I litearlly searched up yesterday "How to use the car AC in detail conquer driving" because I was trying to demist the fog, but I found nothing until you dropped this video today 😂😂 Thanks.
This is absolute spot on advice, and if your car has full climate control just leave it on auto. The other thing I’d recommend going into winter is buy a frost cover for your windscreen, get a good quality quilted type one, it takes about a minute to put on the car at night but it’ll save you loads of time and money in the morning when you take it off and have a frost free windscreen.
i have been watching your videos for quite some time now and i can finally say i passed a few days ago with 5 minors, thank you so much for all the help you are a legend!!
I generally agree, although on longer journeys in winter it tends to dry out the air a lot making my face and eyes very dry, so I force the AC off after half an hour while leaving the climate control on full auto.
You can try to adjust which air vents the air blowing out from, and the direction of the air vents. In the summer, if I didn't adjust properly, the air keeps blowing towards my hands and face, making my hands feels freezing, sometimes blow it towards the window and let those air bounce back maybe a better setting
Hello Richard, I just wanted to come on here and say a huge thank you, just passed my driving test this morning and your videos played a big contribution to helping me pass 😁
In old Mercedes W168 A-class from 1998 I also had Eco button which turn AC off, it was also predefined to have it on in automatic mode which is actually nice from reliability point of view of this system.
Excellent explanation. If I may, two other points on ventilation - For those that do turn off aircon, I've seen cars where people are driving with all their windows steamed up except for a little clear spot where their side blowers are frantically trying to clear the windows. This is usually because they have left recirculate on. Secondly, the importance of changing cabin filters (also called pollen filter) - These often get left out of servicing, but if they get blocked or degraded, again it increases window fogging if no AC on.
Greta video mate! This is the perfect video for people who are worried about waisting fuel in winter. Basically, not running the AC in winter lead to a car drenched in humidity inside and always steaming inside even when parked up. Cheers
I feel sleepy as soon as I turned on the cars AC.. It's very tough for me to drive with AC on.. Even in hot summers, I rarely turn on... Everyone shouts at me😅.. But I don't care about them.. Cause if I got sleep while driving, no one knows what's gonna happen next..
brilliant advice, i've been driving for over 40 years and never knew it was best to leave the AC on, also always wondered what the auto was on my Kia sportage..! thanks very much
I just passed my test this morning first time with only 4 minors! Thank you so much Richard, your mock test videos helped so so much for my preparation and making me feel less nervous for the test. Woo!!
I keep on seeing comments like this so I am happy to say its finally my turn :) Today (October 29th) I passed my driving test first time with 1 minor, to say I was happy is a complete understatement, I was overjoyed and delighted! I want to express my thanks to Richard for posting these sorts of videos as they seriously helped me more than you can imagine!
kept my ac off during winters, will try it on this year, thank you for the video. btw, I passed my driving test 6 month ago but still watching your videos, the content is informative and useful. 👍
This video is absolutely spot on. Modern day ACs are just so smart & can be left turned on full time. On a somewhat relevant note, I see lots of people in hot summer days driving with their windows down not realising it's still more fuel efficient with windows closed+AC on than windows open+AC off.
Unbelievable that I have just been wondering about that in my new car that has the auto AC in it, and you dropped this video. I couldn't get rid of the misty windows 9 out of 10 times I was driving it...😂 Cheers mate, I've learned so much with you!
13:05 hard agree here. As an instructor, any car I buy _must_ have climate control. My first year of teaching was in a school vehicle that didn't have it, and it was such a distraction to keep the car at an appropriate temperature while working. It's literally the first thing I check if I look at a car ad when buying.
You CAN’T buy a car now WITHOUT AC. It’s like 50 years ago cars never had heated rear windows. You could buy heated rear window stick on filaments advertised in car magazines. Manufacturers won’t go backwards….
2:10 what i learnt watching V8 Supercars (aussie touring cars) over the years, putting the cloth onto a stick and clean the windows that way, including the blind spots (i know aussie touring car lot don't care about blind spots and different from normal driving, someone did it years ago doing it and cleaning the front window and probably not advised to do it)
This chanel is brilliant! you have helped me pass my driving test last year and I still continue to watch for all the useful knowledge and helpful tips, thanks!
My car has a 4-speed fan dial and a temperature dial for the AC. It does a great job at keeping a consistent temperature - I like 18 degrees. I have noticed that the revs fall faster with the AC on, though, so I need to channel Colin McCrae whenever I change gear.
I assume the condenser is before the heater core in the air box. I've never taken one apart, but it just seems logical. Dry the air first, then heat it, and it becomes a sponge, just sucking up all excess humidity in the car. Great way to keep the windows clear year-round. I've driven cars without an Auto HVAC mode, that will still automatically engage the A/C if you select the windshield defog vents on the HVAC airflow knob. If it's just blowing to the floor or from the dash vents, no A/C, but once you direct air to the windshield, the compressor kicks in. Nice feature.
I've been driving since the early 90s and am one of those who used to think climate control was a waste of precious fuel. Mind, you, I also had no clue what its function was, still less could I tell the difference between it and the AC. So this was a real eye-opener.
This advice is good for moderate climates, but the r134 boils at -26. If its colder than that, running the ac can damage the compressor. You will not need the deforst effect as the air will be very dry in extreme cold.
