How To Make Car AC Colder In Summer?

A car air conditioning system is one of the epoch-making additions to the automotive space. If you live in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, or Senegal, you’ll understand that the AC plays a significant role during the summer. It’s necessary to have a well-functioning car AC, but what makes AC cold in a car?

This article analyzes the causes along with expert tips and tricks on how to make a car’s AC colder. Most motorists think it is only Freon that makes the car AC cold. Others think it is just regular service and maintenance of the AC components.

It is not so! Though there are additives to make car AC colder, the truth is the amount of cooling you get from the air conditioning system depends on your daily driving habits and routines.

How To Make Car AC Colder

If your car AC is only blowing warm or hot air, and you’re wondering, how can I make the car AC blow colder again? You’re a few paragraphs away. You only need to follow the tips in this article religiously and use your air conditioning most efficiently.

There are several tips and hacks to consider. Starting from where you pack your vehicle to the service maintenance you practice. These little things help in making your AC cooler.

First, look at the DIY tips before getting into the technical parts that will help make your car air conditioner cooler.

Park in a shade

Care for your car AC by preventing heat from building up inside your car. One of the ways to do this is by parking in a shade whenever possible.

According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention report, cars parked in direct sunlight can heat up to 131 to 172 degrees Fahrenheit when the ambient temperature is 80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do not compromise security and safety in the quest to prevent heat from building up inside your car. For instance, do not leave your windows cracked or wind down the glass.

During summer, always park your car in a shade or garage. If you don’t have a garage in your apartment, the only option is to create one.

Sunshades play one major role: not letting your car turn into an oven. They also protect the car interiors from UV Rays which cause cracks on the windows and dashboard discoloration.

Wind down the windows

If you don’t have a sunshade in your compound, consider leaving your windows half-open. This will eliminate the greenhouse effects, which would cause heat build-ups.

As I said above, do not compromise safety for anything. That said, winding down the windows is not an option when parking your baby ride in a public compound.

Don’t recirculate air

Every car’s cooling system recirculation mode has one demerit you should know. It exports cold air to the front of the car and then imports it back into the system. 

This will limit air from getting to the passengers in the back seats. So, consider turning off the recirculation mode when passengers are in the back seats.

Switch on the fan first

Suppose the inside car is hot when you get inside and start driving. Wind down the back windows and switch on the fans to max settings. Let the fan expel the hot air and allow ambient air to get inside.

After that, turn on the air conditioner and tune it a bit above the bottom line. Then, wind up the back windows and continue your ride.

Don’t turn the AC to ‘max cool,’ it can be tempting to do so, but don’t do it. This is because switching the AC to ‘max cool’ the moment you get inside is not the right way to make it colder.

When you turn AC to max cool, the air conditioning system is only extracting air from inside the car, cooling it, and sending it back into the cabin.

Turning the AC to max cool means, you’re only forcing it to work harder for no reason. So instead, first, expel the hot air inside by turning the fan to max settings and rolling down the windows.

These are the tips you need to make your car AC colder. As you know, regularly scheduled maintenance is needed to keep car components working effectively.

When searching for how to make a car AC blow colder, you should perform several service maintenance regularly. Let’s start with these basic maintenances that you should carry out when the car AC is not cold enough.

Clean/replace the clogged filter

Cars come with cabin filters, which prevent dirt and debris from getting into the cabin through the cooling air. Unfortunately, over time, dirt and debris block the cabin filter. A blocked filter can prevent chilled air from getting into the cabin as it should. 

Cleaning or replacing the cabin filter is one of the easiest maintenance you can do yourself without seeking professional help. Ensure you clean the filter regularly and if it is clogged or too dirty, consider replacing it.

Use the AC regularly

Ensure you use your AC regularly. Using the AC for at least 20 to 30 minutes a week, even when you don’t want to, will keep it functioning for a long time. In addition, this will prevent blockages on the air vents.

Check the refrigerant level

Make this a scheduled maintenance service. Always ask your HVAC technician to check the Freon level in your car. You’ll know the amount of frozen inside and when to refill it by doing this.

