Car AC Repair in Vienna, VA

When It’s Hot Outside, Choose the Best Shop for AC Repair

Few things are worse than a car with no AC on a hot summer day. If your car is parked in the sun for an hour, it will be about 116 degrees (on average) when you return. Add a dark colored interior, and the surfaces you touch can be above 180 degrees. If your vehicle's air conditioning system is not working properly or if you're ready for preventive maintenance, call Auto Stop Elite at 571-282-3380 or use our convenient only scheduling button. You'll find us nearby at 1202 Downey Drive in the Great Falls section of Vienna, Virginia. We employ only ASE Master certified technicians, and we have years of experience. Therefore, you can feel good knowing that your auto is in competent hands. What's more, people and relationships are of utmost importance to us. We'll treat you well, provide quality work at a fair price, and back our work with a generous warranty. We even offer a roadside assistance package for 365 days after you pay a bill of more than $25. Thus, you're not only going to stay cool but well protected. That makes us the coolest shop for AC repair.

Common Service and Repair Needs

Vehicle AC systems typically work the same way no matter what make or model you drive. A high-pressure gas refrigerant is the primary cooling agent. Air passes through an evaporator. This component removes heat from the air before that air enters your passenger cabin. The heat transfers to the refrigerant. This process works because the compressor compresses the refrigerant, making it liquid, and sends it to the condenser through a tube. The condenser cools the hot refrigerant and takes it toward the expansion valve or orifice tube. (Your car's AC has one or the other of these, depending on how the system is made.) The refrigerant transforms back into a gas state and heads to the drier or accumulator. Once there, the moisture is removed from the refrigerant. It returns to the evaporator, and the cycle begins again. If anything disrupts this process, you won't get the results you anticipated when you engage the AC.

The best approach to staying cool is to have your AC system checked periodically. Preventive maintenance services can head off many of the common problems. We can provide those periodic checks, and we'll also be glad to assist you if your AC does develop an unanticipated problem. Although we'll need to check your vehicle to make an accurate diagnosis, we'll share some of the most common issues and ways you can spot these problems. If the AC system seems to have no power to operate, there may be a broken wire or other electrical problem. Also, airborne objects or debris sometimes block or puncture the condenser, preventing proper heat exchange. A faulty or failed compressor translates to a non-circulating refrigerant. If the fan doesn't work, the condenser can't cool and leaves the refrigerant too warm to be effective. A stuck blend air door prevents warm and cool air from mixing to achieve your selected temperature. This may mean that only warm air enters the passenger cabin. Finally, the refrigerant will leak if there's a hole anywhere in the system, causing a low level and poor cooling ability.

Your Local Shop

If your vehicle needs AC service and repair, you don't have to drive far. Fortunately, Auto Stop Elite is nearby. You can reach us at 571-282-3380 to schedule an appointment.