There’s a reason many of the world’s automakers do their hot weather torture testing in Arizona. Because the summers are hell on car engines. When it stays hot this long, stuff is going to break. Engine replacement is more common in these areas. The heat wave has pushed some air conditioners that were in need of service, or owners who were trying to get by without AC this season, over the edge. When the ambient temperature goes up, the pressure within the air-conditioning system on a vehicle goes up. The effect is when we start getting temperatures over 95 degrees, it makes a huge difference in failures.
There are two reasons to service an air conditioner that is weak but hasn’t yet quit completely. Most pressing, is that running an air conditioner that isn’t working well can lead to a much more expensive repairs later. Air conditioners that need service, work harder than those functioning properly. And, if the problems include a low refrigerant level — and a consequently low lubricant level — it could damage the compressor, the most expensive part of the system. Modern auto air-conditioning compressors don’t have a lubricant reservoir — the lubricant is in the refrigerant, when the system is low on refrigerant, it’s not getting lubricated.
Radiators fail in heat, too
Heat can push many other automotive components over the edge, too. Fighting it on a daily basis. Radiators are blowing their tops. Cooling fans — electric-powered on most late model cars — are the leading failure in hot weather, and that can quickly lead to a blown radiator and engine failure.
Other problems which occur under extreme heat is water in the crankcase, the result of a blown head gasket caused by overheating. That can get expensive, as in, a rebuilt engine which sometimes can be prevented by keeping an eye on the temperature gauge and pulling over and turning the engine off before it overheats.
Read your owner’s manual, some cars or trucks go into a fail-safe mode when they are being taxed to much, especially in the heat. It is a ‘severe damage’ protection system built in to the cars computer to alert you that the vehicle is under stress.
Believe me, a car that has become overheated is much like a person who has become overheated. Components get damaged, systems shut down and very often major damage occurs. Don’t take the heat lightly, some common sense preparation can save a lot of money and time.
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