Low refrigerant affects the cooling and overall performance of an air conditioning system. If you’re searching for how to make your AC colder in your apartment, always ensure you have an appropriate refrigerant level.

Service the car AC regularly

Just as you perform routine services on a car’s engine, service the AC as well. However, you don’t have to service the AC as frequently as the engine. It is best to service it at the end of winter.

When entering summer, you can avail yourself of discounts on maintenance. However, there will be much demand in summer, and the technicians will hike the maintenance fee.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

Q: Why is my car AC not cold enough?

Several factors can cause a car’s AC not to function properly. For example, suppose your car AC is not blowing cold air; one of the following is likely the culprit.

Low refrigerant: Low Freon is the primary cause of a non-chilling AC system. Low refrigerant is caused by a small or undiscovered leak in the system.

Too much refrigerant: While this is not common, excessive pressure can affect the AC performance like low refrigerant. The excess refrigerant in the system causes high pressures.

Lousy compressor: The AC compressor can quickly fail if it runs on little to no oil. Once the compressor fails, it instantly affects the cooling, and the inside temperature begins to go up.

Other notable causes of AC not blowing cold air are faulty radiator fans, lousy sensors, clutch failure, system restrictions, and air/moisture contamination.

Q: Does adding Freon make AC colder?

One of the causes of a car AC that is not blowing cold air is low Freon. If this is the case, adding more Freon will make the AC colder.

However, air conditioning systems are built so that they won’t leak. If you discover a low Freon, it’s probably a result of a small or undiscovered leak. Adding Freon in such a situation will not fix the problem. It is like storing water in a leaking can. Get a certified ASE technician to track and fix the culprit.

Q: How long should it take for the car AC to get cold?

The answer relies on several factors like how hot the car interior is, the cooling method you want to apply, and the condition of your car AC. For example, if the car is parked under direct sunlight all day, the inside temp should be around 120° to 135° Fahrenheit.

Whichever method you choose to cool your car’s AC, the whole process should take around 5 to 10 minutes. Note that the car interior can still radiate absorbed heat while the dashboard air vents blow cold.

Q: How do I supercharge my AC?

Supercharging a car AC is a maintenance service you should add to your DIY skills. But, of course, recharging a car air conditioning system is pretty simple. 

Locate the AC low-service pressure port by following the two lines that connect to the compressor. The low service port is smaller with an ‘L mark’ on top. Check the ambient temperature with your temperature gauge.

Hang the temp gauge on the air vents and turn on the AC. Allow the AC to run for about 1-3 minutes. The temperature on the gauge will step down.

Connect the recharging adapter to the AC and set the dial to the ambient temperature. Connect the other end on the low service port. Shake the refrigerant well before recharging. Then, keep shaking it slowly while recharging.

Once the recharge is complete, disconnect the port, and you’re good. Watch the ChrisFix video for a more detailed visual presentation on how to recharge your air conditioning system.

Q: How can I cool my car without air conditioning?

No matter how much you don’t want to sit in your stifling car during summer, you still have to drive. There are countless reasons to drive. Whether it is going to work, coming from work, or taking kids to school, you can’t avoid driving.

So, if your air conditioning system is faulty, you may be wondering, ‘how to make your car colder without AC.’ The steps are pretty simple. Try any of the following;

Q: Does turning off AC make the car faster?

Literally, yes. A car AC system runs with the engine. So when you start a vehicle and turn it on, the car revolution per minute increases a bit to compensate for the power the air conditioning system is using. 

In the same manner, it is causing high gas consumption and slightly reducing the engine’s efficiency. Turning off the AC will make a car faster. However, the difference may be trivial or insignificant.

Final words

This article has provided sufficient information on how to make a car ac colder in summer. Follow the guides to keep your cabin temperature chilled. 

If you have tried everything mentioned in this article and the AC is not getting any colder, seek professional help. Professional HVAC technicians will track the culprit and fix it for you so that you’ll have a chilled cabin temp.