0:00 / 0:00
A/C Part 4: Shut down Your Air Conditioning THE RIGHT WAY Before It Fails

A/C Part 4: Shut down Your Air Conditioning THE RIGHT WAY Before It Fails

Car Connection Workshop May 25, 2026 50 min
0:00
0:00

About this episode

Nile Modermount Jenkins lays out a five-step way to shut down a vehicle’s A/C so it doesn’t fail or start smelling. The routine focuses on turning off max A/C before arrival to relieve compressor stress and then drying the evaporator core—because trapped moisture leads to “spores and bacteria” and odors that can return. He also warns that skipping steps can “blow up your…air conditioning compressor,” and that ignoring small repairs can snowball into big bills.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Term

AC air conditioning

"“let's get started this morning as we, our title is the wrap up, the AC air conditioning tutorial, wrap up today, I've got five things to share with you to help to teach you how to shut that puppy down”"

“AC” is your car’s air conditioner. It cools the inside of the car and removes moisture from the air. This episode is about turning it off the right way so it doesn’t wear out or break early.

Concept

shut that puppy down

"“I've got five things to share with you to help to teach you how to shut that puppy down, when you've been operating it, how to do it properly”"

They’re talking about the right way to turn your car’s AC off after you’ve been using it. Doing it the proper way can help prevent the AC from failing sooner.

Term

AC system

"“because you can blow up your AC system so fast, and if you're just wanting to spend some money”"

The “AC system” means all the parts that make your car’s air conditioner work. They’re saying if you don’t turn it off correctly, you can damage those parts and end up with expensive repairs.

Term

air conditioning parts

"“just keep doing it the way you've always done it, because many of you are, and that's what's costing you a lot of money with air conditioning parts”"

“Air conditioning parts” are the pieces inside your car’s AC that can break. The host is saying the way you use and shut off the AC can lead to needing those parts replaced.

Term

air conditioning system

"with it every single time you use your vehicle's air conditioning system, every time folks, not once"

Your car’s air conditioning system is what cools the cabin and helps remove moisture from the air. The host is saying you should use it the right way so it stays working instead of failing later.

Term

owner's manual

"probably not because you know that's a collection somebody should get into [1245.3s] vintage vehicles that I went looking for owner's manuals in some very very old junk yards and I found them where they're supposed to be in pristine condition"

The owner’s manual is the booklet (or app) that tells you how your exact car is supposed to be used. The host is saying it’s important because it can prevent mistakes that lead to problems later.

Car

08 Nissan Rogue

"and it will enlighten you about you know this year last year late last year we got the 08 Nissan Rogue it was donated to us and we brought it back to life and it's being well used"

A Nissan Rogue is a crossover SUV. Here, the host is talking about a 2008 Rogue and using it to show that reading the owner’s manual can teach you how the car’s features work.

Term

max ac

"get ready I know it's going to be hot hazy humid the sun's burning down on you you're going to turn off the max ac"

“Max A/C” is the coldest setting on your car’s air conditioning. It tries to cool the cabin as quickly as possible, so the host says to switch away from it a little before you arrive.

Term

fan speed

"you're going to turn off the max ac you're going to turn the fan step four down to low fan speed no you're not going to die"

Fan speed is how hard your car’s blower pushes air. Turning it down can reduce how much the A/C system has to work while you’re finishing your trip.

Term

air conditioning compressor

"but there's one more step we need to do and this is the step when you skip it any of these steps you will blow up your your vehicle's air conditioning compressor that's the first mega component"

Your car’s A/C compressor is the main part that makes the air conditioning work. It squeezes the refrigerant so the system can cool the cabin, and the host warns that skipping the shutdown steps can cause it to fail.

Term

head pressure

"that's going to say I've had enough of this head pressure boom it's going to let go and then you're [1728.1s] going to know about it because the estimator to fix it it's going to be an alley well I'm telling you ... and get what we call head pressure off the compressor"

Head pressure is the high pressure inside your car’s air-conditioning system. The host’s point is that shutting the A/C down properly helps lower that pressure so the compressor isn’t stressed.

Car

Toyota FJ Cruiser

"you know our very own 07 fj cruisers been laid up like almost two weeks more than it should have [1752.0s] it took five days to get tie rod ends here five days yeah"

The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a rugged, off-road SUV. The host mentions their own 2007 FJ Cruiser to show that getting car parts can take a long time, which can delay repairs.

