Most Chicago drivers worry about a breakdown or a tire blowout on a busy Illinois freeway but don’t worry too much about failure of their air conditioning system. A breakdown at the side of the road can be a miserable and dangerous affair during Chicago rush hour, but so can a long ride in a hot SUV.

A lot of Chicago drivers judge their vehicles’ air conditioning systems as “non-essential” and so may neglect them in favor of repairs and maintenance that keeps the SUV running. But preventive maintenance of an air conditioning system is simple and inexpensive, while auto a/c repair can be very costly in Chicago.

West Town car owners should have the refrigerant in their air conditioning system checked regularly to ensure it is adequate and clean. Air conditioning systems often fail because air and water have contaminated the refrigerant. Air reduces the efficiency of the refrigerant, and water can cause rusting of the system’s components. If your refrigerant is contaminated, the system should be evacuated and recharged. This will actually extend the life of your air conditioning system, preventing pricey repairs, and keep it at peak performance.

Inadequate refrigerant indicates a leak in the air conditioning system. Over time, seals in the system can crack, causing the refrigerant to leak out, reducing the efficiency of the system. Replacing these seals will keep your SUV air conditioning system at its best, and, again, will help you avoid more pricey repairs.

At Tuffy Chicago (Diversey Pkwy), we advise our Chicago customers to run their air conditioner periodically in the winter. This will keep the seals from drying out and cracking, saving them the inconvenience of this relatively minor repair.

Check with your SUV owner’s manual or with your Chicago service professional for information about how often your SUV air conditioning system should be serviced.

Another piece of good auto advice: if your SUV air conditioner isn’t working or is starting to show signs of breakdown, NOW is the time to get it fixed at Tuffy Chicago (Diversey Pkwy) in Chicago. Waiting will only increase the chances that you are in for major repairs and an expensive repair bill.

On a final note, if you own an older vehicle, you should check into upgrading the air conditioning system. Vehicles manufactured before 1993 often contained a refrigerant known as Freon. The manufacture of Freon was outlawed in 1993, leading to an ever-dwindling supply, which leads to an ever-steeper price for Chicago motorists in Illinois . If your vehicle still uses Freon, you should have it retrofitted to use the new, EPA-approved R134A refrigerant. The retrofit will actually pay for itself by reducing the cost to recharge the refrigerant in your SUV.

Remember, preventive maintenance — of your entire car — will keep you on the road. And, in this case, it will help you keep your cool!