Experts Teach You How to Maintain and Use Your Car's Air Conditioning in the Summer
Mr. Liu (New Qashqai owner): Not long ago, a friend of mine encountered an embarrassing situation: while returning from a business trip, the air conditioning system in his car suddenly stopped cooling. Helplessly, he drove at high speed on the highway, but it was still unbearably hot. By the time he arrived in Beijing, "there wasn't a single dry spot on his body." With Beijing about to enter the "sauna weather" season, I hope Dongfeng Nissan can teach car owners some tips for maintaining and using their air conditioning systems, telling us how to keep the car free of odors and what to do after starting the car to quickly lower the temperature inside.
Dongfeng Nissan:
Mr. Liu, hello. As you described, whether the car's air conditioning system works properly in the summer has a very significant impact on driving. For the maintenance and care of the air conditioning system, it should be approached from two aspects. First is the addition of refrigerant. Poor summer air conditioning cooling performance is generally due to insufficient refrigerant, but some car owners believe that the more refrigerant added, the better the cooling effect will be. This is not true; an appropriate amount of refrigerant is sufficient. Adding too much or too little will affect the cooling effect. Especially if too much refrigerant is added, its expansion space becomes limited, which reduces heat conversion capability and affects the cooling effect. The repair manuals for Dongfeng Nissan models all specify the technical parameters for the refrigerant, and owners should add it according to the specified standards.
After adding the refrigerant, check if the air conditioning filter needs cleaning. The air conditioning filter is the filter for the car's air conditioning intake port. If it is not cleaned for a long time, the dust attached to it will blow into the car when the air conditioning is turned on. In addition, the air conditioning radiator and cooling fan should also be cleaned to avoid thick oil mud and dust affecting the cooling effect. When cleaning the air conditioning system, professional air conditioning foam cleaner should be used to thoroughly clean the condenser and evaporator, as well as the air ducts between the air conditioning inlet and outlet, so that the blown air is fresh and pleasant. If you often drive on dusty roads, then your vehicle should increase the frequency of checking and cleaning the air conditioning system during regular maintenance.
Regarding the use of car air conditioning in the summer, there are also some small tricks to remind you to pay attention to. In the summer, vehicles are often parked in the sun for a long time. In this case, after starting the car, do not immediately turn on the air conditioning. Instead, open all the windows first, use the airflow generated during driving to expel the hot air inside the car, and then close the windows and turn on the air conditioning when the cabin temperature drops, setting it to the internal circulation mode. In summer, the air conditioning outlet should face upward, utilizing the principle of cold air sinking to achieve the best cooling effect. Additionally, prolonged use of the internal circulation mode will cause the oxygen content in the car to decrease, worsening the air quality inside, and even harming the human body. Therefore, after a certain period of time, appropriately switch to external circulation mode to allow fresh air to enter the cabin.
A few minutes before reaching your destination, turn off the air conditioning cooling and switch to natural wind with increased airflow, allowing the temperature inside the air conditioning ducts to rise, eliminating the temperature difference with the outside, thereby keeping the air conditioning system relatively dry and avoiding mold growth caused by moisture.
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