23/06/2026
Everyone is loving the fantastic weather in the UK recently. But it can seem like a disaster if you switch on your air conditioning and are faced with hot, uncomfortable air. Nobody wants to retreat from the heat and find their car isn’t cooling down.
At Coopers Garage we’re keen to keep you cool and comfortable whilst you’re on the road, which is why we’ve created this guide to help you when you find yourself in this sticky situation. Let’s dive in and find out all about your car’s air conditioning system.
What Leads Up to an Air Con Recharge?
It’s natural for your car to lose refrigerant gas over time. This happens due to the combination of rubber hoses used to complement the fixed aluminium pipes. But your car needs refrigerant for the air con system to work efficiently and to remove heat from your vehicle.
You need to have your A/C system serviced regularly. Without the correct quantity of refrigerant, it’s not going to operate properly. What doesn’t help is that a lot of drivers don’t use their air con for several months over the winter, and this can lead to a malfunction.
Air Conditioning and How it Works
Have you ever wondered how your air conditioning works? Perhaps not, but it’s interesting to find out and see how everything operates.
It starts with the refrigerant being moved around by the compressor.
The refrigerant is a liquid at this point and it passes through the expansion valve. This is where it boils. Cabin air passes over the evaporator.
Heat from the cabin is absorbed when the refrigerant boils. This is why you need enough refrigerant.
The refrigerant gas is drawn into the compressor. The compressor raises the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant.
Refrigerant is encouraged through the condenser while ambient air blows over the condenser thanks to the fan.
Heat is drawn out of the refrigerant and into the ambient air.
Voila! You have a cool car.
There you have it; this is how your air con system normally works to cool you down.
The Re-Gas Process
If your car is low on refrigerant, it will have to be replaced. Of course, at Coopers we can help you with this. Here are the steps we undertake to replace the air conditioning gas:
We carry out a performance test – inspecting the temperature outside and inside the cabin.
The refrigerant is removed and weighed to see if there is enough.
Vacuum leak check is carried out.
A pressure leak check is performed. Some faults cannot be found with a vacuum check.
A vacuum pump is used to remove moisture from the air con system.
We add dye to spot future leaks.
Oil can be added if necessary.
The correct quantity of refrigerant is weighed into the system.
A final performance check is made to ensure your car air conditioning system can cool the cabin sufficiently.
The re gas process is a common occurrence, and we complete many of these in the warmer months. It’s the most common A/C service we offer. But there’s some additional attention that your vehicle may require.
During an MOT or Service, Do They Check the Air Conditioning?
There is a specific schedule that is followed during an MOT and service check, but you’ll find that garages and manufacturers don’t check the air conditioning system during these services. This means you’ve got to specifically book one for your air con.
This is something we can help you with at Coopers. It’s best to arrange an A/C system check every 12 months. In addition to this, your air con should be serviced every 24 months. Together, this is going to ensure your system is healthy and works at its best.
The Main Reason Your Air Conditioning Will Stop Working
If you don’t have enough refrigerant, this is going to be the reason why your air con system stops working. It’s the most common reason why and it results from natural evaporation, a leak or through a fault within the system. Your car needs the correct quantity of refrigerant at all times for the air con to do its job properly.
But don’t sweat it – it’s easy to change and replace your refrigerant. This is something we can do for you to make sure your air conditioning is working efficiently again.
You need to make sure your whole air con system is working properly for the best performance. This means an air con service check every 24 months. This is how we check your A/C system to make sure everything is working:
An inspection of the A/C condenser is carried out.
We clean out the A/C condenser for better heat exchange.
An inspection of the compressor drive belt is carried out.
We lift up the bonnet to inspect the A/C pipes.
We inspect the pollen filter.
We decontaminate the A/C system with a debug treatment.
All in all keeping Your A/C System Fault Free
It’s a common misconception that your car’s air conditioning should only be used in warm weather. The most obvious benefit of using your A/C system year round is that it has the capability to dehumidify the air in the cabin. You should really be using it all year round to keep it healthy and make sure it doesn’t develop faults.
By now, you should be an expert on air conditioning! But if you discover yours isn’t’ working effectively; what should you do next?
All you’ve got to do is give us a call at Coopers Garage. We know everything there is to know about air conditioning and we can make sure you (and the kids!!) don’t stay hot and sweaty for long!!!
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