Your Peugeot's Air Conditioner: When to Fix and When to Say Goodbye

It can be difficult sometimes to recognise when car parts are breaking down. You may not notice when something is squeaking or when there's a slight change in the fuel mileage. During the heat of summer, though, you will notice when you're Peugeot's air conditioner is no longer functioning properly.

It's hard not to notice.

When the air conditioning in your car quits working, your first thought, after “Boy, is it hot in here,” will be to fix it, and fix it fast. Sometimes this isn't always possible, though. While there may be plenty of times when the air conditioner can be repaired, there are also times when parts of it or the entire system needs to be replaced.

So, how do you tell the difference?

In order to understand the answer to this question, you'll need to first consider the issues that can lead to this system failing in the first place.

Problem: Leak That Causes Insufficient Refrigerant

When it comes to common problems with a car air conditioner, this one tops the list. Refrigerant is as necessary in your Peugeot's air conditioner as it is in the air conditioner in your home. Both depend on coolant gases and their thermodynamic properties in order to function correctly. These gases must be kept under the right amount of pressure and stay within a contained loop to work.

If there is a leak of these gases, the air conditioner won't be able to keep your car cool. Not sure if there's a leak? Check the refrigerant. Any time refrigerant in an air conditioner with this type of closed loop is low, there's a leak somewhere. While you may assume that simply putting in more refrigerant will get the AC back up and running, this isn't the case.

The reason why is that you're hurting the environment each second the leak is allowed to continue. This is especially true if you own an older model Peugeot. Older model cars use Freon, or R12. This type of refrigerant falls into a chemical compound class called CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons. These chemical compounds negatively impact the ozone layer.

In order to fix this problem, you'll need to take the Peugeot to a mechanic, who can test for leaks using pressure and an ultraviolet dye.

Once the leak is taken care of, the mechanic will recharge the AC. You can do this yourself, but you risk releasing those harmful chemical compounds into the air. You may not be able to gauge the proper amount of Freon to put in, either. And putting in too much is just as bad as putting in too little. The air conditioner won't work either way.

Problem: Air Compressor Low on Oil

When you go to the mechanic once a year for routine maintenance, the last thing you're thinking about is your air conditioner. That is, unless it's not working. But you should be, especially your compressor. When it comes to car parts, the air conditioner compressor is one of those parts that you don't realise you need until it fails. Having it inspected and serviced once a year can prevent this from happening.

If you haven't had this done, though, and you find that your compressor is low on oil, the problem could be from failing interior seals. Fixing this problems isn't as simple as replacing the seals. You'll need an entirely new compressor instead.

Don't be surprised if your mechanic advises you to change out other Peugeot parts related to the air conditioner at the same time as you replace the compressor. The idea behind this is to actually save you time and money. If the compressor has gone out, there's a good chance other car parts are on their way out too. While the mechanic could drain the refrigerant, take the compressor out, put in a new compressor and refill the refrigerant right now, it won't help if other parts are worn down as well and will require replacing next week in order for the air conditioner to work. Keep in mind that parts like the evaporator, expansion valve and receiver dryer all have a similar shelf life to the compressor. If they haven't already gone out when the compressor does, they may be close to reaching that point.

Problem: Leaking System #2

While refrigerant leaks can be caused by a number of issues and can be fixed easily at times, when they are caused by a condenser, the problems become a bit more hairy. This Peugeot part looks similar to a radiator is responsible for exchanging heat. Because of its position in the front of the engine bay, it is exposed to outside influences, like debris and rocks, that can hit it and cause dents and cracks.

Problem: Black Death

No one wants to hear their air conditioning system is suffering from the Black Death. Even if you don't know what that is, you know it sounds devastating and nasty. This AC plague begins inside the compressor as the refrigerant breaks down. Because refrigerant is responsible for protecting your air conditioning system, just like oil does for your engine, when it breaks down it can result in plenty of wear and tear. That wear begins with the compressor, but can spread to other parts of the air conditioning system.

Black Death generally results in no cold air from the unit, and sometimes no airflow at all. The end result is air conditioning car parts that have to be replaced. Many different car manufacturers have experienced problems with the Black Death. Normal flush guns and machines weren't strong enough to flush out the caustic contaminants that resulted from the refrigerant breakdown. Ford finally developed a flush machine that was able to do so, but most mechanic shops can't afford the price tag on this machine.

Is your air conditioner acting up? Find out what's wrong with it quickly so you can quickly determine whether to repair or replace the Peugeot parts and get back to cool and comfortable driving before you know it.