Come in if you have

AC that blows warm, or is cold on the highway and warm at a stoplight

Weak airflow from the vents even when the air is cool

A temperature gauge that climbs in traffic and drops on the highway

Coolant puddles under the car, or a sweet smell after a drive

Steam from under the hood, or a low-coolant warning

Heat that has stopped working

Two different systems keep a car comfortable, and people mix them up constantly. The engine cooling system, which is the radiator, water pump, thermostat, fans and coolant, keeps the engine from cooking itself. The air conditioning system, which is the compressor, condenser, evaporator, refrigerant and blower, keeps the cabin livable. TAB Motors services both at 4035 Langston Blvd in Arlington. DC-area summers are hot and humid, and stop-and-go traffic on 66 and the GW Parkway is exactly the condition that exposes a marginal cooling system or a slow refrigerant leak.

Problems this fixes

AC that blows warm, or that is cold on the highway and warm at a stoplight
Weak airflow from the vents even when the air coming out is cool
A musty smell in the first minute after the AC comes on
A temperature gauge that climbs in traffic and drops on the highway
Coolant puddles under the car, or a sweet smell after a drive
Steam from under the hood, or a low-coolant warning
Heat that has stopped working, which is often a coolant problem rather than a heater problem

What is included: cooling system

Overheating diagnosis and cooling system pressure test
Radiator repair and replacement
Water pump replacement
Thermostat and coolant temperature sensors
Coolant flush and fill to the manufacturer's specification and coolant type
Hoses, belts, cooling fans and fan clutches

What is included: air conditioning

AC performance check: vent temperature plus high-side and low-side pressures
Leak detection using UV dye or an electronic detector
Evacuate and recharge to the refrigerant capacity your vehicle calls for
Compressor, condenser, evaporator, hose and expansion valve or orifice tube work
Blend door, blower motor and blower resistor repair
Cabin air filter replacement

How the visit runs

Describe what it is doing and when. Warm only at idle, warm all the time, or fine one day and gone the next are three different diagnoses.
Test before parts. For AC we read vent temperature and system pressures. For cooling we pressure-test the system to find where it lets go.
Find the leak first. On an AC system that is low, the refrigerant went somewhere. We look for it before refilling so you are not paying twice.
Quote, then repair. You get the price and the reason for it before we start.
Verify. We re-check vent temperature on an AC repair, or bring the engine to full operating temperature and watch the fans cycle on a cooling repair.

What changes the time and the price

Recharge versus component replacement. A hose or a seal is a modest job. A compressor or condenser is bigger, and an evaporator usually means going into the dash, which is one of the longest jobs in the car.
Which refrigerant your car takes. Older vehicles use R-134a. Many newer ones use R-1234yf, which costs considerably more per pound. Tell us the year and model when you call and we will confirm what your system needs before you come in.
How long the system has been open or empty. Moisture that has gotten into an AC system can mean the drier or accumulator has to be replaced along with the leaking part.
Where the cooling part lives. A thermostat is usually straightforward. A water pump buried behind a timing cover is not.
Parts availability for your specific vehicle.

Why we do not just top it off

Air conditioning is a sealed system. It does not consume refrigerant the way an engine consumes oil. If yours is low, it leaked out, and adding more only buys time until it leaks out again. There is a second reason to find the leak: the oil that lubricates the AC compressor circulates with the refrigerant, so running the compressor on a system that is low is a good way to destroy it. Finding the leak first is cheaper than replacing a compressor later.

What this service does not cover

Plenty of "no cold air" complaints are not about refrigerant at all. If barely any air comes out of the vents, the problem is usually the blower motor, its resistor, or a cabin air filter that has not been changed in years, and that is an airflow repair rather than an AC recharge. If the engine runs hot and the heater has also quit, that is a coolant level or circulation problem. If a warning light came on around the same time, we read the stored codes before assuming anything. And a belt squeal that only appears when you press the AC button can be the belt or tensioner rather than the compressor.

