater matrix, an air lock in the system, or a faulty blower motor or control.

A sweet smell, a damp passenger footwell or fogged windows can point to a leaking heater matrix. Low coolant can also mean the engine is at risk, so if the temperature gauge climbs into the red, stop safely and do not keep driving. Tell us what the temperature gauge does, whether the heat is warm on one setting only, and whether the blower works on every speed. Also mention whether the windows mist up more than usual, because that can be an early sign of a leak, and whether the heat comes and goes with engine speed, which can suggest an air lock or low coolant.