As summers go, this is a fairly mild variety here in McHenry County. Yes, we’ve seen plenty of days in the 80s, and topped the 90s once or twice. But, by and large, this hasn’t been an excessively hot summer. And McHenry County has had some hot summers in the past.

All the same, if someone working outside, 80s and 90s are a bit toasty. If you’re car’s air conditioning isn’t working properly, you may also have a different perspective on how to rate the summer heat scale for this McHenry County summer.

When you park to go into a store, the inside of the car turns into an oven when it’s 80 degrees outside. And if it’s in the 90s … OH BOY!!

When you come back to the car, the first thing you want to do is turn the air conditioning on. At first, the air conditioning will blow hot air out of the vent. You might even want to wait standing with the door open until the hot air passes. But, soon, the air will turn cool and you can slide into the car and into the flow of that cool and soothing air conditioned air.

Hopefully, your car’s air conditioning is in proper working condition. If it is, the time it takes to start putting out cool air from the vents is relatively short. If the car’s air conditioning is not up to par, it will take longer. The further the air conditioning is from optimal operating performance, the longer it will take.

Once the air starts blowing cool, if the AC is in good shape, it will quickly cool the car. But, if the AC is not in good shape, it can take a while.

The point is that a car’s air conditioning is not a yes or no question. It’s not a matter of the AC working or not working; there is a wide range in between where the car’s air conditioning exists on a scale between maximum efficiency and not working at all.

The way to make sure your car’s air conditioner is up to the task, even in a milder summer, such as the one we’re having here in McHenry County this year, is to have it checked out at a trusted auto repair shop. They’ll check the hoses, lines, seals and connections to make sure that there aren’t any leaks. They’ll check your temperature readings to ensure that the air conditioning is working according to specifications.

They’ll also check the compressor, clutch and belt to make sure they’re in good shape. Remember, even if your car’s AC is otherwise in tip-top condition, if the belt brakes, it won’t work at all. And, today, with serpentine belts that operate the alternator and other engine components, if the belt brakes, a lack of air conditioning is only one of your problems.

P.S. For kid’s sake, please, don’t leave children in the car while you ‘run’ into the store. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “’Cars parked in direct sunlight can reach internal temperatures up to 131° F - 172° F (55° C – 78° C) when outside temperatures are 80° F – 100° F (27° C – 38° C).’ … Even outside temperatures in the 60s can cause a car temperature to rise well above 110° F. When the outside temperature is 83° F, even with the window rolled down 2 inches, the temperature inside the car can reach 109° F in only 15 minutes.” http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/enforce/ChildrenAndCars/pages/Unattend-HotCars.htm