Having a properly functioning air conditioner in your vehicle is essential, especially when driving during the hot summer months and extremely cold winters.
However, if your AC fails at any point, your rides will be less comfortable. When this happens, you may wonder if places like AutoZone recharge your AC. If you’d like to find out, keep reading!
Will AutoZone Recharge My AC In [currentyear]?
AutoZone will not recharge your vehicle’s air conditioning system in [currentyear]. However, the company has all the tools and products in stock, including refrigerants, system cleaners, oils, and stop leaks that you can use to recharge your AC. Additionally, if you need help, AutoZone will direct you to the specific shops that can help.
For more information about AutoZone, AC recharge services, and more, keep on reading for more useful facts and tips!
Why Won’t AutoZone Recharge Your AC?
If you’re wondering why AutoZone doesn’t charge ACs, Listed below are some possible reasons:
1. It’s an Auto Shop
Unlike your local mechanic, AutoZone is primarily a commercial business; therefore, it specializes in selling you auto parts and fluids.
AutoZone sells products that you can use to charge your AC by yourself. However, the employees will recommend a mechanic or local store from their list of preferred shops if you need any assistance.
2. It’s Time Consuming
AutoZone employees will direct you to a local shop to charge your AC to avoid spending extra time on it.
Since AutoZone is a retailer, the company prefers to sell you the products for you to do it yourself at home.
What Services Does AutoZone Provide to Help You Recharge Your AC?
Although AutoZone will not charge your AC, the store employees will provide you with the following services:
1. AC Parts
Whether you need a refrigerant, an AC stop leak, an odor eliminator, AC oil, a system cleaner, or a flush kit, AutoZone has all these parts in stock.
You can buy the parts you need and do a DIY or go to another auto shop for the recharge.
2. List of Shops
Depending on your location, AutoZone will provide you with a list of preferred shops that will handle an AC recharge for you.
This information includes the opening hours, direction, and distance to make it easy for the customers.
Where Can I Get My AC Recharged?
If you’re looking for a place to charge your AC, here are some of the stores that you can visit:
1. Jiffy Lube
If your AC needs recharging, you can drive to Jiffy Lube stores and provide an evacuation and recharge service for car owners.
When you go to this service provider, the technicians will inspect your air conditioning components for damages and leakages.
If you have no leaks, they will evacuate the refrigerant from your AC system for testing, and recharge according to your vehicle’s specification.
However, note that Jiffy Lube will not service your system if you have any leaks and damages.
Additionally, its service is designed for periodic maintenance.
2. Pep Boys
You can also get an AC recharge service from the automotive service chain Pep Boys. The mechanics at this store will check your system and recommend the necessary service your vehicle needs.
Pep Boys offer different services including system evaluation, component evaluation, evacuation and recharge, and an air quality service package.
Car owners pay $9.99 for the AC recharge service package, which involves returning your vehicle’s AC to peak performance levels.
However, if you need a leak test to diagnose other problems affecting the refill, you’ll pay $13.99.
3. AAMCO
AAMCO provides AC recharge services if you’re having leaks and temperature regulation problems.
Depending on your location, some of the AAMCO stores offer free AC checkups.
Therefore, you should first call your local AAMCO center to confirm if it has this service.
However, keep in mind that the free service does not include refrigerant evacuation or recharge, as you’ll need to pay for AC recharging.
How Much Does It Cost to Recharge Your AC?
On average, a professional AC recharge will cost you from $150 to $300, depending on the make and model of your vehicle.
On some occasions, some car owners have been charged up to $1,100 for this service.
This cost varies significantly, depending on labor and who fixes your vehicle. However, you can save money by choosing the DIY route and recharging the AC system yourself.
In this case, you’ll only pay about $40-$60 for a recharge kit at AutoZone.
While this saves the total cost, you should only take this option if you know what you are doing.
Otherwise, if you make a mistake and damage the system, you’ll incur more repair costs.
When Should You Recharge Your AC System?
You’ll know when to recharge your AC once you notice that the airflow is warmer than usual when you choose the cool settings.
This also applies when your system stops producing a cool airflow when you turn the settings to warm.
Additionally, it would be best to recharge when your vehicle has covered 10,000 miles or according to the guidelines on your owner’s manual.
Once you notice the AC system is not performing as it should, it’s time to recharge it for a comfortable ride.
If you are looking to learn more, you can also check our posts on whether or not AutoZone installs batteries, if AutoZone installs radios, and if AutoZone does oil changes.
Conclusion
AutoZone does not recharge AC systems in vehicles. However, the company has all the tools and products in stock, including oils, refrigerants, system cleaners, and stop leaks that you can use to recharge your AC by yourself.
Additionally, if you need help, AutoZone will direct you to the specific shops that can help you recharge the system.