This was all very fascinating! Thanks. I heard that putting your window down at 40mph or faster is more expensive than using the air conditioning because of drag.
I'd like to add that on highways, or above a certain speed, it's more fuel efficient to use the airconditioning to cool the car than opening the windows. The aerodynamic reduction due to an open windows consumes more fuel than the aircondidtioning. Donut media talked about this in one of their videos
I've had numerous passengers get in my car/s over the years who ask to turn the temperature up when it's been started from cold so I have to explain there isn't any heat yet to blow into the cabin. With my diesel company cars it can take 15/20 min before the engine reaches the minimum temperature on the gauge and actually start blowing some proper heat through the fans. With my MX5 however, it only takes a couple of minutes to get to that stage.
Brilliant and interesting, informative video! I have many questions about Climate control usage, Air conditioning usage. Like can I turn the AC with ,,High" (warm) air? Or it is designed just for Cold air? Could you make a video on Air conditioning system about these type of topic? What is the Air cons main request? How it should be used? Like can I turn the Air con when it's 40c° outside and I didn't cleaned the cabine from hot air, or does this damage air con/climate system?
Yes you can use air conditioning and heat at the same time, in fact you may wish to do this when you want to quickly remove condensation. Part of the air conditioning process removes water from the air, but also, warmer air can hold more moisture. Just keep in mind that when you do this, you are using energy to cool air while you are also heating it, so you should only really do this when your windscreen is fogged or if you haven't used your AC system in a long time.
I would not be worried about damaging the air conditioning system when using it to try and cool the cabin even when it's really hot. However, using the air conditioning when the car is stationary on a very hot day for long periods of time will significantly increase the under bonnet temperature and may cause premature failures to some components in the engine compartment.
@@adamek9750 A petrol engine is the most efficient when it's at about 70% load. And that's where I try to keep it and ac kicking on and off isn't wery helpful at that. At least on my car (2007 9n4 polo with 1.2 6v engine) it happily just logs the engine and get's it to ritch mixture.
It's smart because you maximize your power going uphill, and on the downhill it's essentially free A/C because your fuel injectors stop spraying fuel when coasting with your foot off the gas. Engine is still turning, which lets the A/C compressor run, but using no fuel.
@@josefsvitak4313 A petrol engine may have high a volumetric efficiency at 70% load, but it'll be using more fuel than it would at say 50% load. Switching off AC makes so little difference, it's not worth messing with. Simply driving to keep the engine running efficiently is more beneficial.
I have also heard that when it is hot outside and you switch the AC on and off all the time to save fuel, it's actually less efficient. Supposedly it's because it's easier to maintain a temperature, than to change it by several degrees. Thoughts?
The air conditioning uses a lot of fuel when it's working hard to cool a hot cabin. Turning it off and on may save fuel on a hot day if you leave it off long enough, but that doesn't sound very comfortable.
I use a nissan leaf and it shows me how much power the AC is using. On average I lose 4-6 miles when the AC is on. That costs me around 8p-12p (2p per mile when charging at home) note: If it is cold but not raining outside I slightly open the front windows and it works just as good for demisting the window.
The leaf system must be very efficient. Our Ioniq 5 climate costs under 2.5 Pence per mile average, charging at cheap rate. The AC drops the range my 9 miles on a full battery, the heated rear screen doesn't even register as an additional load, which was a surprise. I guess the consumption is so small, that the GOM can't calculate it. What does reduce the range is battery temperature. This has a much larger effect than running AC. One of the quirks of an EV, but it's still so much better than ICE.
@@johnnodge4327 Yeah, it is quite efficient but that 2p per mile is based on the tariff at night at home which is when I usually charge. My AC runs off the driving battery which is why it takes up a large load. Maybe it is different on other EVs
I have an 09 twingo, but its an its an old school system. When you press the ac button on the dash a electro magnetic clutch engages on the air con compressor to spin the compressor. You can hear the engine rpm rise and it switches on the engine fan. (It just has the one fan that is used to cool the engine coolant and ac. The engine radiator, ac radiator, condenser and dryer is an all in one unit on many Renault's and Dacia's). But I run it at least once a week and its never given me any problems in my 12 years of ownership.
It's at the point where it's not worth selling. It's 15.5 years old with 125000 on it. I'd get sod all for it, and like I said everything on it works. I've had it for 12 years and it never let me down.
I didn't use my AC for the first 2 years after buying my car, i don't know why. Now that i used it once on a misty day. I use it nearly all the time in colder temperatures, the windows clear quicker and is so much better when giving people a lift because body heat is bad for fogged windows.
When your low temperature symbol comes on, usually at 4degC, it locks out the electromagnetic clutch on the AC compressor, and you have no more AC. The gas inside won't evaporate below 4degC at the evaporator pressure so the compressor is locked out to protect it. I wish more cars had heated windscreens as they overcome this issue and avoid you excessively idling a cold engine, plus they melt ice quickly and snow slides off in sheets.
