Car Air Conditioning in Ellacombe

Ellacombe's steep terraced streets close to the harbour and town centre mean many cars spend long periods parked up. A system that sits unused is more likely to develop dry seals, slow leaks and musty smells.

Automaster is a garage at Longcombe Cross near Totnes. We service and re-gas car air con, diagnose faults, repair systems and look after heaters too. Drivers from Ellacombe and neighbouring parts of Torbay can ask for a quote.

Does a car left parked lose its air con gas?

It can. Refrigerant seeps out slowly in any system, and seals that never get used can dry and shrink. Running the air con regularly keeps the oil moving, so even short weekly bursts help.

If your car has stood for a while and the air is now warm, we test the system and find out whether it simply needs refilling or has a leak.

Air-con symptoms we see most

Warm air is the obvious one, but a noisy compressor, a clicking clutch, smells and fogging inside the glass all point to different faults.

Faulty valves, a blocked condenser and a worn compressor can each cause a similar loss of cooling, which is why testing matters.

Condensation sits in the system whenever the car is switched off, which is one reason musty smells appear after long gaps. Starting the car and running the fan on a dry day for a few minutes helps, but a smell that keeps coming back usually means the evaporator or filter needs proper attention.

• Warm air despite the dial
• Whining or grinding noise
• Damp smell on start-up
• Intermittent cooling

What does a re-gas cost to do properly?

We do not quote figures here, because the work depends on the car, the refrigerant it uses and whether leaks are found. What we can say is that a re-gas on a leaking system will not last, so a leak check is worth having.

Ask for a quote with the registration and a description of what the air con is doing.

Can you fix a heater that is cold on the school run?

Short, stop-start journeys down steep streets leave little time for warm-up, so a weak heater is annoying. A thermostat stuck open, low coolant or a blocked heater matrix are common reasons.

A blower that fails altogether can also leave windows misted, which is a safety concern. Do not drive with poor visibility, and stop if the engine overheats.

Faulty thermostats are cheap parts in themselves, but the time to diagnose and fit depends on how accessible they are on your engine. That is one of the reasons we ask you to describe the symptoms and the vehicle when you request a quote, and why we do not guess at the answer without looking.

Do you cover Ellacombe and where is the garage?

Yes, drivers from Ellacombe come to Longcombe Cross near Totnes. We are not in Torquay, but drivers from Torbay, St Marychurch and Paignton are welcome for climate system work.

Contact us with your make, model and the symptoms and we will say what to expect.