‘Air-con neglect means big bills’

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Motorists are risking repair bills of up to £1000 by failing to service their car’s air-conditioning system.

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Motorists are risking repair bills of up to £1000 by failing to service their car’s air-conditioning system.

Independent warranty provider Warranty Direct says that almost half of all claims made by its policy holders are now for malfunctioning air-con systems – an increase of 55% in the past 18 months.

The company says average repair bills stand at £445, making air-conditioning the fourth most expensive item to put right after automatic gearboxes, turbochargers and engines.

Bills can soar to over £1000 depending on the cost of parts, however. According to Warranty Direct, a new compressor on a Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon is £920. The typical cost of an annual service of an air-con unit by an independent specialist is £40.

What Car?’s editor, David Motton, said: ‘Leaving your air-con turned off for extended periods can deprive the system of lubrication and lead to a build-up of harmful condensation which can corrode pipe-work.

‘The best solution is to leave the system switched on, even through the winter, or to turn it on for at least a couple of hours each week.’

A recent survey of motorists by Comma, which manufactures a canister to rid air-conditioning systems of odour build-up, found that a third of motorists don’t switch on their air-con outside of the summer months.