Air Conditioning, do you have it?

Stinicker

Was driving around today in my ice cold air conditioning, the first time this year I actually found the need to use it on the cold setting. I often use the climate control on the warm setting to demist the windows as the dry warm a/c treated air demists far quicker than the ordinary hot air especially on very humid wet days.

A huge amount of cars don't have Air Conditioning here still particularly older models, I've leather seats too so having A/c is a prerequisite in the warm weather.

Mint Sauce

I just wind down the windows and put the blower on full.

:P

Ronnie Beck

About 3 days a year you need it here in the west and two of them have just gone:(.

ABajaninCork

Not in my current car. And I'm never having a car without A/C again. EVER!!!

SCOOP 64

Have it, only use to demist windows, never that hot.

Neilw

After having it in the last few cars I wouldn't be without it now. Ac is more than just for warm days, it's great on a drizzley day to keep the windows clear. Makes a car much more comfortable.

Alanstrainor

Have it and don't use it. That being said, it's not in great nick, think it needs work.

irlirishkev

Neilw wrote: »

After having it in the last few cars I wouldn't be without it now. Ac is more than just for warm days, it's great on a drizzley day to keep the windows clear. Makes a car much more comfortable.

Agreed. It's fairly underrated by those without it. I think once you've owned a car with A/C, and realise just how often you use it, you'd never want to drive a car without it again.

Climate Control is never off in my car, and that utilises the air conditioning along with the heating to maintain a regular temperature.

djimi

Having had A/C in my last two cars I will never not have it again! Awesome on hot days, essential on cold days when the windows need demisting. Was driving the gfs car on a hot day recently without A/C and nearly passed out from the heat, even with the blower on full cold.

TestTransmission

Have it,but don't use it on a warm day.Just drop the roof

coffee_cake

TestTransmission wrote: »

Have it,but don't use it on a warm day.Just drop the roof

^ What he said
Except I don't have a/c anyway so I would have to drop the roof!

bmstuff

If you have it dont just use it during the summer, turn it on for 5mn once a month. Thats a small engine on its own it needs lubrication. There is a good chance at the summer it wont work at all if you never use it.

naughtysmurf

We have it in two cars and it's on all the time on both, AFAIK if you don't use it on a regular basis some kind of fungus builds up in it somewhere and causes problems down the line

L1011

Car: yes
Van: No, it wasn't available as an option for less than an insane wait.

Never turn it off, stays working properly that way and the car stays dry inside in winter.

chinwag

I have it but rarely use it for some reason, sometimes I turn it on for a while (if I think of it) just to keep it in working order.

Does the extra fuel consumption bother anyone at all?

DanWall

My present car is the first that I have had Ac, and I could not go back to a car without it.
I did however have a company car in Saudi Arabia with AC, at 40 + deg it was essential, i think it was a much bigger system because it could slow the car a small bit when switched on.

goz83

Have it, but rarely used on both cars. Today, the windows came down and sun roof open.

blindsider

chinwag wrote: »

I have it but rarely use it for some reason, sometimes I turn it on for a while (if I think of it) just to keep it in working order.

Does the extra fuel consumption bother anyone at all?

I was told by someone who should know, that if you have a/c, then use it regularly:

i) It works better when used often

ii) Opening windows and sunroofs destroys the aerodynamics of the car. Whatever extra fuel the a/c uses, is far less than that used by opening the window etc

iii) If you're on the m-way (or in heavy slow traffic) then opening windows is either noisy or smelly (or both).

A/c is yer only man - look at the rest of Europe - nearly every car from a supermini up has a/c - hot climate or not. It's the f***ing VRT that kills the cost of getting it until recently...but that's another story!

zenno

I just turned on my A/C just there after a year of not using it and i was blown away by all the leaves and dust and other things, will need to hoover the car now. Well at least it's working

djimi

chinwag wrote: »

Does the extra fuel consumption bother anyone at all?

Its not even noticable in my car.

Topper Harley

As I was reading all the replies I was thinking that I very rarely use mine and could easily do without it but actually I use it quite often, if only for short periods, to demist the windscreen.

As soon as you hit the window demister the air-con kicks in full blast but if I keep it on afterwards or am using it on a very rare hot day, I'll use it in "eco" mode but not sure what difference that actually makes.

Recently I've started turning the climate control off as I was always tweaking the temperature and never quite happy. So I turn it off and that's usually fine unless it's very cold.

CiniO

I have it on one car while other car doesn't have it.

It comes handy on warm days, but considering Irish climate, it's literally few days a year when it's that warm that A/C is required.

As for using it to demisting the windows and drying off the cabin - surely it works, but I wouldn't call it a requirement - just a conveniant extra.
On the other car where I don't have, I never had a problem with fogged windows. Putting demister on window with high blower speed always does the job.

However on the continental Europe climate, A/C is pretty much a must.

DIESEL TOM

I know of a transport company that disable air conditioning on there truck to save on diesel :eek:

Ninap

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Have it and don't use it. That being said, it's not in great nick, think it needs work.

As said elsewhere, if you don't use it at least once a month the seals will dry out and the system will fail. And as also said elsewhere, at higher speeds, using a/c is much more fuel efficient than opening a window.

PS: Honest John says leave it on all the time, running it on full cold for at least 10 mins every week:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/air-conditioning/

Supraman

TestTransmission wrote: »

Have it,but don't use it on a warm day.Just drop the roof

Ideal few days for any of us lucky enough to have s2ks !!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I use it all the time in so far as the climate control utilises it. Would not be without it.

ABajaninCork

Nope! It isn't that much anyway...

biko

Have it and used it today. Nice and cold but i prefer to just open the windows on a warm day. I do use the regular heat/cool system all the time though.

_Kaiser_

Used it all the time in the Passat, but so far with the new A6 I've been making generous use of the sunroof

For Forks Sake

Test drove a car this afternoon that had aircon fitted, but wasn't working. An unpleasantly sweaty test drive. At least the sunroof worked.

Ilik Urgee

Have dual-zone Air Con. What a cod! Only thing it does is start more fights:D

Wouldn't goback to not having it if I can!