CobraGuy

A warm hello to all of you!

I am the new owner of an 06 TL w/navi and have been reading your forum for a while and decided I needed to register. What a great site for information!

I have a question...in a couple of threads I've read here, an "a/c mod" or "a/c hack" is mentioned. I have searched my butt off, but can't find a reference to what they are talking about. Can anyone clue me in?

Thanks folks!!

SouthernBoy

Welcome aboard.. glad you've joined us. Might you have any idea what this "a/c mod" refers to?

Of course, you already know that our A/C systems operate in both Auto mode as well as Manual mode depending upon the operator's choice and selection. A hint for you here. Generally, you will find that in Auto mode, the system works best. It will hold the cabin temperature very nicely without "hot" or stagnant spots, and will cycle the compressor most efficiently. I have found that in manual mode, the compressor may not cycle at all or if it does, it's cycles occur few and fair between.

In all, the A/C on the car (at least with my '04 manual and my wife's '05 automatic) work great.

Again, welcome and enjoy!

Will Y.

I must have missed those threads-- the mod threads I recall refer to appearance and bolt-on performance items while the hack threads are to the Navigation system to play DVDs or to alter the startup admonition "nag" screen. I agree with SouthernBoy about the A/C (or Climate Control) system in the TL- it works pretty well.
Welcome to the forums!
What color TL and transmission type did you get?

CobraGuy

Thanks guys! I appreciate the welcome! I wish I had bookmarked those comments about an a/c mod. I can't find them now! If I do, I'll paste them in.

The reason I ask is, well...quite honestly...I find the a/c system somewhat lacking here in Phoenix. It's been a lot better since I got the windows tinted, but it still seems to come up short compared to my other cars. (Lincolns) When I head to work in the a.m. and it's only 95 degrees out, it works fantastic. But when I get in the car and it's over 115 (I know this because the outside temp gauge shows dashes....stupid design!), it can take a good 4 miles before it starts getting cool air...and it's not very cool! Believe me...you can be hurting by this time! My other cars have always blown cool air within 4 blocks...not miles. I have the system on recirculation at all times, but I'm thinking it should be better than this. Maybe I'm expecting too much. I don't expect it to blow 40 degree air when it's that hot outside, but I could sure use it cooling off sooner!

CobraGuy

I got a red one with the AT. With my six speed Cobra...I've spent enough time shifting!! LOL I love the way the software controls the transmission on this car. It's very seamless. Actually, I quite like the car! It's a fun driving experience...it really is. It seems to be a very nice car too. Lincoln doesn't have anything that lights my fire right now other than an LS {and it's been mothballed}...and my son has my old one of those, so my son talked me into trying the TL. I think I'm going to be happy. The LS is a VERY nice car despite the bad press it's received over the internet. Incredible handling car with near 50/50 weight bias and with the V8, is a capable performer for it's class. But I wanted something different and I like the TL...even more than the BMW I was considering when I bought this.

SouthernBoy

It's supposed to hit 101 here on Tuesday with humidity high enough to make it feel like 108. I might take my TL in to work that day just to test its A/C is really heated conditions (I'm not driving it too much lately because I want to change my oil closer to my upcoming vacation).

I took it out this morning for a 5 mile run with the A/C on MAX COLD - Auto, and the cabin got freakin' cold. I mean, the thing was blowing some serious cold air. So I have no complaints in this department at all.

Will Y.

!
I drove from Culver City (near beach in L.A.) to Hacienda Heights and city of San Gabriel yesterday. The outside temp went from 74 degrees to 102 during that ride. Stepping out of the car's 72 degrees onto a tarmac parking lot where the air temp is 102 was no fun. Then I had my first experiences with the TL's temp gauge showing three dashes after starting the car in Hacienda Heights- 105-106 degrees!! And it is a silly shortcoming on the temp gauge's design. The A/C did blow on higher speed on recirc for some minutes (auto setting), but cool/cold air came from the vents. The car did take a couple of minutes to cool down to comfy temp. I had passengers (wife and 2 kids), so that probably displaced hot air in the car and let A/C work more quickly.
Good luck in Phoenix when it's 110+, you have my sympathy!
Another poster from Arizona investigated the solar window fans and found out they don't work, so your best bet is to park in covered parking or use the windshield shades. The posters here seem to conclude that leaving the A/C on auto cools the TL interior down more quickly than any other way (other than driving into a swimming pool or an ice house).

bluenoise

On really hot days, I find the auto does a fine job in general. However, to cool my car as quickly as possible, I run in auto, but turn off recirc. I then open a couple of windows and drive with the moonroof tilted. I figure getting all the hotter air out of the car will bring the temp down more quickly than just letting the recirc bring it down. Once I get the inside air down to close to the outside air temperature (only takes a minute or so when driving with the car opened up), I then close it all up and hit AUTO again. This puts the recirc back on and everything cools about as quickly as I can reasonably expect.

