Why Does My Car A/C Smell?
Is there a strange smell coming from your A/C? Could it be an outside smell or something much worse? Find out what the cause could be and how to fix it!
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At Firestone Complete Auto Care, our expert technicians help ensure the safety of you and your A/Csystem by using quality refrigerants* that comply with current EPA guidelines. Get refrigerant and air conditioner repair services from Firestone, and we guarantee we'll fixit right the first time, right on time —that's part of our Firestone Triple Promise.
*R-134a services generally available at all Firestone Complete Auto Care locations. R-12 & R-1234yf services only available at specific stores.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has gradually phased out the R-22 refrigerant, commonly known by its trade name of Freon, also called HCFC-22. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, or HCFCs, have been known to erode the Earth’s protective ozone layer and contribute to climate change.
Freon first emerged in 1930 as a “miracle chemical,” according to the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). However, the EPA’s phaseout of R-22 has a limited effect on automotive air-conditioning systems in cars, trucks and SUVs.
Vehicles manufactured before the 1994 model year used R-12 (also referred to CFC-12 or Freon). Newer vehicles rely on R-134a refrigerant, also known as HFC-134a. A lot of older A/C systems that depended on R-12 as a refrigerant can be retrofitted to use R-134a.
ASE warns that several counterfeit auto refrigerants have appeared on the market. They’re “often convincingly packaged as pirated versions of those from reliable brands and suppliers,” the institute says. A/C refrigerants for cars aren’t interchangeable. According to the Car Care Council, different types of refrigerant should never be mixed. To make sure your vehicle’s A/C system is running on the proper refrigerant, schedule an A/C service appointment at your nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care.
Is there a strange smell coming from your A/C? Could it be an outside smell or something much worse? Find out what the cause could be and how to fix it!
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