when I get in my car and want to get cooled, i just press the "auto" button and COLD air just blows out. as it blows out, it gradually starts out blowing slow..then blows high. the "A/C" light in the little screen lights up but it doesn't say if the ac is on or off...it just lights up as "A/C."...it just blows cold air. (cold air is what i want anyway)

my question is, when I press the "auto" button, does that mean the AC is on? I don't think that its the fan thats blowing b/c it blows cold air. Since having ac on wastes gas, I can now use this instead of turning on the a/c and save gas! anybody know?

 

Full auto is what happens when you press the "auto" button. Then you dial the desired temperature and the car will get the cabin to that temperature.

This means that usually it will start out on cycle air, because that cools the car faster, and the fan will be running high. Yes, this also means the compressor will cycle on and off.

Later, once the temperature is reached or is close enough, it will turn to fresh air and a lower fan speed.

As a rule, the compressor is always going to be running in full auto mode, even if you set a high temperature like 84°. This is because on full auto, once the desired temperature is reached, the car will do the mixing of cold and hot air before it gets to your cabin. That way, it blows 84° air instead of blowing say 70° and letting that mix with whatever is in your car.

You can see this in action by pressing full auto. After a little bit, press the A/C On Off button to turn off the compressor. The air coming out of the vents will drop to be super cold because 100% of the flow is directed over the compressor coils. Gradually as the compressor warms up, the air becomes outside temp.

 

I forgot to add that pressing any button knocks the car out of Full Auto mode, but the word "Auto" is still on there.

You can manually set every single setting accessible and it will still say "Auto." I guess at that point, Auto means you're in an automobile, lest you forget and think you're riding the Concorde.

 

WOW! Thanks for the info. I always wondered why it was colder for a bit when I turned the A/C off. Now I know how to save gas. Just shut off the A/C all the time (I BARELY need it here anyway).

 

wackjum, i think you gave me a bit too much info lol but i dont think i got a definate answer. so when i press "auto" that does NOT mean my a/c is turned on, right? therefore this doesn't waste gas?

by the way: i just got home from the accord/TL meet and it was a good turn out. we had old folks with family come out to the meet as well. it was really a sausage fest. not too many chicks =oT

 

Full Auto mode will turn the A/C on and off as needed. Temperature and humidity affect its operation.

 

ahhhh okay! thanks ken

 

TLBaller, my girlfriend and I came by the meet at 11:45 hoping to catch the tail end of things, but nothing. I saw a group of way cool amigos standing around bumping music but as I got closer I saw a Mustang so that probably wasn't it.

Well next time I'll be more prompt.

 

nah, i believe they bailed exactly at 11 to do some sort of "group cruise" around houston. they usually stay longer until midnight but the members wanted to do a group run that night. gas prices are so high and our cars drink gas like water so i was like, "f*ck the cruise." we had a member drive all the way from corpus christi just for the freaking meet!