The key is giving the system a head-start by getting the trapped hot air out of the car, where it may be many degrees hotter than the outside air temp.

SouthernBoy

Yes, this is generally a recommended way in which to get the inside temperature down more quickly. Most people do not do this because they do not wish to drive with windows/moon roof open on super hot days, but it does work.

SouthernBoy

The more people in the car, the slower the cabin temperature will fall because an adult human being produces roughly 110 BTUs a rest. That plus the fact that they are breathing so the air coming from their lungs is warm.

CobraGuy

Over the weekend, I've discovered that leaving the climate control in "auto" and "recirculation" does indeed help some. But it wasn't as hot out either. I also noticed these cars have about half the amount of freon of the cars I'm used to...so Acura is depending on efficiency rather than the good ol' American standard of "bigger is better". However, I wish the engineers would come out here and spend a summer. We would see a/c systems with more capacity and outside thermometers that were actually worth having. Do they actually realize there are probably 100 days a year where their thermometer is worthless here??

thanks for all the input guys!

BustedJack

Really......... that's very interesting read. When I purchased this car, I tried the AUTO MODE and I was not impressed. Since then I've only used the AC on MANUAL MODE, I find the manual mode cools the car quicker and to be quite honest.... it's freezing after a few minutes. The AUTO MODE I found took longer to cool but perhaps because it was trying to curculate the entire car? hmmm

CobraGuy, welcome to the forum. I had a Chevy Caprice awhile back and I believe it had the same system as the Lincoln or the Cobra. The R12 unit are much bigger and easier to cool the car, our TLs dont have R12s...

CobraGuy

Thanks Acuradriver2006! But the Lincoln and Cobra are R134. I miss the days of R12. It's much better than R134. But as are all things in life...change happens.

pimpin-tl

The AC in the TL is not all that great. My G35 would freeze you out in about 3 minutes after sitting in 100+ degree temps all day. And it was a black car. This car takes a very long time to get cool, and its a white car. Plus it doesn't blow very hard from the center vents.

I found that putting it to 66 in auto mode kicks the fans up full blast instead of 68. And it will cool faster.

My g35 I can leave it at 72 and it cools fast. I don't have to mess with it often.

levon1830

For those people who do not want to drive with the windows all the way down in order to help cool the car down quickly after being parked in intense heat for an extended period of time, try this:

Set the moonroof open to the tilt position and slightly crack one of the rear windows. Cracking the rear passenger side window will cause a flow of cooler outside air to flow across the driver's head, and cracking the driver's side rear window will cause air to flow across the front passenger's head. Note you cannot crack both rear windows at the same time; it will not work. While the flow of outside air coming into the car will still be hot, it will typically be considerably cooler than the air inside the car when you first get in (I've heard that in the right conditions, the temp. inside your car can reach 120+ degrees if it's been parked in the sun for a long time). Using this method in conjunction with having the A/C on and at the lowest temp. setting greatly reduces the amount of time it takes to cool the car down.

VTECboy

Here in Florida I use the key fob to open the windows as I approach the car to begin letting the heat out. I have the ebony interior and haven't tinted the windows yet. I put the windows up after I get driving and start to feel cool air from the vents...about a block or so. I also don't turn the fan up to high until this point either because it would just blow the heat in the dash into my face. I use auto to set the venting, etc., but always manually hit the recirc. button to keep out other car fumes, humidity, etc. The recirc. also blows the fan a little harder too.

When I first moved to Florida I was told not to use recirc. right away because the outside air temp is cooler...even when its 95 degrees. Its been so friggin' hot here the past couple of weeks that I keep getting the 3 dashes also. Wasn't there a service recall about the 3 dashes way back when?

I find the TL a/c better than most cars I've been in. Honda has always had good air systems. The German cars are the worst, especially the older ones.