GQ: What do you do when your car's air conditioner blows hot?

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By Arielle Clay aclay@nbcaugusta.com

If your air conditioner is not blowing as cold as it should be get to your mechanic quick, it could save you big bucks.

That’s what Jerome Sloan, Jr. did. His air hasn’t been working that well.

“It blows out hot air h-o-t hot air,” Sloan said. “I just deal with it. Think nice cool thoughts.”

But with a scheduling change and over 100 degree days even those cool thoughts are heating up.

“I usually work at night so hey it's cool at night but you know in the daytime, whew,” Sloan said.

Aaron Clements of C & C Automotive says your air conditioner blowing hot air will not just make you uncomfortable, it could also hurt your car.

“When the system's low on refrigerant, it's actually not keeping the compressor lubricated and that can lead to more expensive repairs,” Clements said.

Repairs like a brand new compressor which could cost up to $1,500. To avoid such costs get a performance check on your car about every two years.

“The best ways to keep a system getting colder longer is to do a system service on a regular basis,” Clements said.

That performance check costs about $30 and it may find that you’re AC needs to be recharged.

“That runs roughly $125,” Clements said.

A clogged condenser may also cause your air to blow hot.

“The condenser is the part in the front that catches all the bugs. When the condenser gets restricted the air is not able to flow across it and it’s not able to transfer the heat away from the a/c system like it should,” Clements said.

Clements said if your car is new you will not need an AC performance check for about three or four years. After that time you should go every two years and as your car gets older consider going every year for a check up.

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