Car Air Conditioning in Thurlestone

Thurlestone fills up in summer with holidaymakers, golfers and beach-goers, and a loaded car on a slow, warm road is no place for weak air conditioning. Come autumn, the heater and demister become the priority instead.

Automaster, at Longcombe Cross near Totnes, services and repairs car air conditioning and heating on petrol and diesel cars and vans. Our work covers re-gassing, diagnostics, leak tracing and heating-system repairs. We are an RAC Approved Garage.

How do I know the air con needs attention?

Warm or barely cool air is the obvious sign, but also listen for rattles, whining or clicking when it switches on, and sniff for musty or sweet smells. Misting that is slow to clear can be a sign that the system is not drying the air properly.

Slow performance loss tends to creep up, so a check before a long summer drive is sensible.

Many holiday journeys start with the boot full and the family in the car, and the system has to cope with a hot cabin from a standing start. A quick check before the season is much easier than a breakdown of comfort at the worst moment, and it is also a chance to look at the filter and the heater circuit.

• Air barely cool
• Musty or sweet smell
• Noise when switched on
• Windows slow to clear

What is actually inside the system?

A compressor driven by the engine, a condenser at the front, an evaporator behind the dashboard, an expansion valve and pipework carrying refrigerant. A fault in any of them can leave you with warm air.

That is why we diagnose before suggesting a fix, rather than assuming a re-gas will do.

Why does a leak check come before a re-gas?

Because a re-gas on a leaking system will not last. If the refrigerant is escaping, topping it up just delays the problem and the money is wasted. Finding the leak first means the repair goes to the cause.

Where the system has not leaked, a service and re-gas can restore the cooling.

Is Thurlestone within your area, and where do I find you?

Yes, we welcome drivers from Thurlestone. Automaster is at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, and customers also come from Bantham, Kingsbridge, Bigbury and Salcombe.

A short description of the problem is enough to ask for a quote.

What about heater and blower problems?

No heat may be low coolant, a thermostat stuck open, a blocked heater matrix or an airlock. A blower that fails on some or all speeds points to the resistor, motor or wiring.

Never carry on driving if the engine is overheating or you can smell hot coolant.

Autumn and winter bring their own problems: foggy glass, damp carpets and a heater that takes ages to warm up. These are worth sorting before the weather turns, because a car that will not demist is a real safety concern on narrow lanes with oncoming traffic.