What does an air conditioning condenser do?
The condenser sits at the front of the radiator and is an integral part of your air conditioning (AC) system. It converts the refrigerant gas into a cold liquid to provide chilled air throughout your vehicle, to keep you and your passengers at a comfortable temperature on a hot day.
How often should a condenser need replacing?
A well-maintained and properly serviced condenser should last as long as your car will. However, as with all vehicle components, they’re prone to wear and tear, and leakage and blockage can create irreparable damage.
The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT
A faulty air conditioner won’t affect your car’s MOT but it can affect the comfort of you and your passengers. It’s worth keeping your air conditioning running at its optimum performance as the impact it can have on your vehicle’s fuel efficiency could significantly affect the day-to-day cost of your motoring.
What causes an AC condenser to stop working correctly?
There are a variety of reasons your **AC condenser **could need replacing. It could be that the fan has stopped functioning correctly, or that the condenser has developed a leak or blockage somewhere. It may be because it has become clogged by refrigerant contaminated with unwanted elements, infiltrating it from other parts of the system.
It’s also possible that objects being thrown up from the road—including gravel, litter and other debris—could cause damage to interfere with your condenser’s correct operation.
Symptoms of a malfunctioning AC condenser
Your air con isn’t as cold as normal or not working at all
Your condenser could have stopped working correctly if you notice that the air conditioning in your car isn’t providing the usual levels of cold air as normal, or if it isn’t working at all.
You can hear a ticking sound or see liquid
A ticking sound from your engine or areas of liquid leaking around the air conditioning unit are signs that your condenser could be malfunctioning.
Your fuel consumption isn’t as high as normal
A malfunctioning condenser could also affect your fuel consumption, so if you notice that you’re not achieving your usual mpg, it could be time to have your condenser checked out.
Lexus
Lexus is the luxury division of the Japanese automotive manufacturer Toyota.
The Lexus brand was launched in 1989, is marketed in more than 70 countries worldwide, and has become Japan’s largest-selling make of premium cars.
How popular is Lexus in the United Kingdom?
For such a high-flying global leader, Lexus has a seemingly modest 156k cars on the road in the UK today.
Luxury executive vehicles for the discerning driver
In the UK, the Lexus brand focuses heavily on the NX and RX SUV models, it’s the fastest growing market for family cars after all; but each of the hatchbacks, saloons and coupés in its range come with the same high-level of luxury and sophistication for their £25–£76k price tags.
Lexus design and technology
Lexus was born to present itself as a luxury brand, something Toyota wasn’t in a position to market to their typical customer given their existing brand perception. To achieve a true luxury standard, they have targeted both vehicle development as well as their lavish presentation.
‘Lexus Musts’
Each vehicle has to achieve 500 specific must have standards known as ‘Lexus Musts’, all of which are to attain the high-end presentation and performance of a ‘true’ luxury marque.
Although they might not all be ‘Lexus Musts’ you can expect to find criteria such as leather seat stitching, smart key entry, remote touch control systems, surround sound and reduced cabin noise that utilises acoustic glass, in your Lexus vehicle. And the driving technology is just as impressive: Lexus introduced continuously variable transmissions, regenerative brakes, hybrid and electric fuel options, as well as vehicle stability and integrated dynamic handling management systems.
Lexus’ reliability and reputation
Lexus ranked 2nd place out of 30 car brands in the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2018. Their high standards and typical Japanese reliability set them above every marque except Suzuki, and they only missed out on the top spot by 0.2%.
Recent Lexus recalls and reliability issues
Various recalls have been made on Lexus models throughout their motoring history. The following are a list of the most recent in the UK and Europe.
04/05/2019 – Lexus ES and Lexus UX (2018–2019)
The emergency calling system may not be correctly installed
18/03/2019 – Lexus LS 500h (2017–2018)
Due to an incorrect tyre to the wheel assembly process, the sidewall reinforcement layer may become damaged
23/11/2018 – Lexus SC 430 (2001–2006)
The ammonium nitrate propellant used in the airbag inflator may degrade over time due to heat cycles
02/11/2018 – Lexus IS350, Lexus GS450h and Lexus GS350 (2005–2014)
A crack in the fuel pulsation damper may lead to a fuel leak
21/09/2018 – Lexus LC500h (2016–2018)
The vehicles’ electronic control unit has been improperly programmed
04/03/2018 – Lexus RCF (2014–2017)
The pulsation damper in one of the high-pressure fuel pumps could be defective
18/02/2018 – Lexus RX450h and Lexus NX300h (2015)
There could be a fault with the pressure sensors for the airbag system
03/02/2018 – Lexus CT200h (2016–2017)
The tank may develop a leak as a result of defective welding
All recall information sourced from gov.co.uk data.
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