I have my AC on auto at 18°C all the time. I have no problem with misted windows at all. Not even in very foggy or very wet weather. Also i don't find it has any effect on my fuel consumption even in the hottest or coldest weather
I never use auto ac in my car simply because I can't stand listening to the white noise of the fans running so I always have the fan speed 1 notch below whats reasonably audible, even if it means I have to wait a little longer for my car to warm up/cool down. You know it's really hot/cold out when I cave and turn the fan speed up. Since (as you'll know) we've had such a mediocre summer here in the uk I've had my ac turned off for the majority of it just because it hasn't been needed (and I think my compressor is starting to go out) but it's back on now it's getting chilly.
hahaha I did wonder what was up with my AC button on my 2009 Ford Focus. When there is a separate knob to adjust Fan speed and whether I want it to blow Cool or Hot Air. The misconception specially for me who used to live in hotter climates of Southeast Asia is that when you hear "AC" it means Air Con or Air Conditioning and this means, just turning on the Aircon which blows cold to very cold air to your liking to cool a car, a room or a building. Usually in asia, you rarely suffer misting up inside as it is hot. It does mist up if it rains heavily monsoon seasons and there are a lot of warm blooded folks in the vehicle. The fix is usually having a window cracked open and have window deflectors installed to keep the rain from getting in. Either way, the AC button led always been on since I've owned it. But with a 2009 car, it did not come with the Automatic climate control. Which is actually very good after testing it on a 2023 Toyota CHR. Alternatively cars also got demister buttons, the 2009 ford has. And with Ford they also got a button to turn on that super thin filament stuck in the middle of your front windscreen covering the whole area which heats up and melt any frost/ice in winter conditions without having to fetch water to melt the ice off the windscreen.
Even basic on off systems still use cleverness to control what actually happens and when. All modern AC systems use some form of temperature compensation.
My old car only has a heater. Always fun driving into an underground car park when the weather is humid/wet. Instantly fogged up windows 😂 The worst scenario I ever had was in summer, 30 degrees celsius, driving through a thunderstorm. It got so humid that the windows fogged up and because it was pouring down, I couldn't open the windows. The only option left was, to turn up the heater and casserole myself, to demist the windows
very helpful.....I need to know if ur angle on get there reversing method can be refined such that the back of the car is in parallel with the lines before the car enters the space and also the steering angle you need to add, we do the same reversing bay parking at test centers but there are drums between the lines, we are nt allowed to go forward to equalize the gaps
I wanted to know how the fan speed affected the fuel consumption. I asked the question to several artificial intelligences, and most of them suggested trying to use a lower fan speed whenever possible, although most of them said the difference would be small. One of them, however (Llama), suggested it would be better to use a medium fan speed. This is what it said: "However, it's worth noting that the fan speed can affect the efficiency of the air conditioning system. A speed that's too low can cause the system to work harder to cool the air, which can increase fuel consumption. On the other hand, a speed that's too high can cause the system to work harder to move the air, which can also increase fuel consumption."
The fan itself will use electricity generated by the engine's alternator and not make a significant difference to fuel economy but if the AC is on and it's a hot day, a high fan speed will make the AC work harder and increase fuel consumption. But you get cooled more quickly.
A mini hoover I've had for over a decade, some fast glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Also, I replace things when they start looking worn which can be expensive but I find keeping my existing car in like new condition is way cheaper than buying a new car every 3 years.
This was actually an eye opening video, ive been driving 20 years myself and ive always been stuck in my ways thinking the air con uses excessive fuel etc. I now drive a 2024 hyundai IONIQ 5, plenty of power 325bhp, amazing to drive but my goodness do the windows mist up constantly... what did i do first day i got it, its an EV right, air con off.... so now i think im going to stop being a dick and turn it back on lol cheers.
In the climate settings on the infotainment system, select AC (it changes to blue), then the windows will keep clear. Keeping the climate on auto will also keep them clear, but for me the fan runs too fast an loud, so I turn it down to speed 1 or 2. If the climate is in auto mode, you'll see the recirculation light come on and off, as the system dries the cabin air, before allowing fresh air in. Selecting ECO on the drive mode selector will also put the climate control into low power mode, which will help range in winter, when loads of power isn't really needed anyway.
@@johnnodge4327 cheers i will experiment with it. i did notice i couldnt have AC selected and Auto at the same time, i assume auto decides when to turn the AC on to condition the air.
Great video, I have my Air Con set to Eco all year round with 21 degrees baseline. Would you recommend to use the circulate button or fresh air during the colder months?
The advantage of recirc is it allows the system to heat up and cool down more quickly. It also prevents bad fumes being drawn into the car. The disadvantages is you breath recirculated air and the windows are more likely to mist up. When my Leon is in auto it is always varying the percentage of recirculated air depending on the circumstance. If the car doesn't do this automatically I switch between fresh and recirculated air myself.
11:00 - doing that will actually make the engine take longer to heat up, cause it will circulate more cold water; if you turn the heat completely off, part of the cooling system (the part that is there just to supply warm air to the cabin) will stay closed off, thus the system circulates less cold water, allowing the engine to heat up faster. Sure, after you turn the heat on that closed off cold water will pass through the engine and cool it back down a bit, but not enough to be cold-cold again, you’ll still have heat.
I do find turning the heating off allows the engine to heat up significantly more quickly in the winter. I do this in my MX5 sometimes, I bare the cold for a few minutes so I can have roof off and hot air from the vents sooner during the colder months.