Do not keep driving an overheating engine

An overheating engine is the fastest way to turn a cheap hose into a head gasket or a cracked block. If the temperature gauge climbs toward the red, pull over somewhere safe, shut the engine off, and call us at (703) 243-3080 rather than trying to make it a few more miles. Low coolant can also set a dashboard warning that we can read at the same visit.

What customers actually said

One Arlington driver whose Hummer H1 broke down about a mile from the shop wrote that our mechanic Jose "quickly diagnosed the issue and replaced the fan clutch and belt at a very fair price." A fan clutch is a cooling-system part, and a failing one is a classic cause of an engine that runs hot in traffic and fine on the highway. Our Google rating is 4.9 from 60 reviews.

Getting here

If your AC is blowing warm right now, our post on what is really behind warm air from the vents walks through the likely causes in order. We are at 4035 Langston Blvd, an easy trip from anywhere in Arlington and from McLean and the Chain Bridge Rd side. Call (703) 243-3080 and we will get you in.

What happens next

Tell us what it is doing

Call (703) 243-3080, start a quote online, or stop in. What you hear or feel, and when, narrows things down before anything comes apart.

We look at the car

We check the actual parts rather than guessing from the symptom, and we tell you if the cause turns out to be something other than what you came in for.

You get the price first

We show you what we found, explain what is urgent and what can wait, and quote the work before we start. You are free to think it over or take the quote elsewhere.

We do the work

Once you approve it, the job goes ahead, backed by our 1-year warranty on parts and labor. Payment plans available for larger repairs.

You get the car back

Road tested where it matters, with a plain explanation of what was done and anything worth keeping an eye on.

What it costs

We don't publish a flat price for this, because an honest number depends on your specific vehicle and what we find. What we will do is tell you the price before we start, and not change it without talking to you first.

If we need to see the car before we can quote accurately, we'll say so rather than throw out a number we can't stand behind.

AAA members save

AAA members get 10% off labor, up to $75. Bring your card.

Backed for a year

1-year warranty on parts and labor.

Payment plans available

Spread the cost of a bigger job. Ask us in the shop.

Frequently asked questions

My AC blows warm. Is it just low on refrigerant?

Often it is low, but that raises the real question: where did the refrigerant go? The system is sealed, so low means a leak. We check for the leak first rather than charging you to fill a system that will be empty again in a few weeks.

Why is my AC cold when I am moving and warm at a stoplight?

At speed, air moves through the condenser on its own. At a stoplight, the cooling fan has to do that job. So this pattern usually points to a fan that is not coming on, a blocked condenser, or a system low enough that it has lost its margin. Worth checking before the next hot week.

Can I use a recharge can from the auto parts store?

You can, and sometimes it gets the air cold for a while. Our view is that it treats the symptom: the leak is still there, some of those cans include a sealant that can complicate a proper repair later, and overcharging a system can make cooling worse rather than better. If you have already used one, tell us so we know what is in the system.

My car overheats in traffic but not on the highway. Why?

That pattern points to airflow at low speed, which usually means a cooling fan or fan clutch problem, though a weak water pump or a partly blocked radiator can do the same thing. We pressure-test and check fan operation rather than guessing.

How often should coolant be flushed?

Many vehicles call for a coolant service somewhere around 60,000 to 100,000 miles, but it varies a lot by manufacturer and coolant type. We check the condition of what is in your car and tell you what your manual specifies.

Is it safe to keep driving if my temperature gauge is high?

No. Continuing to drive an overheating engine risks serious and expensive damage. Pull over safely, shut it off, and call (703) 243-3080.

My AC smells musty when I turn it on. What is that?

Usually moisture sitting on the evaporator, often together with a cabin air filter that is overdue. It is not a refrigerant problem. We can replace the filter and address where the smell is coming from.

Do you repair AC compressors?

Yes, along with condensers, evaporators, hoses and the controls. Tell us the year, make and model when you call so we can confirm parts and the refrigerant type your system uses.

Cooling System & AC Service

What you get