Thoughts on the Auto-HVAC system..
08-21-2004, 08:43 PM
#1
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Thoughts on the Auto-HVAC system..
My 2002 Altima SE had automatic climage control and in terms of a cold A/C unit, was the best in any car I've ever owned.. including my new TL. But blowing super cold air is not necessarily the desired result of an A/C system as any HVAC person will tell you. What you want is a unit that will remove the excess humidity in the environment sufficiently so as to make the occupants comfortable. This is true whether your talking a house or a car.
With my Altima, I rarely used the auto setting, preferring to set via manual operation because what would happen otherwise was the cabin would become a little unbalanced unless I varied the temperature setting periodically. You could tell this because the inside of the windows would tend to fog up and I NEVER used recirculate.. this was due to the unit putting out such cold air.
But the TL has the best automatic climage control I've ever had on any car. It does a super job of cooling the car and most important, keeping the interior comfortable without cold spots or dead areas. That and the fact that my wife can set her side of the car like she wants through the use of the dual setting completes the picture. Last night, we went out to dinner and had an excellent opportunity to check this out. It worked great. So add an excellent auto-HVAC system to the list of greats about this car.
One other thing I've noticed when using the A/C. As most of you who are manual drivers know, when the compressor kicks in, it disrupts your shift timing because it forces the engine to loose RPMs more quickly between shifts due to compressor drag. In my Altima, I had installed a UDP and this problem disappeared.. nice little side benefit along with the added power from the UDP.
But I suspect the software in the ECU of the TL compensates for this anomaly because I can't tell through shifting when the compressor cuts in or out. I believe the ECU adds a little throttle to keep the engine from loosing RPMs like it would when the compressor cuts in.
Anyone else notice this?
Lastly, my car's five weeks old today. And yesterday, I discovered another thing. I had noticed that the driver's seat adjustments were a little different than other motorized units I've owned. Yesterday, I found out I could really lower the seat a lot.. enough to give me a better driving position and allow better entry and eggress. New things just keep popping up almost daily. I love this car!
With my Altima, I rarely used the auto setting, preferring to set via manual operation because what would happen otherwise was the cabin would become a little unbalanced unless I varied the temperature setting periodically. You could tell this because the inside of the windows would tend to fog up and I NEVER used recirculate.. this was due to the unit putting out such cold air.
But the TL has the best automatic climage control I've ever had on any car. It does a super job of cooling the car and most important, keeping the interior comfortable without cold spots or dead areas. That and the fact that my wife can set her side of the car like she wants through the use of the dual setting completes the picture. Last night, we went out to dinner and had an excellent opportunity to check this out. It worked great. So add an excellent auto-HVAC system to the list of greats about this car.
One other thing I've noticed when using the A/C. As most of you who are manual drivers know, when the compressor kicks in, it disrupts your shift timing because it forces the engine to loose RPMs more quickly between shifts due to compressor drag. In my Altima, I had installed a UDP and this problem disappeared.. nice little side benefit along with the added power from the UDP.
But I suspect the software in the ECU of the TL compensates for this anomaly because I can't tell through shifting when the compressor cuts in or out. I believe the ECU adds a little throttle to keep the engine from loosing RPMs like it would when the compressor cuts in.
Anyone else notice this?
Lastly, my car's five weeks old today. And yesterday, I discovered another thing. I had noticed that the driver's seat adjustments were a little different than other motorized units I've owned. Yesterday, I found out I could really lower the seat a lot.. enough to give me a better driving position and allow better entry and eggress. New things just keep popping up almost daily. I love this car!
08-21-2004, 08:58 PM
#2
VTEC is happiness
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Hey SB,
I agree, the system in the TL is the best I have seen. I have a 5AT, and so I don't have the added sensitivity of shifting myself. But even so, the TL cools quickly, the air is dehumidified nicely, and my wife can set her side to whatever she wants!!! This is huge, and although many cars offer separate temp settings, Acura went the extra mile by allowing individual mode settings as well.
It's strange, this car never ceases to impress. My friends love the voice activated features, and I am learning to use them more often (means I take my eyes off the road less). Nice car!
I agree, the system in the TL is the best I have seen. I have a 5AT, and so I don't have the added sensitivity of shifting myself. But even so, the TL cools quickly, the air is dehumidified nicely, and my wife can set her side to whatever she wants!!! This is huge, and although many cars offer separate temp settings, Acura went the extra mile by allowing individual mode settings as well.
It's strange, this car never ceases to impress. My friends love the voice activated features, and I am learning to use them more often (means I take my eyes off the road less). Nice car!
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