Hello everyone. Commenting for the first time on youtube here. I would like to add something to this conversation, that no one seems to talk about. You have heat? Yes, great. AC? Even better. But, a lot of people keep forgetting, or think it is not worth it to sound deaden your cars front doors specifically (if you want all 4, and if you have a suv, hatchback, or estate, the boot area and lid. Now this not only cuts down on noise in the interior, but it also makes your speakers sound much much better, most importantly though, your car KEEPS (almost) ALL the heat in the car when warmed up, the AC system doesn't have to work as hard to keep the temperture, say at 21°, and in the summer your car heats up slighty less when left out in the sun. So in my opinion it is worth to spend a little bit of money, add maybe 5-10kg of sound treatment (it has to be thick, not the butyl sheets) to each front door. You will be even more comfortable, and because AC doesn't have to work as hard, this offsets the added weight of the sound deadening and you get the sound improvement as a bonus. Hope this helps someone, and great video!
@MartinBennett-rs6thrasher When i said thick, i didn't mean it had to be THAT thick 🤣, but if it works, it works. Did the cavity insulation make some sort of mess in the doors? Is it glued on? Do you live in extremely cold climates that it has to be that toasty? I'm interested. When i did my car, i did it for the sound system, the heat insulation was an afterthought, but now i couldn't live without a sound dampened car. 😅
Are you genuinely mad? Or do you live in hill Billy country and warm your truck up with straw padding? It’s the 21st century, cars have effective heaters to overcome that
This might sound dumb but I need your help. Sometimes I use aircon for engine braking. For example for a long downhill(1km+) I just turn on ac on max cold and it makes a huge difference in engine braking.is this bad for my car?
The worst thing is when the ac comes on automatically when you press auto, when you don't need it but when you switch it off, the windows start misting up, and you have no choice but to leave it on !
Hey i know you've made a video about fast starts, but i recently learned that in some powerful cars to do a fast start people sometimes choose the 2nd gear to prevent wheelspin. What about a usual city car, can they also do fast starts at 2nd with high revs. Is the reason we don't the clutch wear?
A higher fan speed on a hot day will make the AC system work harder as the evaporator will be heated up more quickly from more warm air rushing through it. The main job of the components in the AC system is to keep the evaporator cold, this provides cold and dehumidified air. If you want heating, the cold dehumidified air that has been passed through the evaporator then gets heated up by the heater matrix. So the air gets cooled and dehumidified first then heated up.
I litearlly searched up yesterday "How to use the car AC in detail conquer driving" because I was trying to demist the fog, but I found nothing until you dropped this video today 😂😂 Thanks.
I just passed this morning with 3 minors and your videos were the main reason, thank you very much i hope you keep uploading and helping people
That's really great to hear! Thank you for your generosity and congratulations on passing!
Not from UK but recently passed for a driving license in my country, for the most part I've learned driving maneuvers with this man's help :)
That's really great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
@@ConquerDriving ;)) you are an absolute legend
This guy is a treasure, not only helped when I was doing my driving lessons but also gives further guidance and tips after passing my licence.
This is absolute spot on advice, and if your car has full climate control just leave it on auto. The other thing I’d recommend going into winter is buy a frost cover for your windscreen, get a good quality quilted type one, it takes about a minute to put on the car at night but it’ll save you loads of time and money in the morning when you take it off and have a frost free windscreen.
or get a webasto heater which defrosts the windows and warms up the interior aswell. could be pricey but it is so darn worth it in cold climates.
i have been watching your videos for quite some time now and i can finally say i passed a few days ago with 5 minors, thank you so much for all the help you are a legend!!
Great news!
yo it’s the twitter guy
Very interesting video, I've been driving for 50 years and never knew that much about AC, I do now.
Well done .
i just passed my test today and i remember watching you how to start a manual car. thanks for everything
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
I generally agree, although on longer journeys in winter it tends to dry out the air a lot making my face and eyes very dry, so I force the AC off after half an hour while leaving the climate control on full auto.
I have to drink a lot while using AC for long periods
@@Ale-bj7nd Yes, it can be a serious health risk on long journeys, the combination of dehydration remaining seated for too long.
You can try to adjust which air vents the air blowing out from, and the direction of the air vents. In the summer, if I didn't adjust properly, the air keeps blowing towards my hands and face, making my hands feels freezing, sometimes blow it towards the window and let those air bounce back maybe a better setting
I always have the fans facing away from my face and body.
@@michaelma3385 Yes I have it directed away, but eventually the whole cabin becomes rather dry regardless.
Passed my driving test today after years of watching your videos I have learnt alot and I am going to keep watching your videos thanks.
Hello Richard, I just wanted to come on here and say a huge thank you, just passed my driving test this morning and your videos played a big contribution to helping me pass 😁
I passed my test a few days ago and your videos helped so much particularly the mock tests so thank you very much 😀
That's great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
In old Mercedes W168 A-class from 1998 I also had Eco button which turn AC off, it was also predefined to have it on in automatic mode which is actually nice from reliability point of view of this system.
Excellent explanation. If I may, two other points on ventilation - For those that do turn off aircon, I've seen cars where people are driving with all their windows steamed up except for a little clear spot where their side blowers are frantically trying to clear the windows. This is usually because they have left recirculate on. Secondly, the importance of changing cabin filters (also called pollen filter) - These often get left out of servicing, but if they get blocked or degraded, again it increases window fogging if no AC on.
Greta video mate! This is the perfect video for people who are worried about waisting fuel in winter. Basically, not running the AC in winter lead to a car drenched in humidity inside and always steaming inside even when parked up. Cheers
Spot on advice. I have not turned AC off since 1997 when I first got a car that had it. Helps keep you awake on long drives too.