Part

tie rod ends

"it took five days to get tie rod ends here five days yeah and you'll say well well come [1759.5s] it took so long I'll tell you after let's get through this because it's an interesting thing"

Tie rod ends are small parts that help connect your steering to the front wheels. If they wear out, the steering can feel off and the car may need alignment work.

Term

refrigerant

"that's the heart that's pumping the refrigerant through all the arteries to give you air conditioning [1835.6s] that's the heart if you don't want to do this then you will experience heart failure"

Refrigerant is the substance inside the A/C system that carries heat away from the cabin. The compressor helps move it through the system so the air can get cold.

Term

defrost

"“...because the system is still defrosting so the evaporator core... needs to defrost... needs to defrost and dry out...”"

Here, “defrost” means letting the frozen A/C cooling surface thaw. You still want the system to thaw and dry out so moisture doesn’t cause odors.

Term

smelly in car air conditioning

"“...we need to get that baby defrosted and dried out because when you don't that's when you get the smelly in car air conditioning system...”"

That “smelly A/C” smell usually happens when water stays trapped in the cooling area. If the evaporator doesn’t thaw and dry, it can grow stuff that creates the odor.

Term

antibacterial product

"“...we can't get to that evaporator core easily enough to spray it down with antibacterial product to kill...”"

An antibacterial product is something meant to kill germs that cause bad smells. The speaker says the evaporator is buried in the HVAC system, so it’s hard to reach and treat properly.

Term

evaporator core

"the spores the fungus that's growing on that that evaporator core and how does it get there Hair dander floaties in the car all kinds of particles get trapped on that that evaporator core because it stays damp"

Your car’s A/C has a part inside the cabin that makes the air cold. Because it gets cold, it also collects water, and if that water doesn’t dry out, it can start to smell and grow germs.

Term

spores

"the spores the fungus that's growing on that that evaporator core and how does it get there if that evaporator core can't get dried off it's going to build spores and bacteria"

Spores are like tiny seeds from mold. If they land on a wet surface in your car’s A/C, they can grow and make the air smell bad.

Concept

pull the whole car apart inside

"unless you're willing to invest two things someone like myself that gets excited about pulling your whole car apart inside and it's not good I don't even want you around when I do it because you'll think I'm wrecking your car"

They’re saying the evaporator area is hard to reach, so the shop may have to remove interior parts to get to it. That’s why some quick fixes don’t fully solve the problem.

Term

condenser

"because where do a lot of ac leaks start usually condenser next it may be a line fitting a connection a gasket an O-ring"

The condenser is an A/C part that dumps heat outside the car. It’s one of the first places an A/C leak can start, before other connections and seals.

Term

O-ring

"next it may be a line fitting a connection a gasket an O-ring but many times it's the evaporator core"

An O-ring is a small rubber seal that helps keep A/C connections from leaking. If it fails, the system can leak refrigerant and you may get bad smells or weak cooling.

Term

porous

"because that moisture rots it out it's aluminum and it eventually makes it porous because then the refrigerant leaks out"

Porous means the material gets full of tiny holes. If the evaporator core becomes porous, it can start leaking refrigerant.

Term

heater box

"core and split the heater box so I can get in there and get to it it's a lot of work and it's hundreds and hundreds of screws and clips and fasteners that all have to go back in so we don't create a dash rattle or a squeak"

The heater box is the main housing for the car’s heating/air system parts. Getting into it can be a pain because there are lots of screws and clips, and putting it back wrong can cause rattles.

Term

dash rattle

"hundreds and hundreds of screws and clips and fasteners that all have to go back in so we don't create a dash rattle or a squeak so again how to shut down your vehicle's air conditioning"

A dash rattle is a squeak or rattling noise from the dashboard area. It can happen if parts inside the dash aren’t put back tightly or correctly.

Term

discharge tube

"what we call the discharge tube that's what you want to see is you want to see the water hitting the ground underneath your car and a lot of times that tube gets plugged"

The discharge tube is like a drain for the water the A/C creates. If it gets clogged, water can build up inside and you may hear sloshing or see leaks underneath.

2 cars featured

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars