| steve55 |
I wonder if when I put my climate control in "auto" does the AC compressor go on and stay on most of the time? If you ask for warmer does it just bleed in warm air vs turning the compressor off? For instance if it is 70 degrees outside and 70 degrees inside with the climate control set to auto 70, is the AC probably on? Say you then take it to 72 degrees inside with auto climate, is the AC still on even though what you need is ambient with a bit of heat?
This relates to getting worse gas mileage by having the climate control in auto vs cycling the AC as needed yourself.
steve |
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| highcountrymdx |
The above post reminds me of an old tale that's circulated around every airline at one time or another.....
Brand new copilot is looking around the cockpit one day, and and has a question on the inner workings of one of the many complex systems on his jet. He turns to the Captain, the ole sage of the fleet, and asks, "Captain, what happens when I move this valve." The Captain studies the instrument panel, then the valve, then replies to the copilot, "Son, I'm not exactly sure, but I can tell you that it works good, and lasts a long time, so leave it alone!"
So, when you put the Hivac system into the Auto mode, rest assured it works good, and lasts a long time. |
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| pbm317 |
the AC also helps regulate the humidity levels in the car....
I personally have just left all my cars in auto, rarely touch the climate control |
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| highcountrymdx |
quote:
Originally posted by pbm317
I personally have just left all my cars in auto, rarely touch the climate control
See, there's an airline job in this guy's future! |
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| bimmerguy288 |
OK, please don't laugh. I can never figure this out after having owned six or seven vehicles with automatic climate control.
Does it matter if the A/C button is on or off if the auto button is on? If the auto button is on, do you leave the A/C button on even when the temperature outside is colder than the temperature you set inside?
OK. I just found this from ask.com:
Q:
"When I hit the ¡°auto¡± button on my car¡¯s dash, does it always turn on the air conditioning? Meaning, will it run the compressor, hurting my fuel economy even if it¡¯s cold out and I¡¯m running the heat? How can I tell if it is or not? "
A:
"The air conditioning won¡¯t be on all the time, but it does have the ability to turn on whenever the automatic climate control senses the interior needs to be chilled. The ¡°auto¡± button activates the automatic climate control, which turns on the air conditioning or heat to reach the desired temperature you select.
If it¡¯s cold outside, the air conditioning compressor will only turn on automatically if the climate control turns on the defrost mode, otherwise it will stay off when the car needs to be heated. Air-conditioned heat is dehumidified, so climate systems turn on the air conditioning in defrost mode to de-fog the windshield.
On a traditional system, the air conditioning compressor runs off the engine¡¯s accessory belt and draws on the engine; this is why gas mileage drops, because the engine is using additional power to turn another accessory, the A/C.
Cars like 2004 and newer Toyota Prius hybrids use an air conditioning compressor that¡¯s driven by an electric motor rather than the engine¡¯s belt. This eliminates the bad gas mileage factor and any ill effects an engine-driven compressor would have. " |
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| highcountrymdx |
quote:
Originally posted by bimmerguy288
Cars like 2004 and newer Toyota Prius hybrids use an air conditioning compressor that¡¯s driven by an electric motor rather than the engine¡¯s belt. This eliminates the bad gas mileage factor and any ill effects an engine-driven compressor would have. "
So where do you suppose the power that drives the electric motor ac compressor comes from? Could it be from the alternator, which in turn is driven by a belt powered by the engine? Maybe it's from the windmill on top of the car. |
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| bimmerguy288 |
quote:
Originally posted by highcountrymdx
So where do you suppose the power that drives the electric motor ac compressor comes from? Could it be from the alternator, which in turn is driven by a belt powered by the engine? Maybe it's from the windmill on top of the car.
No idea. I just quoted what was said on that website. |
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| steve55 |
| The website reply sounds oversimplified. |
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