I feel sleepy as soon as I turned on the cars AC..
It's very tough for me to drive with AC on..
Even in hot summers, I rarely turn on...
Everyone shouts at me😅..
But I don't care about them..
Cause if I got sleep while driving, no one knows what's gonna happen next..
What does sleep have to do with AC? I'm not aware of anything like that.
@@serban2139 I get 🥱 this and feels to start sleeping 😴 .
@@serban2139 Just knobs!
@@serban2139 I find it stops the car getting 'stuffy' feels fresher hence I stay more alert. Perhaps it is just me?
Thanks to your videos I was able to past my driving test 3 months ago Keep up the good work
That's really great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
brilliant advice, i've been driving for over 40 years and never knew it was best to leave the AC on, also always wondered what the auto was on my Kia sportage..! thanks very much
I just passed my test this morning first time with only 4 minors! Thank you so much Richard, your mock test videos helped so so much for my preparation and making me feel less nervous for the test. Woo!!
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
I keep on seeing comments like this so I am happy to say its finally my turn :)
Today (October 29th) I passed my driving test first time with 1 minor, to say I was happy is a complete understatement, I was overjoyed and delighted!
I want to express my thanks to Richard for posting these sorts of videos as they seriously helped me more than you can imagine!
Well done :) enjoy your entended range of freedom
@@ryanwatterson4038 thank you mate!
Thanks for this. One important point is that the rear dehumidifier also heats the orvm and helps maintain visibility esp in a wet weather.
As ever, very clearly explained. Thank you.
I love how your knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for cars and driving always comes across.
Good advice. I would only add that at around 4 Celsius the car will disable the aircon to protect the condenser from freezing.
kept my ac off during winters, will try it on this year, thank you for the video. btw, I passed my driving test 6 month ago but still watching your videos, the content is informative and useful. 👍
This video is absolutely spot on. Modern day ACs are just so smart & can be left turned on full time.
On a somewhat relevant note, I see lots of people in hot summer days driving with their windows down not realising it's still more fuel efficient with windows closed+AC on than windows open+AC off.
I learn so much about daily driving cars from your videos
Unbelievable that I have just been wondering about that in my new car that has the auto AC in it, and you dropped this video. I couldn't get rid of the misty windows 9 out of 10 times I was driving it...😂 Cheers mate, I've learned so much with you!
13:05 hard agree here. As an instructor, any car I buy _must_ have climate control. My first year of teaching was in a school vehicle that didn't have it, and it was such a distraction to keep the car at an appropriate temperature while working.
It's literally the first thing I check if I look at a car ad when buying.
You CAN’T buy a car now WITHOUT AC.
It’s like 50 years ago cars never had heated rear windows. You could buy heated rear window stick on filaments advertised in car magazines.
Manufacturers won’t go backwards….
2:10 what i learnt watching V8 Supercars (aussie touring cars) over the years, putting the cloth onto a stick and clean the windows that way, including the blind spots (i know aussie touring car lot don't care about blind spots and different from normal driving, someone did it years ago doing it and cleaning the front window and probably not advised to do it)
Brilliant video. Thanks. Something in there for motorists at all levels of experience.
keep up the consistent uploads!
Coming from a car without ac to a car with double zone climatronic was indeed a change for me.
This chanel is brilliant! you have helped me pass my driving test last year and I still continue to watch for all the useful knowledge and helpful tips, thanks!
You disgust me!!!! After so many years only now do we find this out??? Seriously Bravo!
I always wondered why my Peugeot 208 would automatically turn the AC on when demisting the front windscreen. Now I understand why!
My car has a 4-speed fan dial and a temperature dial for the AC. It does a great job at keeping a consistent temperature - I like 18 degrees. I have noticed that the revs fall faster with the AC on, though, so I need to channel Colin McCrae whenever I change gear.
Yes! I noticed I would stall a couple of times when the warm season comes - I suspected it must be turning on AC and I guess it is
I assume the condenser is before the heater core in the air box. I've never taken one apart, but it just seems logical. Dry the air first, then heat it, and it becomes a sponge, just sucking up all excess humidity in the car. Great way to keep the windows clear year-round. I've driven cars without an Auto HVAC mode, that will still automatically engage the A/C if you select the windshield defog vents on the HVAC airflow knob. If it's just blowing to the floor or from the dash vents, no A/C, but once you direct air to the windshield, the compressor kicks in. Nice feature.
Thank you .This video has taught me so much. What a great use of my time.
I've been driving since the early 90s and am one of those who used to think climate control was a waste of precious fuel. Mind, you, I also had no clue what its function was, still less could I tell the difference between it and the AC. So this was a real eye-opener.
This advice is good for moderate climates, but the r134 boils at -26. If its colder than that, running the ac can damage the compressor. You will not need the deforst effect as the air will be very dry in extreme cold.
Didnt know about the auto not blowing cold air on cold start gonna try it out tomorrow
This was all very fascinating! Thanks.
I heard that putting your window down at 40mph or faster is more expensive than using the air conditioning because of drag.
I use the AC all year, especially firs thing in the morning, clears all the windows quickly, not just the windscreen and rear windows
Great. Setting the wife’s and mine in the morning.
