Does regular use enhance AC life?

[fdcg27]

Based upon my personal experience as well as that of others I know who save the AC for really unbearable conditions I think it does.
We use the AC whenever conditions warrant and rarely roll down the windows for comfort.
We've had cars that had cold AC out to 200K+ with no service at all and never any additional gas.
I've never had to replace a compressor or any other part of the AC system of any car we've ever owned and we consider working AC a must for the hot and humid months especially for highway travel.
It seems to me that regular use extends the life of the AC system as well as its charge since regular use seems to help in preventing leaks.
What have your experiences been?

 

[Trav]

+1 A system that works regularly will be less prone to compressor seal and system o ring dry out, oil moving around with the refrigerant is a good thing.

 

[E150GT]

Use it or lose it

 

[E150GT]

The ac is in my truck started leaking at around the 20 year mark. Turns out it was the low side ac service fitting. I did have the shop replace the orifice tube and accumulator. On year two since and it's ice cold at highway temps. I believe the condenser has too many bent fins for it to be efficient at stop and go traffic.

 

[Ducked]

Yeh. So long since I used mine I'm scared to turn it on in case it self destructs. Probably needs serviced and a topup, but thats not really DIY territory.

 

[CT8]

Just like the refrig in the house .it runs all the time and it last a long time.

 

[javacontour]

I suspect it's a mixed bag. As some have said, useage helps out some things, such as keeping seals and o-rings in good condition.

But on the flip side, it is a mechanical system, subject to wear, so more useage means more wear.

FWIW, I had a hose replaced 6 years ago on my Protege5 as it was beginning to leak.

Today, about 140K miles later at 224k, I dropped her off as the compressor pulley was wobbling badly. So it will probably need a new compressor, or at the very least, a new clutch.

 

[dparm]

Too many variables to know for sure. Use it as you see fit -- if it breaks, it breaks.


Someone who runs the AC constantly (several hours per day, 7 days a week) may have it work perfectly for 20 years because their compressor, lines, etc. are all better than average and/or were put together very well.

Another person who runs it once a month might have it die within the first year because theirs just happened to have multiple parts that were borderline on failing QC or the guy on the assembly line was hung over.

 

[Merkava_4]

I use my A/C to save the window regulators. My Buick has a weak window regulator design.

When everybody else goes through the post office drive-thu, they stay in their car and roll the window down. Myself, I pull off to the side and walk the mail to the mail box.

 

[Rat407]

What people do not realize, at least some might not, is that when it is winter and not to cold out when you use the defrost setting, it turns on the AC. So in reality you are using your AC year round.

 

[berniedd]

Yes, the experts advise using the A/C on a regular basis (even in winter, once in a while) to keep the oil seals pliable and soft. I verified this the hard way. I kept my 20-year old Honda in my garage for 5 months not too long ago (Didn't need it for a while) and not even started the engine during that time. I disconnected the negative battery cable to avoid discharging the battery. Well, last month I got it out of hibernation. Started on the first try but the A/C wasn't cooling. Brought it to my usual favorite shop and they took down the evaporator and check for leaks. Couldn't find anything so they returned everything and refilled with refrigerant. Their diagnosis: the rubber O-rings had dried out from the 5 month non-use. In the past, I'd sometimes keep it unused for a month or two with no issues, but apparently 5 months was too long.

 

[pkunk]

Of my 4 vehicles, the Dodge PU sees the least mileage these days(1994-191k Mi) and most of the use is in the summer and air use. Winter (6-7 mo) is mostly garage time except for when I have to plow the driveway. I can't remember when I last used defrost as our average humidity is probably under 20% year round. This is Northern NM at 8000 ft. It has the coldest air of any vehicle I 've ever been in.

 

[Tdbo]

In my experience, I just use it. In most cars, it runs during the winter in defrost mode, anyway.
I lost a compressor in a 3 year old Chrysler, and had to replace a condenser on a second Chrysler.
Had to replace a compressor in a Ford, except the car was 11 years old and had over 200K on it. Replaced it with one from a boneyard.
Sometimes, I have had to take cars in for a recharge.
Just part of the experience of owning/maintaining a vehicle

 

[E150GT]

The Orings in my truck power steering went bad and I use the power steering all the time in the truck. Point is, O rings wear out. They get old. Compressors wear. Lines vibrate. Just keep the condenser clean once a year or so with condenser cleaner and keep the bugs out. Thats about all you can do.

 

[Linctex]

#1 failure (by far) has been random leaks
#2 failure has been clutches/bearings/etc.

I have NEVER had a compressor fail in my life.

Condenser fins are easily straightened with a dull butter knife.

 

[FowVay]

My personal experience has been with two separate vehicles. I live in the south where A/C use is nearly year round.

I have had one system fail caused by twenty years of wear and tear on the clutch. The clutch simply wore out. No other component in the system had failed and this compressor was a rotary vane design.

On another occasion I had a compressor fail. Inside of the compressor were 5 pistons that are actuated by a swash plate. The high and low side of the compressor is regulated by a steel reed valve system. One of the steel reeds had broken and destroyed one of the pistons. This caused the damage to snowball and eventually destroyed all of the compressor internals.

The oil in the vane pump was a PAG 100 and the oil in the swash plate piston pump was a PAG 46. There is a noticeable difference in viscosity with these two oils.

Speaking to the technical staff at 4-seasons I was told that the vane pump is inferior in design to the swash plate piston pump yet in my experience the rotary vane pump was still working great at 20 years of service whereas the swash plate designed piston pump had failed at half that life. One thing I did notice is that the air flow across the condenser was reduced on the old viscous clutched radiator fan and this reduced the efficiency of the system when the vehicle was sitting still.

Personal observation is that the seals in the lines don't dry out. The front seal on the compressor will wear over time and cause very slow leakage but because it sits horizontal there is always a supply of oil sitting against the front seal. Use the A/C when you need it. It's a luxury to be enjoyed.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Yes.

 

[KrisZ]

I believe using the AC does help, keeping the condenser clean also helps and changing the cabin filter periodically helps as well. That's about all one can do.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Rat407
What people do not realize, at least some might not, is that when it is winter and not to cold out when you use the defrost setting, it turns on the AC. So in reality you are using your AC year round.


No I'm not. My reality is not your reality.

 

[SilverFusion2010]

I've screwed mine up with a can of "with stop leak" r-134. Pretty sure I have a partially restricted oriface tube. It's on the to do list. Icy cold at hwy speed.

I think exercising the compressor every couple weeks is good for the system