Your car or truck's AC system is under extreme pressure and the thermal expansion valve or orifice tube monitors the amount of pressure and the temperature of your A/C system. It calculates the precise amount of refrigerant that can safely go into the evaporator. A failing expansion valve or orifice tube often causes a vehicle's air conditioner to blow hot air.
Replace or Repair
- Expansion Valves: Too much refrigerant causes your evaporator to get too cold whereas too little refrigerant would result in inadequate cooling. The expansion valve is a complex valve that regulates refrigerant flow. This process of metering the refrigerant adjusts the flow according to the temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator coil. Talk to one of the pro mechanics at Garner Auto Specialists, as this part can be replaced on its own and does not require the entire replacement of the AC assembly.
- Orifice Tubes: Unlike the expansion valve, the orifice tube is a simple fixed device with no moving parts. It therefore cannot vary the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator, but rather causes a permanent restriction in the system. However, like the expansion valve the orifice tube regulates refrigerant flow through the system and filters debris which may come through in its screen. Often fixing a "bad orifice tube" requires replacing the entire evaporator assembly.
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What our clients are saying about us
We have established longterm and stable partnerships with various clients thanks to our excellence in solving their automotive needs!
The guys at Garner Auto Specialist are great! Every time I get my car serviced there, I always have a wonderful experience. The Service team is polite and helpful. The service manager (Chris) is willing to provide information and answer any questions regarding vehicle service. A great place for vehicle maintenance.
May 2026 Review- I've been coming to this shop for about 10 years, and today reminded me exactly why I keep coming back. I originally came in for an oil change, tire rotation, cabin air filter replacement, and to have them check a loud AC blower fan that sounded like debris was inside. While removing the blower motor to clean it out, the part broke. Instead of hiding it or trying to blame it on wear and tear, Chris immediately came and showed me exactly what happened and told me they would replace it completely free of charge. They covered the replacement part, labor, and cleaning everything out. That level of honesty and accountability is hard to find these days. They easily could have handled it differently, but they chose transparency and did the right thing. I truly appreciate businesses that stand behind their work and take care of long-time customers. 2024 review- Garner Auto Specialist is the ONLY place I will take my vehicle for service! I have a 2015 Tahoe and am pretty sure it's haunted. :) It does all kinds of strange things and Chris and his team are always willing to go the extra mile to help resolve my issues. I've used them for oil changes, inspections, major AC repairs, electrical issues and everytime they EXPLAIN what's going on and have never once tried to upsell me on something. They are a group of good and honest mechanics and I highly recommend them! *Edited to add that I think some of the bad reviews on here are actually for a different shop in Garner with a similar name. *