How convenient, was discussing this with my brother just this weekend
I'd like to add that on highways, or above a certain speed, it's more fuel efficient to use the airconditioning to cool the car than opening the windows. The aerodynamic reduction due to an open windows consumes more fuel than the aircondidtioning. Donut media talked about this in one of their videos
That's right, it conditions the air, in other words it removes the moisture. Hence when you stop water can be seen dripping onto the road beneath
Very useful, thank you.
I've had numerous passengers get in my car/s over the years who ask to turn the temperature up when it's been started from cold so I have to explain there isn't any heat yet to blow into the cabin. With my diesel company cars it can take 15/20 min before the engine reaches the minimum temperature on the gauge and actually start blowing some proper heat through the fans. With my MX5 however, it only takes a couple of minutes to get to that stage.
Very interesting! This has prompted me to read up on the info about the AC systems in the cars we have.
Always learn so much from these videos
Brilliant and interesting, informative video!
I have many questions about Climate control usage, Air conditioning usage. Like can I turn the AC with ,,High" (warm) air? Or it is designed just for Cold air? Could you make a video on Air conditioning system about these type of topic?
What is the Air cons main request?
How it should be used? Like can I turn the Air con when it's 40c° outside and I didn't cleaned the cabine from hot air, or does this damage air con/climate system?
Yes you can use air conditioning and heat at the same time, in fact you may wish to do this when you want to quickly remove condensation. Part of the air conditioning process removes water from the air, but also, warmer air can hold more moisture.
Just keep in mind that when you do this, you are using energy to cool air while you are also heating it, so you should only really do this when your windscreen is fogged or if you haven't used your AC system in a long time.
Yes you can use the air-conditioning when the heating is on. This will lower the humidity of the air.
I would not be worried about damaging the air conditioning system when using it to try and cool the cabin even when it's really hot. However, using the air conditioning when the car is stationary on a very hot day for long periods of time will significantly increase the under bonnet temperature and may cause premature failures to some components in the engine compartment.
I actually turn the ac off most often when it's hot outside. Whenever I'm in a hilly area I shut if off uphill and turn it back on downhill. 😉
does that actually do anything? AC has a clutch and disengages when the engine is under high load
@@adamek9750 A petrol engine is the most efficient when it's at about 70% load. And that's where I try to keep it and ac kicking on and off isn't wery helpful at that. At least on my car (2007 9n4 polo with 1.2 6v engine) it happily just logs the engine and get's it to ritch mixture.
It's smart because you maximize your power going uphill, and on the downhill it's essentially free A/C because your fuel injectors stop spraying fuel when coasting with your foot off the gas. Engine is still turning, which lets the A/C compressor run, but using no fuel.
@@adamek9750usually it disengages when floored, otherwise it's still going on and off.
@@josefsvitak4313
A petrol engine may have high a volumetric efficiency at 70% load, but it'll be using more fuel than it would at say 50% load.
Switching off AC makes so little difference, it's not worth messing with. Simply driving to keep the engine running efficiently is more beneficial.
I have also heard that when it is hot outside and you switch the AC on and off all the time to save fuel, it's actually less efficient. Supposedly it's because it's easier to maintain a temperature, than to change it by several degrees. Thoughts?
Logically it makes sense. Same reason why keeping a constant speed is more efficient than stopping and starting.
Same in buildings.
The air conditioning uses a lot of fuel when it's working hard to cool a hot cabin. Turning it off and on may save fuel on a hot day if you leave it off long enough, but that doesn't sound very comfortable.
I use a nissan leaf and it shows me how much power the AC is using. On average I lose 4-6 miles when the AC is on. That costs me around 8p-12p (2p per mile when charging at home) note: If it is cold but not raining outside I slightly open the front windows and it works just as good for demisting the window.
The leaf system must be very efficient. Our Ioniq 5 climate costs under 2.5 Pence per mile average, charging at cheap rate. The AC drops the range my 9 miles on a full battery, the heated rear screen doesn't even register as an additional load, which was a surprise. I guess the consumption is so small, that the GOM can't calculate it. What does reduce the range is battery temperature. This has a much larger effect than running AC. One of the quirks of an EV, but it's still so much better than ICE.
@@johnnodge4327 Yeah, it is quite efficient but that 2p per mile is based on the tariff at night at home which is when I usually charge. My AC runs off the driving battery which is why it takes up a large load. Maybe it is different on other EVs
The wonders of technology, Richard! 😎
I have an 09 twingo, but its an its an old school system. When you press the ac button on the dash a electro magnetic clutch engages on the air con compressor to spin the compressor. You can hear the engine rpm rise and it switches on the engine fan. (It just has the one fan that is used to cool the engine coolant and ac. The engine radiator, ac radiator, condenser and dryer is an all in one unit on many Renault's and Dacia's). But I run it at least once a week and its never given me any problems in my 12 years of ownership.
Flog it….
It's at the point where it's not worth selling. It's 15.5 years old with 125000 on it. I'd get sod all for it, and like I said everything on it works. I've had it for 12 years and it never let me down.
I didn't use my AC for the first 2 years after buying my car, i don't know why. Now that i used it once on a misty day. I use it nearly all the time in colder temperatures, the windows clear quicker and is so much better when giving people a lift because body heat is bad for fogged windows.
When your low temperature symbol comes on, usually at 4degC, it locks out the electromagnetic clutch on the AC compressor, and you have no more AC. The gas inside won't evaporate below 4degC at the evaporator pressure so the compressor is locked out to protect it. I wish more cars had heated windscreens as they overcome this issue and avoid you excessively idling a cold engine, plus they melt ice quickly and snow slides off in sheets.
