Digital Air Con

[skaramanga]

For anyone with the digital air con, do you just leave it on auto all the time, or would you keep the air con off for fuel-saving reasons for example. I do a bit of both.

[Stuey]

I very rarely use the aircon to be honest...seems to sap the power from the engine. I think some of it is psycological though. I tend to use it when it is cold to warm the inside up quicker...

[Rich_Eason]

On all the time for me. I dont really notice the power sapping effect so much but certainly notice a smoother sounding engine when its off.

 

You should at least ensure your Aircon is used for an hour or two continously every month as this keeps the compressors and seals lubricated.

 

It also ensures that no nasties form in the air vents which causes the rotten egg/farty smells... :unsure:

[Stuey]

oh dont get me wrong I do use it but not all the time....

[welshys90]

i think ive used it maybe once because in scotland your lucky to get temperatures over 15 degrees

[C4VTS]

I use my climate control nearly all the time as it stops the windows misting up in the cold damp weather.

[wozza]

Yup use my climate all the time as well. dont always have the ac pressed but i generally dont keep it on auto at moment either as i like it pointed at me as its too bloody cold.

[welshys90]

i get my mother 2 start my car because she leaves ten minutes before me so its never cold wen i get in :D i love my mum! haha

[lee_marshuk]

nice one welshy!!

 

Have to say mine is on auto all the time; never notice any difference in performance whether its on or not really.

[stratos]

Leave mine on auto all the time, thats why they call it auto in my view. Not worried about it sapping power as it automatically disconects when you go to max throttle switch.

 

If you've got the toys you must use them :D

[Welshguy]

lol girlfriend does mine in the mornings as well - Im just getting out of bed by the time she is warming the car up! :D

[Stuey]

cant leave mine running to warm up unless there is an armed guard nearby or I sit the dog in the passenger seat...furry imobilser that likes buscuits :D

[Rich_Eason]

cant leave mine running to warm up unless there is an armed guard nearby or I sit the dog in the passenger seat...furry imobilser that likes buscuits  :D

Does he offer a valet service as well for when you need to pop in the shops?

 

Must say the C4 is the first car I have driven with air Con where it is not noticable. Normally you get that anoying "click/tick" as the clutch engages and disengages. On an old Focus when this happened you had a flicker in the headlights and if accelerating hard a very brief lunge forward as the power sapped right off. Also happened on long steep hills...heavy loads......yadayadayada

 

The AC always timed to perfection the drop in power normally, as you pulled away at busy roundabouts and would often leave you stranded wanting more power... power that was busy keeping you cool....how handy. This was often a bug bare reported many a time on Focus forums....along with its hundreds of other foibles....

[Stuey]

my headlights do dim a bit when the cooling fans kick in and when you turn the steering wheel when stopped. Dont know whether it is your engine just having more power than mine, but thinking about it, it is all run from the battery....random

[rcandelori]

On all the time in Aussie heat at 40 degrees Celcius (100 Farenheit).

 

Engine starts sounding strained the higher the fan speed, but performance never diminishes in my opinion.

[Stuey]

you guys will test the mettle of any aircon system!! The C4 was designed for use in France where it only gets really hot in the very south for a few weeks a year!

[lee_marshuk]

Tell me about it, was 53 degrees when I was in Montbarla this year!

[Guest CE05LDB]

I never use my air Con in my C3. When my brother borrowed my C3 and used the Air Con I lost about 20 miles in fuel so I never use it. Citroen says you should at least once a month not to reck the seals or something but like I said I don't.

 

Maybe if it was a diesel car maybe I would but the free air outside will do for now.

[Rich_Eason]

AC shouldnt use as much fuel as that...it shouldnt notice at all.

 

This kind of weather as well with low ambient temps the AC isnt working hard to chill the already cool air in the car.

 

If you were in mid summer got in the car and blasted it on cold *shiver* and sat in there waiting with the windows up boiling away waiting for the temp to cool down then is when the AC will be working over time.

 

When you look at the cost of AC components be it compressors heat exchangers or pumps the replacement of these always invariably lead to replacing other components and replacement often reach 4 figure sums.

[Guest CE05LDB]

Well it did.

 

I didn't use it once in the summer. I had the window down and that was fine for me. My sister manages in her Saxo so I can. I rather have extra miles in fuel than use the fuel for the Air Con. I am having a sunroof in my next C3.

 

The Air Con in my brothers C3 drinks his fuel as well.

 

A Friend of mine has a 1.6i 16v Vauxhall Zafira and he said when the air con is on your driving along and the guadge do go down quite quickly.

 

To summon it up I am happy with out it.

[wozza]

windows just mean you get blasted with more hot air. And having the windows down causes you to use more fuel too. That and your car uses more petrol when its hot generally anyway.

 

Having the aircon on is good just to put it into perspective 20miles less fuel is only around £1 extra over the full tank. Personally i dont think £1 extra i gonna hurt anyone and id much rather be nice and cool than have to put up with all the extra heat to save just £1.

 

Either way on or off i get around 30mpg.

[Rich_Eason]

windows just mean you get blasted with more hot air. And having the windows down causes you to use more fuel too. That and your car uses more petrol when its hot generally anyway.

 

Having the aircon on is good just to put it into perspective 20miles less fuel is only around £1 extra over the full tank. Personally i dont think £1 extra i gonna hurt anyone and id much rather be nice and cool than have to put up with all the extra heat to save just £1.

 

Either way on or off i get around 30mpg.

Windows down causes wind buffet and that flipping anoying resonance on the air pressure inside the car (does anyone else get this?)...and as Wozza mentioned with windiesdown and AC on you end up cooling the air that is coming in through the window not recylcing the already cold/cooler air.

 

30mpg....I wish I could get that, currently on 20.3mpg :angry:

[Mat]

Its well knows (ie was proved on Mythbusters) that driving above 40mph is more fuel efficient with aircon, but anything less than 40mph fuel economy is saved by opening the windows and turning off the aircon.

[hertsnminds]

Windows down causes wind buffet and that flipping anoying resonance on the air pressure inside the car (does anyone else get this?)

 

Yup, every time the windows are open and you reach the right speed. Most effective way to stop the other half playing with the window controls :P (hurts her ears too much).

 

Ian

Black 55 VTR+

[ham's c4vts]

 

30mpg....I wish I could get that, currently on 20.3mpg :D

ouch thats low, you must have very heavy feet! :P :P

 

my lowest is 27.3 mpg round town stuck in traffic and i do use a/c