Your auto air conditioner has one job: to keep you comfortable in the heat. Your A/C compressor is also responsible for assisting with removing moisture from the cabin of your car to keep the windows clear when you turn on the “defrost” function?
When your car was new, the A/C was able to keep you cold no matter how hot it got outside. The worst traffic on the hottest NYC day couldn’t bother you. Now that it’s been a couple years, this might not be the case. Over time, the A/C in your vehicle will lose its ability to generate the same level of cold air. This depreciation happens for a number of reasons ranging from rings, hoses and seals wearing down over time; to the compressor itself failing. Either way, often the refrigerant will leak due to these problems and this creates an inability to effectively cool the cabin. This leaking A/C fluid also can be a hazard to the environment.