Maintaining Your Vehicle’s AC in the Winter

Winter is quickly approaching, and for many drivers that often means several months without running their car air conditioning.  However, operating the AC in your vehicle during these colder months can actually prolong the life of your vehicle’s system and, even more importantly, help keep you safer on the road. 

Your car’s air conditioner does more than just blow cold air on hot days, it is also responsible for removing humidity from the air.  Humidity removal is critical to defrosting and defogging your windshield to improve visibility in the colder months. Having better visibility is especially important during the wintertime as the days are shorter and the roads can potentially have more hazards, like snow and ice. Regular use of the defogging function on your A/C should help clear up any fog on your windshield while also extending the life of your vehicle’s air conditioner.

The air conditioning system is one the more expensive components in your vehicle. It is made with parts that are designed to move. The system is full of refrigerant and oils which need to be circulated to keep the moving parts lubricated. Operating your A/C every couple of weeks on full-cold allows for the coolant to circulate through the system and will help extend its working life.

JH 2019