In this issue of our Automotive Maintenance Series, we will provide  tips for maintaining your car's air conditioning system. A few quick checks before your next long drive can assure safety and might also prevent insurance claims.

If you will be relying on your car during an upcoming road trip, it's advisable to have your car’s air conditioning system checked out by your local auto tech, even if  has been cooling properly, so far. That way, you won’t find yourself stranded on the road during the dog days of summer with nothing but hot air belching from the vents.

Certainly, if your air conditioning system is not cooling as it should, that appointment with your auto technician should include check to see that the electric cooling fan motor near the condenser is working properly.  A lack of air flow across the condenser could be the problem.

While you're at it, you might want to have your mechanic check the FREON® level and pressure. Gone is the time when you’d just stop by your auto repair and service shop to have the air conditioning system recharged with refrigerant when it was not cooling sufficiently. Now, it is considered more serious if your system has a refrigerant leak.

Why have attitudes about refrigerant loss changed so drastically? It has to do with the fact that scientists now know that FREON®, a chlorinated fluorocarbon (CFC) contributes to the depletion of the earth's ozone layer. As a result, auto manufacturers now use much improved materials in the lines, seals and hoses of their air conditioning systems to resist refrigerant leakage. Also, the newer Federal and state regulations now require that repair shops have the correct equipment and training for handling refrigerants.

If you are wondering if properly maintaining your vehicle might impact your auto insurance, then it is time to check with your insurance agent for the details. Here at the the William M. Sparks Insurance Agency, in Timonium, MD, we are available to answer your auto insurance questions and/or to assist you with a no-obligation car insurance policy review upon your request.