Air Conditioning Condensers & Fans

What is an A/C Condenser in a Car?

Your vehicle's air conditioning system is an amazing energy transportation device. Simply put, using pressurized refrigerant (in both gas and liquid forms) moves heat from inside the car to the outside. There's a lot that goes on in that transaction, and while some of the components are very simple in their nature, don't confuse simple with unimportant.

You're A/C compressor is what does the heavy lifting of the air conditioning system. Compressing refrigerant back into a liquid takes a lot of energy, which also creates heat. The compressed refrigerant liquid needs to shed that heat, which is where your car air conditioning condenser steps into the picture. The car A/C condenser is usually right up front with your radiator. It may even look a little like your radiator. Both have a big, flat shape and have lots of tiny fins, which create a large surface area.

What Does an A/C Condenser Do?

Just like your radiator disperses engine heat from the coolant, the air conditioning condenser disperses refrigerant heat energy into the atmosphere. But the condenser is a delicate component. Lightweight construction for maximum temperature transfer ability can also spell easy damage from road debris for aircon condensers. A rock kicked up on the highway can dent the condenser fins leading to reducing airflow (and thus cooling efficiency) while a fender-bender can puncture refrigerant passages. If you're A/C is damaged, the only proper repair is complete replacement. Keep in mind that if the condenser is replaced, the entire A/C system needs evacuated prior to the repair and recharged once the repair is complete.

What Does an A/C Condenser Fan Do?

On many vehicles, the radiator fan does double duty, pulling air through both the radiator and the A/C condenser. But there are also many vehicles that add a second electric fan to help bolster air flow along with the main car cooling fan. Some vehicles have the A/C condenser offset from the radiator, so a separate condenser fan is needed to pull through air. If the car A/C fan air coming from your vents warms up when you stop moving despite the A/C running, your condenser fan is possibly the problem. Luckily, most condenser fans are mounted to the radiator core support and are out in the open, making it a fairly straightforward repair. Typically, only a few bolts and brackets hold the A/C condenser fan in place and the refrigerant can stay in place for the repair.

Sometimes the air conditioning fan motor itself is fine, but the air conditioner condenser fan blades are damaged. Road debris, heat cycling and even corrosion can all play havoc with air conditioner condenser fan blades spinning at hundreds or even thousands of RPM. To keep things cool, your cooling fans have to operate in top shape.

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Don't feel like tackling that air conditioning fan replacement? Let our ASE-certified technicians diagnose your vehicle so you can Get Up & Go.