Car Air Conditioning in Kingston

Anyone who drives the high-hedged lanes around Kingston knows how quickly a car can get stuffy, especially once holiday traffic slows everything to a crawl. When the air conditioning only manages lukewarm air, or the heater gives up on a cold morning, it is worth finding out why before the weather decides for you.

At Automaster we look after car air conditioning and heating for Kingston drivers: servicing and re-gassing, finding and repairing faults, and sorting heater problems. The garage is at Longcombe Cross near Totnes, and we work on petrol and diesel cars and vans.

Why is my car air con not cold?

A car air-con system is sealed, but it still loses refrigerant very slowly over time, and performance fades so gradually that many drivers only notice in the first hot spell. Beyond that, the usual suspects are a leak at a pipe joint or seal, a stone-damaged condenser at the front of the car, a worn compressor, a sticking valve or a blocked filter.

A proper check looks at the whole system rather than just topping it up, because the symptom of warm air can have several different causes.

• Slow refrigerant loss
• Leaks at joints, seals or the condenser
• Compressor or clutch faults
• Faulty valves or sensors

Does an air con re-gas fix everything?

A re-gas restores the refrigerant charge, which is all that some systems need. If there is a leak, though, new refrigerant will simply escape again, so a re-gas on a leaking system will not last. That is why a leak check matters before you pay for a refill.

If a leak is found, the repair depends on where it is and what part is involved, which is why it pays to ask for a quote.

How do hedges, pollen and dust affect the air con?

Lanes lined with tall hedges mean plenty of pollen, leaf debris and dust drawn into the ventilation. The pollen filter, sometimes called the cabin filter, traps it, and a clogged one cuts airflow and can bring a musty smell through the vents.

Replacing the filter is often a modest job and a sensible first step if the air feels weak or smells damp.

Do you cover Kingston, and where do I bring the car?

Yes, Kingston drivers are welcome. Automaster is at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, and cars come to us from the surrounding countryside and from Bigbury, Ringmore, Modbury and Kingsbridge.

Call the quote line or send us the details of what the car is doing, and ask for a quote.

What if the heater is the problem?

A heater that blows cold can point to low coolant, a faulty thermostat, an airlock, a blocked heater matrix or a failed blower motor or fan control. Those are different jobs with different costs, so the symptoms matter.

If the temperature gauge climbs or the car smells of coolant, stop driving it and get it checked, because an overheating engine can be badly damaged.

• No heat at all
• Heat only when driving fast
• Fan not working on any setting
• Misty windows that will not clear