Driving on a hot and sunny day with a defective AC unit in your vehicle can be a miserable and potentially dangerous situation. Fortunately, some preventive maintenance can help to prevent problems, which is why, according to Kelley Blue Book, you should have your vehicle's AC system checked once every year. If you haven't had yours checked in the past year or so, here are four signs that your car needs auto AC repair services.

1. Blows Warm Air

The most obvious sign that something is wrong with your car's AC system is when it doesn't blow cold air. When you only get lukewarm air from your AC system, the refrigerant is probably leaking, which means you have a system to fix. An automotive technician can diagnose the problem and fix whatever caused the leak. Once the leak is fixed, adding new refrigerant will restore your cold air.

2. Only Works With Some Fan Speeds

Sometimes, you might notice the blower will only run at certain fan speeds. Maybe you have to keep it in the highest position for the blower to run and cold air to flow. That's a sign that your car has a bad resistor, which might cause power to go to only one setting. It also might cause the AC to run normally at some times and not at all at others. An AC repair service can diagnose and fix the problem.

3. Makes Strange Sounds

You might hear odd sounds coming from the AC system when it is running. Other than the sound of air passing through it, there shouldn't be any noise when your AC is running. The problem might be a bad bearing or a bad blower motor. Fortunately, a diagnostic check can determine the cause and take care of it before you experience more serious issues with your AC system.

4. Blows Very Little Air

Weak airflow will make it impossible for your vehicle to maintain a comfortable cabin temperature on a hot day. If the vents are not producing good airflow, you might have a clogged cabin air filter or another problem that restricts the flow. The AC system also could be struggling to send air to the cabin. A technician can restore the airflow and help to make your AC system work well again.

Are you concerned about your car's AC? Please call or visit Honest-1 Auto Care to learn more about auto AC repair and schedule service for your vehicle. We look forward to hearing from you!