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.

Mini

Mini is a British automotive marque that has been owned by the German multinational vehicle manufacturer BMW since 2000.

The Mini brand was originally introduced in 1969 when the vehicle model became a marque in its own right, breaking away from the Austin and Morris brands under the British Leyland umbrella.

How popular is Mini in the United Kingdom?

The Mini Hatch was the 7th best selling car of 2018 in the UK. Mini is a consistent favourite among buyers with a leaning for British cultural icons and retro styling.

There are around 750k Mini cars on the roads, showing that the brand is still as popular as ever due to their compact sizing, attractive styling and its reputation as a classy and classic small car.

Mini: a premium product of British motoring

With its unique and unmistakable styling, Mini is firmly placed as a premium product. Its ownership by BMW has added advantages in production, by being able to lean on the executive luxury German marque for many of the advanced technological systems and specialist industry knowledge used in their manufacture.

A piece of British culture and a Hollywood star

Enhancing its popularity as a household name, the original British Mini became a star of the silver screen when it appeared predominantly in the gold-heist movie ‘The Italian Job’ in 1969, starring Michael Caine and Noel Coward. With a remake hitting the screens in 2003, the new Mini was called on to star once again, and a selection of Mini hatch models continued the tradition by featuring in the film.

Mini: a new competitor to the most popular 3-door hatchbacks

Despite its small footprint, the Mini hatch is providing real competition to the Audi A1 and VW Polo due to its premium quality build. And with the weight of BMW behind them, it’s easy to see why.

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 happens when we replace your condenser?

• Our efficient and fully qualified mechanics will check for possible fault codes relating to your air conditioning that could lead them directly to a condenser fault.

• Wherever required your condenser will be replaced and you’ll be advised of any other connected or associated problems arising from its malfunction.

• You will also be advised of any other parts that may need to be replaced for the best operation and health of your vehicle.

• Once the faulty condenser has been replaced, our mechanics will test it thoroughly to ensure the correct running of the new part and make any adjustments required for its premium operation.

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.