Summer will be here a lot quicker than you realize and when it finally arrives, it might bring with it a heatwave. Driving around in your pickup truck can be far less enjoyable when the temperature is a scorcher. It’s time to get your pickup truck AC ready for summer. Rolling down the windows can only do so much. You need a working air conditioner. Nothing is worse than turning on the air conditioner when the temperature reaches 90 degrees outside and the cooling unit is just not working efficiently.
Prime the unit
Air conditioners are machines though and that means they can be prone to breaking down. Among the best ways to avoid such mishaps from occurring is to prime the unit before the hot summer months arrive. A few smart preventive maintenance steps should be done in the spring to increase the efficiency and performance.
Routine maintenance
The best and easiest way to have the AC checked is to simply do it as part of routine maintenance. When you take the truck in for an oil change or a tune up, have the mechanic check out the air conditioner. The mechanic can likely do this in only a few seconds. Often, if a problem is present, the mechanic will pick up on it (no pun intended) right away.
Colder months
When you drive around in the colder months, it would never hurt to spot check the air conditioner. Turn it on and see if any cold air is coming out of it. Warm air is a sign the system may not be working properly. Since you have some time before the summer arrives, you do not have to have the unit fixed right away but you definitely should make a mental note of any problems so you do not forget them when you bring the car to the shop for something else.
Use the AC
One thing to be very mindful of is the fact when you do not use the air conditioner for a long period of time, problems can arise from that lack of use. Also, a mechanical defect goes undetected because no one has turned the system on and left it on for an extended period of time. Among the most common of all problems is a refrigerant leak. A slow leak could be even less easier to notice. A mechanic can pressure test the system to see if a problem exists. If so, then the defect can be corrected.
Photo credit: Robert S. Donovan / FoterCC BY
Photo credit: U.S. Navy / Wikimedia / CC BY
