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Hi folks - I'm new to the world of air conditioning and discovered something quite interesting yesterday whilst driving home from the Kent coast. The weather was truly awful in places - a combination of mist, heavy but very fine rain (if that's not a contradiction) and excessive road spray seriously reduced visibility on both the M2 (which was closed due to a serious accident) and M20. Anyway, it was difficult enough to see all the unlit speeding cars without the windows misting up inside so I switched the heater control to the 'demist windscreen' setting and watched in amazement as the entire car cleared of condensation in seconds. Apparently in this setting the air conditioning switches itself on automatically (which is something I wouldn't have considered doing) with fantastic results. Whilst I'd sometimes coveted air conditioning on those hot steamy days I must admit I'd never really thought about the benefit of it in terms of demisting. Anyway, now I'm totally sold on air-con come rain or shine but wonder how many drivers out there haven't discovered this 'hidden benefit'.
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Taken from a respected local dealer's advert for their air conditioning service ..."It is the accepted industry standard that your air conditioning is 80% efficient after one year's use and only 60% after two...". In Backroomer's experience is there any accuracy in this statement or is it purely sales hype ?
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Didn't notice the slightest change over 3 years of the old car.
Can't see any difference in the new car.
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I think that this is down to the assumed leakage of the gas in the system. No leaks means that efficiency is maintained.
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Had my 1996 Mazda Xedos checked at its last service. The original owner told me he'd never had it recharged. Absolutely fine, according to the chappie who could have charged me to refill it, probably because the previous owner left it on 100% of the time, same as me.
V
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Mine was re-gassed after 2.5 years, the service manager said it lost about 50% of the coolant after the first year.
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They probably just mean the blockage of the cabin pollen filter and rely on the ignorance of the customer for them to interperet it as more serious.
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They did replace the pollen filter (and claimed to re-gas it as well).
I think I believe them - I can hear the compressor going now.
No charge either :-} Honda dealer.
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Well, having driven the lease cars in the Gulf and KSA for 2-3 years at a time in temps which often reached 50 C, and here in the tropics where we average 28-36 C and 90% humidity year round, I cannot recall ever having a car re-gassed or any of the air-cons giving trouble per se (American or Japanese). On older cars quite possibly but then everything else would be wearing out at the same time.
The reason was probably that they were never switched off and usually on full blast. I note however that the cars I have driven in UK/EU have much more feeble air-cons. Maybe they aren't heavy duty.
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I have had a Mazda 323 for 5 years and have noticed no drop off in air con efficiency in that time. Where I am in Australia we regularly get 40 to 45C in summer so I would notice if it wasn't working well. My previous car was a Nissan Skyline which I sold after 10 years ownership. Aircon worked fine all the time I had it and never needed any servicing. You need to run it for a few minutes everyday even if the weather is cold. It is great for demisting the car so use it for that even in winter. Just turn the heat up a bit but leave the air con on. I am told that the seals harden if the system doesn't get used regularly.
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wonder how many drivers out there haven\'t discovered this \'hidden benefit\'.
Depends if they RTFM (or in this case, the handbook) or not ;o)
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I suspect that rather depends on whether or not the effing manual is written in Japanese 'English' or not DD :)
Tried deciphering the rear seat removal instructions a week or two ago - gave up in the end and worked it out myself. The Japs certainly do make fine cars but the manuals are awful.
Anyway, it's a bit like computers, DVD players, video recorders and the like - who ever RTFM? Don't tell me DD.... you do! :)
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Yes, its a nice side effect. The air is cooled by the aircon unit and, in the process, is dehumidified. Thus the air hitting the windscreen is nice & dry and can take up all the water that is siting there.
Another good argument for leaving it switched on 24/7.
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And it works best on 'recycle' as the recycled air is nicer & less wet than outside air would be, so the dehumidifier has less work to do on that setting.
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Can't say I've ever tried that - I'm usually wary of recycle as fresh air is the best way to stay awake.
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Can't say I've ever tried that - I'm usually wary of recycle as fresh air is the best way to stay awake.
>>
You need to get yourself some more interesting passengers Patently :)
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OK - do I have any volunteers?
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Depends on what you pay, and on whether it comes with a company car...
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Sorry mapmaker, I'm expecting generous offers just for the honour of travelling with me and benefiting from my wise words.
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OK - do I have any volunteers?
not until you start driving a car without a propellor badge ;-)
I think I'd enjoy talking to you (or more likely debating with you!), but it wouldn't outweigh the stigma of the label
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I've got one without the awful propellor badge - want to try that one?
[clue - look at my profile]
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Shucks. Thought I'd found myself a new job. But if I were to be your chauffeur you'd have to get a sensible car, like a Micra... or get some polished chrome alloys & darkened windows for the Bavarian tin.
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I've got one without the awful propellor badge - want to try that one? [clue - look at my profile]
eek! I'll stick to the bus, thanks :)
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whenever I leave my aircon on recycle for too long (more than an hour or two) then the inside of the car mists up.
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Cars I have driven with aircon take about 1 minute on 'fresh' and 30 seconds on 'recycle', so Patently I'm impressed at your sheep counting abilities!
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Two little children, mapmaker.
Saturday morning 6am. "IS IT TIME TO GET UP YET DADDY??"
Sunday morning 6am. Loud noise heard outside door. "DON'T GO IN THERE - YOU'LL WAKE MUMMY AND DADDY UP!!"
Any chance, eyes shut.
Love them both dearly, though. Everthing seems worthwhile now.
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Ah so you only have to count to two? We're all jealous you know. And two cars as well!
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whenever I leave my aircon on recycle for too long (more than an hour or two) then the inside of the car mists up.
Mine does this in cool humid weather after I switch the aircon off ~ mine is basic and doesn't have a recycle facility. I assume it happens because (a)some moisture remains inside the aircon/heater unit, i.e. it doesn't drain out completely, and this residual moisture comes back into the car, and (b) the windscreen has become cool enough for the incoming moisture to condense on the screen. I'm a big fan of aircon, but only when the ambient temperature is high enough for me to not get this undesired after-effect.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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And it works best on 'recycle' as the recycled air is nicer & less wet than outside air would be, so the dehumidifier has less work to do on that setting.
That's what I would have thought/done but when the air-con on the MPV switches on automatically it also overrides the 'recycle air' setting for some reason. Anyway I'm not complaining, one of the most annoying things about my old estate was the way in which the rear windows misted up making reversing difficult.
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But if the outside air temperature is below about 5 degrees Celsius, then the minute you turn the demist/direction control knob towards the windscreen mode the air conditioning cuts out and Recycle is unavilable.
Apparently it's to stop the windows misting up...:-)
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Then you need a less complicated car, Stuartli
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Nothing complicated about it - it's a safety measure.
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It's the same on virtually any car with a/c as far as I am aware and certainly those I've driven over the years.
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Problem I find with air con on the windscreen is that the first time you put the blower onto the windscreen without the air con on, it actually mists it up instead of clearing it! Even if it is days later!
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Problem I find with air con on the windscreen is that the first time you put the blower onto the windscreen without the air con on, it actually mists it up instead of clearing it! Even if it is days later!
I concur.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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