Car A/C Repair and Recharge in Ottawa

Symptoms we see

Air comes out cool at first, then warms up in traffic.
The A/C works on the highway but not at a stoplight.
A musty or sour smell when the fan comes on.
A click from under the hood that repeats every few seconds.
Water on the passenger floor.
Windows that take forever to clear in winter. The A/C dries the air for the defroster, so a dead system shows up in January too.

What a complete system charge includes

We recover whatever refrigerant is left, pull the system into a vacuum to boil off moisture, and hold that vacuum to see if it leaks down. Then we recharge it by weight to the exact amount on your car's label and check vent temperatures and pressures with it running.

$175A/C complete system charge, before tax.

Newer cars use a refrigerant called R1234yf, which costs a lot more than the older R134a. If your car takes the newer gas, we will confirm the price with you before we start.

King’s workbench with wrenches, sockets and torque wrenches on the pegboard — Most A/C faults are a leaking o ring, a damaged condenser or a tired compressor clutch.

When it is more than a recharge

If the system will not hold vacuum, it has a leak. The common ones are o rings at the fittings, a condenser holed by a stone from the road, a leaking compressor seal, or a rusted line. Air conditioning has been one of the shop's specialties for a long time, and we will show you where the leak is and quote the repair before touching it.

Some problems are not refrigerant at all: a blend door actuator stuck on heat, a cabin fan that has lost a speed, or a cabin air filter packed solid.

Questions about
air conditioning

How much is an A/C recharge at King’s?

A complete A/C system charge is $175 before tax. Cars that use the newer R1234yf refrigerant cost more, and we confirm that price before starting.

Why does my A/C need recharging again?

Because it is leaking. A healthy system keeps its refrigerant for years. If it keeps going low, the right fix is finding the leak.

Should I use a DIY recharge can?

We would rather you did not. Those cans often contain sealer that can clog the system and contaminate our recovery equipment, and it is easy to overcharge, which is hard on the compressor.

Why does my A/C smell?

Usually mould on the evaporator or a dirty cabin filter. A new filter and an evaporator cleaning normally sorts it out.

Is it worth fixing A/C in Ottawa?

Most people think so. Beyond summer comfort, the A/C dries the air for the defroster, which is why a car with working A/C clears its windows much faster in winter.