In the owners manual, it says that by setting the climate control at a higher temp in the summer, you can achieve greater fuel economy. So does anyone know why the AC runs when you set the CC on Full Auto at 78 when the temp outside is 76?

 

I wondered the same thing, but its probably due to strong sun on the sun sensor. If its 76 outside it can still be hotter inside your car., so the AC still stays on

 

The car is smart enough to not use heat eventhough you set the climate control 2 degrees above the outside temp. There must be a separate thermometer for the inside temp. Although the A/C may be on in this situation, the compressor is working at a much lower rate than normal. If you absolutely don't want the A/C to kick in, hit the "A/C" button until it says "A/C off".

 

Thanks guys... do you recommend just setting it on a comfortable temp, like say 76 or 77 and leaving it on full auto all the time? Except of course if I have the roof or windows open.

 

If it's really hot out, I'll put temp at 68-70 on full auto. If it's cooler out 60's to low 70's but still muggy out, I'll put the temp. a few degrees warmer (72 to 74). What happens is the A/C compressor still kicks in a bit to dry things out in the car. Eventhough the climate control is set several degrees over the outside temp, the "heat" never kicks in. It just feels comfortable. Obviously if the outside temp is in the 50's or cooler, the heat will kick in without the A/C compressor.

 

The AC is on in full auto because if it needs to cool the interior it will be able to. If it did not turn on the AC in full auto then it would not be able to cool things down. I don't live where its very hot so I usually turn off the AC after pressing full auto which will definitly save you on gas. If you do not need AC then just turn it off. The AC is great for clearing foggy windows and it also has a built in filter and when its hot out side its really great..

VG

 

What's the "sun sensor"? I know there's a daylight sensor on the dash, but I doubt it's used by the climate control system.

And Acuraboy, yes indeed there is a separate inside temperature sensor. It is located on the underside of the dash, just to the right of your steering column.

 

There's acutally two. There's a sunlight sensor behind the plastic cap on the center of the dash right at the base of the windshield and there is a temperature sensor to the right of the steering column on the lower dash panel, almost directly in line and below the fuel gauge. That's what the opening is. Both work together to try and keep the inside temperature as close to the user selected temperature as possible. If the sunlight sensor detects strong sunlight it will ask for more A/C even if the cabin temperature is a couple of degrees above the preset temp because it is compensating for the greenhouse effect of the sun coming in through the glass.