Posted on 4/28/2025
It’s a common complaint during warmer months—your car’s A/C feels cold and powerful while driving, but once you stop at a red light or get stuck in traffic, the airflow doesn’t feel as cool. If your air conditioning can’t keep up at idle, it usually means the system isn’t performing as efficiently as it should. Before it gets worse, it helps to know what might be behind the drop in cooling and what steps you can take to fix it. How Your Car's AC System Works Your vehicle’s air conditioning relies on a compressor, which is usually powered by a belt connected to the engine. As the engine turns, the compressor circulates refrigerant through the system, removing heat from the cabin and sending cool air through the vents. But when your car is idling, engine speed decreases, and so does the power available to the A/C system. That drop in performance can ... read more