A mechanic sought to explain why a car’s air conditioning (A/C) system would be blowing hot air. And the answer is more complicated that you might originally think.
The video seeking to provide an explanation comes from creator Rick Smith, the mechanic behind the account for Mercie J Auto Care (@merciejauto) in Mesa, Ariz. The video, which went up on Tuesday, has more than 1.6 million views so far. The interest it garnered is understandable given that summer officially begins in just a few days.
He begins by repeating a common customer question, “‘Why is my car blowing out hot air when the A/C is on?’”
He then shares the slogan for his mechanic shop: “Where compassion and craftsmanship come together.”
Not cooling vs. blowing out heat
He then walks viewers through the diagnosis, saying, “First of all, let’s make sure we determine what you actually have going on. There is a blowing out hot air, like heat, or is this just not cooling? Because there is a little bit of a difference.”
He clarifies, from there, “If it’s hot, like it’s heat, then there’s a good chance that there’s some doors inside of your dash that control hot and cold. And you could have a problem with an actuator that controls that door or the door itself.”
Of course, it could also be a refrigeration issue, he continues. “Either your compressor’s not coming on, or you’re low on freon or something like that. So there’s a number of different directions we have to go, depending on what’s going on there.”
@merciejauto Why is my Car blowing Hot air when the AC is on? #acrepair #cars #mechanic #acservice ♬ original sound – Mercie J Auto Care
Tires Plus published an article that showcased a few possible causes. The causes include a refrigerant leak, which “can happen because of an old hose as well as a rusted or punctured evaporator”; a faulty condenser, the part of your car that keeps the refrigerant cool so the cycle of pulling heat and humidity out of your cabin can continue; a broken compressor, the part “responsible for circulating the refrigerant through the system”; or problems with the electrical system.
Commenters expressed their views on the matter.
One said, “To the people who don’t know the struggle is real lol,” adding, “turns out I have a leak too the gmc is killing me lol.”
Another wondered, “I put freon in then 3 weeks later it’s not getting cold anymore; what could be the reason for that?”
The mechanic suggested, “Sounds like a refrigerant leak.”
One cynic among the commenters remarked, “But how do we fix it genius?”
But others were appreciative of the knowledge, with one saying, “Thank you for explaining.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok direct message and online website form.
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