Hot Air from Your Mercedes AC Vents? Get it Repaired by Professionals of Decatur!
If you live in a particularly scenic area, nothing beats the freedom of going for a summer drive simply for the pleasure of hitting the road and enjoying the view. While some prefer to go classic with the windows down and the wind in their hair, on particularly sweltering days, it can be bliss to keep the windows up and the A/C on max. Either way, no one wants to settle into their Mercedes in the height of summer and switch on the A/C only to find, instead of refreshing cool hair circulating around them, they’re slapped with a torrent of hot air instead.
There are many causes of this dreaded catastrophe, and in this article, we’ll be addressing the most common.
Leaking Refrigerant
To be able to blow ice-cold air at you on even the hottest of days requires a supply of refrigerant. Refrigerant is different from your car’s coolant and only circulates in the A/C system. It is able to lower temperatures inside your cabin by expanding and contracting to absorb the heat. Without this, your A/C is a knock-off hair dryer only able to blow ambient temperature air at best.
Refrigerant leaks may occur for many reasons. The liquid is supplied to the A/C system via various hoses, and if these hoses become old, they can crack and leak. The same can be said for the evaporator, which can become rusty or get punctured.
Refrigerant leaks are hard to spot because the liquid is fast evaporating so it doesn’t settle in puddles. Occasionally, if the leak is bad, you may notice an oily residue. Other than that, the first sign of a leak you’ll get is the A/C running lukewarm or hot.
Condenser Troubles
The condenser in the A/C system works in a similar way to the radiator in your Mercedes coolant system. When the refrigerant absorbs heat from the cabin, it gets hot itself and needs to be cooled down before it can be used again, which is where the condenser comes in.
When the condenser is faulty this process won’t happen. This will mean you might get some cold air for a brief period before being blasted with hot air once the refrigerant becomes warm. Put simply, a faulty condenser compromises the entire A/C system.
The condenser is located towards the front of your Mercedes in between the radiator and the grate. It uses ambient air from outside the vehicle to aid in the cooling process, which is why it is positioned here. Because it comes into contact with outside air, over time, the condenser can become clogged with dirt and debris from the road. This limits its ability to cool down the refrigerant.
If the issue is particularly bad, you might be able to see the grime contaminating the condenser through the grate of your Mercedes. The condenser can also break after a frontal collision, too.
Compressor Failure
Like the engine is the beating heart of your car, the compressor is the beating heart of the air conditioning system. Its job is to make sure that refrigerant can circulate through the A/C system. If the compressor isn’t able to put out enough power to do this, the refrigerant will not be able to circulate properly. This may result in hot air from the A/C or a very limp, lackluster flow of cold air.
Compressor problems most commonly occur when you’ve not used your A/C in a while, such as over winter. If you drive an older car, avoid this by turning on your A/C on every once in a while. However, many new cars have measures in place to stop this issue from occurring.
Electrical Faults
If all the other common culprits have been ruled out, then your Mercedes likely has an electrical fault which is preventing the A/C from working correctly. For example, blown fuses and frayed wiring will stop a perfectly-working air conditioning system in its tracks. If electrical problems are to blame then a thorough diagnosis will need to be undertaken by your mechanic.
A Speedy Solution at Munich West
Don’t put up with a hot A/C any longer than necessary. 
Pull into Munich West of Decatur, Atlanta, GA at your earliest convenience. We’ve been servicing the local community for many years and know just how hot the Georgia heat can be. We don’t want you to be left in the blazing sun any longer than necessary, which is why our team of specialist technicians will work quickly to get to the heart of the problem and get you back on the road with cool A/C. Call or visit today to find out more.