They were patented by FORD decades ago. Hence you’ll find them on almost all Fords and few others
I keep on auto and air con on all the time.
The amount of folks that think air con is only for summer.
If you don't run the air con periodically the oil in the system settles,wears out the rubber seals which leads to pressure loss
21°C also seems just right to me
Clears the windscreen.
Thanks.. going to try this idea ❤
Thanks for amazing video and information, you have raised may good suggestions, I will switch my CRV ON. 😍🤩👍👍. George
Just brought a car without auto climate control which can be a little more work. But I use aircon to dehumidify
I have my AC on auto at 18°C all the time. I have no problem with misted windows at all. Not even in very foggy or very wet weather. Also i don't find it has any effect on my fuel consumption even in the hottest or coldest weather
Does the cars heating use extra fuel? I just turn on the fan speed to 1 and the heat to like 1/4 the way of the red line
I never use auto ac in my car simply because I can't stand listening to the white noise of the fans running so I always have the fan speed 1 notch below whats reasonably audible, even if it means I have to wait a little longer for my car to warm up/cool down. You know it's really hot/cold out when I cave and turn the fan speed up. Since (as you'll know) we've had such a mediocre summer here in the uk I've had my ac turned off for the majority of it just because it hasn't been needed (and I think my compressor is starting to go out) but it's back on now it's getting chilly.
Very useful tips thank you
I know this. But still amazong to hear it for remind. Thanx you
hahaha I did wonder what was up with my AC button on my 2009 Ford Focus. When there is a separate knob to adjust Fan speed and whether I want it to blow Cool or Hot Air.
The misconception specially for me who used to live in hotter climates of Southeast Asia is that when you hear "AC" it means Air Con or Air Conditioning and this means, just turning on the Aircon which blows cold to very cold air to your liking to cool a car, a room or a building.
Usually in asia, you rarely suffer misting up inside as it is hot. It does mist up if it rains heavily monsoon seasons and there are a lot of warm blooded folks in the vehicle.
The fix is usually having a window cracked open and have window deflectors installed to keep the rain from getting in.
Either way, the AC button led always been on since I've owned it.
But with a 2009 car, it did not come with the Automatic climate control. Which is actually very good after testing it on a 2023 Toyota CHR.
Alternatively cars also got demister buttons, the 2009 ford has. And with Ford they also got a button to turn on that super thin filament stuck in the middle of your front windscreen covering the whole area which heats up and melt any frost/ice in winter conditions without having to fetch water to melt the ice off the windscreen.
I use the heater when windows fog up. It clears up quite quickly. Also i notice my ford turn ac on automatically sometimes
That's way cleverer than my system. Mine is just on or off.
Even basic on off systems still use cleverness to control what actually happens and when. All modern AC systems use some form of temperature compensation.
My old car only has a heater. Always fun driving into an underground car park when the weather is humid/wet. Instantly fogged up windows 😂
The worst scenario I ever had was in summer, 30 degrees celsius, driving through a thunderstorm. It got so humid that the windows fogged up and because it was pouring down, I couldn't open the windows. The only option left was, to turn up the heater and casserole myself, to demist the windows
Buy a new car….
another great video
I dont usually use the ac i just have it on the lowest setting highest fan speed
very helpful.....I need to know if ur angle on get there reversing method can be refined such that the back of the car is in parallel with the lines before the car enters the space and also the steering angle you need to add, we do the same reversing bay parking at test centers but there are drums between the lines, we are nt allowed to go forward to equalize the gaps
I wanted to know how the fan speed affected the fuel consumption. I asked the question to several artificial intelligences, and most of them suggested trying to use a lower fan speed whenever possible, although most of them said the difference would be small. One of them, however (Llama), suggested it would be better to use a medium fan speed. This is what it said: "However, it's worth noting that the fan speed can affect the efficiency of the air conditioning system. A speed that's too low can cause the system to work harder to cool the air, which can increase fuel consumption. On the other hand, a speed that's too high can cause the system to work harder to move the air, which can also increase fuel consumption."
Don’t ask AI…….. I’m almost screaming this at the screen.
Ask a knowledgeable mate - or an old person…
Get a grip
Well, I shared it here to read the opinions of the knowledgeable people in this channel.
The fan itself will use electricity generated by the engine's alternator and not make a significant difference to fuel economy but if the AC is on and it's a hot day, a high fan speed will make the AC work harder and increase fuel consumption. But you get cooled more quickly.
i got my car with auto AC last year. I set it to 68 when i bought it and haven’t touched it since
The first thing I do after starting the engine is press the 'Auto' button on my A/C. 2017 Subaru XV.
Leave it on!
My AC has been on since I got the car 12 years ago.
Most electric cars use the same heat pump (as the AC) for aux heat because it doesn't really generate much heat.
I have a MK 3 MX 5 with A/C that is constantly breaking/ leaking, is becoming very expensive to keep it going!
Can you do a video on how you keep your interior so immaculate?
A mini hoover I've had for over a decade, some fast glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Also, I replace things when they start looking worn which can be expensive but I find keeping my existing car in like new condition is way cheaper than buying a new car every 3 years.
very useful. Thank you 😊
This was actually an eye opening video, ive been driving 20 years myself and ive always been stuck in my ways thinking the air con uses excessive fuel etc. I now drive a 2024 hyundai IONIQ 5, plenty of power 325bhp, amazing to drive but my goodness do the windows mist up constantly... what did i do first day i got it, its an EV right, air con off.... so now i think im going to stop being a dick and turn it back on lol cheers.
In the climate settings on the infotainment system, select AC (it changes to blue), then the windows will keep clear. Keeping the climate on auto will also keep them clear, but for me the fan runs too fast an loud, so I turn it down to speed 1 or 2. If the climate is in auto mode, you'll see the recirculation light come on and off, as the system dries the cabin air, before allowing fresh air in. Selecting ECO on the drive mode selector will also put the climate control into low power mode, which will help range in winter, when loads of power isn't really needed anyway.
@@johnnodge4327 cheers i will experiment with it. i did notice i couldnt have AC selected and Auto at the same time, i assume auto decides when to turn the AC on to condition the air.
6:54 ive had a seat leon from new for 5 years yet i never even knew about this 😂
Great video, I have my Air Con set to Eco all year round with 21 degrees baseline. Would you recommend to use the circulate button or fresh air during the colder months?
Fresh air from external - unless you’re following one of the many posters on here who must drive 25 year old smoking diesels…….
The advantage of recirc is it allows the system to heat up and cool down more quickly. It also prevents bad fumes being drawn into the car. The disadvantages is you breath recirculated air and the windows are more likely to mist up. When my Leon is in auto it is always varying the percentage of recirculated air depending on the circumstance. If the car doesn't do this automatically I switch between fresh and recirculated air myself.
11:00 - doing that will actually make the engine take longer to heat up, cause it will circulate more cold water; if you turn the heat completely off, part of the cooling system (the part that is there just to supply warm air to the cabin) will stay closed off, thus the system circulates less cold water, allowing the engine to heat up faster. Sure, after you turn the heat on that closed off cold water will pass through the engine and cool it back down a bit, but not enough to be cold-cold again, you’ll still have heat.
I do find turning the heating off allows the engine to heat up significantly more quickly in the winter. I do this in my MX5 sometimes, I bare the cold for a few minutes so I can have roof off and hot air from the vents sooner during the colder months.
Hello everyone. Commenting for the first time on youtube here. I would like to add something to this conversation, that no one seems to talk about. You have heat? Yes, great. AC? Even better. But, a lot of people keep forgetting, or think it is not worth it to sound deaden your cars front doors specifically (if you want all 4, and if you have a suv, hatchback, or estate, the boot area and lid. Now this not only cuts down on noise in the interior, but it also makes your speakers sound much much better, most importantly though, your car KEEPS (almost) ALL the heat in the car when warmed up, the AC system doesn't have to work as hard to keep the temperture, say at 21°, and in the summer your car heats up slighty less when left out in the sun. So in my opinion it is worth to spend a little bit of money, add maybe 5-10kg of sound treatment (it has to be thick, not the butyl sheets) to each front door. You will be even more comfortable, and because AC doesn't have to work as hard, this offsets the added weight of the sound deadening and you get the sound improvement as a bonus. Hope this helps someone, and great video!
I have cavity insulation injected in doors and 150mm celotex stuck on the roof. Toasty!😂
@MartinBennett-rs6thrasher When i said thick, i didn't mean it had to be THAT thick 🤣, but if it works, it works. Did the cavity insulation make some sort of mess in the doors? Is it glued on? Do you live in extremely cold climates that it has to be that toasty? I'm interested. When i did my car, i did it for the sound system, the heat insulation was an afterthought, but now i couldn't live without a sound dampened car. 😅
I agree, my car has little to no sound deadening, and while it's fun to listen to the engine. It's not so fun when it's cold out
Are you genuinely mad? Or do you live in hill Billy country and warm your truck up with straw padding?
It’s the 21st century, cars have effective heaters to overcome that
This might sound dumb but I need your help.
Sometimes I use aircon for engine braking.
For example for a long downhill(1km+) I just turn on ac on max cold and it makes a huge difference in engine braking.is this bad for my car?
The worst thing is when the ac comes on automatically when you press auto, when you don't need it but when you switch it off, the windows start misting up, and you have no choice but to leave it on !
Once menopause enters the equation, you will be constantly faffing with the knobs however clever the system is
i feel power decrease even on 4liter v8 turbo diesel when ac is on. In a smaller engine like 1.4 you run with minus 30% power, is not funny
Good videos
Hey i know you've made a video about fast starts, but i recently learned that in some powerful cars to do a fast start people sometimes choose the 2nd gear to prevent wheelspin. What about a usual city car, can they also do fast starts at 2nd with high revs. Is the reason we don't the clutch wear?
When you turn it on you can have the fan on high or low does the ac unit use the same energy regardless of how high you have the ac fan?
A higher fan speed on a hot day will make the AC system work harder as the evaporator will be heated up more quickly from more warm air rushing through it. The main job of the components in the AC system is to keep the evaporator cold, this provides cold and dehumidified air. If you want heating, the cold dehumidified air that has been passed through the evaporator then gets heated up by the heater matrix. So the air gets cooled and dehumidified first then heated up.
TBH, I'm surprised that people turn A/C off at any time of the year.
What about for the mx5? Do you leave the AC on with the roof down?