Hi Everyone 

 

Does anyone know what is the best temp. Setting for Climate Control?

 

Thanks

AN

 

The thread title, and the post are two separate questions.

 

The most economical setting is to have it turned off.

 

The best setting is whatever makes you feel the most comfortable.

Rapids used to be known for fogging up, so turning the AC off was not an option. I tried it one summer though and saved about 5% on petrol, say 3 mpg.

Mine usually sits at 18 in Auto CC setting summer, winter around 21/22 again Auto CC. Apart from a higher setting for a speedier defog/defrost in winter on the screen it pretty much stays set with the auto/CC.

I've been in cars (mates) in winter that have the heater/Aircon in blast furnace mode, I can't stand that, everyone will be different.

I start it with max setting and then move it 21 which seems to work fine at this time of year. I was wondering in winter the CC should not use AC side to keep the temp at 21 since there is plenty of cold air outside. In this way it can be economical if it really does so.

You are driving the car and know what the Ambient temp is and the interior temp that suits you so on any trip you can see what MPG you get on different settings.

 

Heating cars by maybe 20*oC in winter or cooling them by 20*oC in warmer weather are different things,

Keeping the air / interior dry in damp and cold or humid weather is surely more important than a few pence per trip!

When I start up the car I turn the temperature to high and fan off. Also set the display to monitor engine temperature - as soon as the engine has started to warm up I slowly increase fan speed to max, once the car is warm I reduce fan speed to 2 and reduce heating to 22 (or 21.5). Don't use aircon in winter, except for occasional short "maintenance" runs for just a few minutes - usually with the windows open.

 

I am not impressed with the way the climate control works, on my previous car the fan only started to blow air once the engine had some warmth, in this car the fan immediately blows even if the engine is cold creating a cold draft across my legs!

2 minutes ago, Smileyman said:

When I start up the car I turn the temperature to high and fan off. Also set the display to monitor engine temperature - as soon as the engine has started to warm up I slowly increase fan speed to max, once the car is warm I reduce fan speed to 2 and reduce heating to 22 (or 21.5). Don't use aircon in winter, except for occasional short "maintenance" runs for just a few minutes - usually with the windows open.

 

I am not impressed with the way the climate control works, on my previous car the fan only started to blow air once the engine had some warmth, in this car the fan immediately blows even if the engine is cold creating a cold draft across my legs!

 

I leave it in AUTO AC. 20.

 

The screen demists instantly, and then the car warms up. 

 

All for zero effort.

I hope the Climate Control systems are smart enought to not use air conditioning but intake cold air from outside to maintain inside temp at set level (especially when the car becomes quite warm aftet a while).

 

But if they still use air conditioning, then i believe manual operation will more economical.

1 hour ago, alinawaz said:

I hope the Climate Control systems are smart enought to not use air conditioning but intake cold air from outside to maintain inside temp at set level (especially when the car becomes quite warm aftet a while).

 

But if they still use air conditioning, then i believe manual operation will more economical.

 

If you have the air con turned on you are effectively wasting energy by cooling air and then warming it up again, but in modern cars with variable displacement compressors this effect is reduced to the point where it only cools the air enough to condense the moisture and thus keeping the car dry in the winter/more moist months.

 

If you have a compressor with a clutch it either runs at 100% or not at all which is why they used more fuel.

Tip - to stop annoying " topping up " of air con gas in any car - give the A.C a blast once a month, whatever the weather - helps to stop seals drying out and loosing gas, as a bit of compressor oil is carried around with the gas - Refridge techs love driver frugality - at £50 a top up ! 

@wackyracer - Now explain how to do that with an ambient temp below 5C, when the compressor is disabled.

You can do it when it isn't  - only a tip my friend.

 

21c or 22c and auto all the way! 

Longer journeys I get heat pointed at my feet. 

I often turn the AC of about 5 minutes into my journey. Just let it suck the cold and damp out of the air. 

My Spaceback has actually been defrosting very quickly in the morning. Better than my old 05 Octavia. That back windows defrost is very quick. 

On 18/01/2019 at 01:43, wackyracer said:

Tip - to stop annoying " topping up " of air con gas in any car - give the A.C a blast once a month, whatever the weather - helps to stop seals drying out and loosing gas, as a bit of compressor oil is carried around with the gas - Refridge techs love driver frugality - at £50 a top up ! 

We once had a VW mastertech here as a member before he went to a SEAT dealership and one of his pearls of wisdom was that all modern aircons operate at a very low level when turned off (but engine working of course) to avoid the seals drying out.

My small 14 yo Toyota Echo rarely has the aircon turned on in winter, has never been recharged and I certainly had it going today during our local (Adelaide) 46.8C record temps.

Could have been worse though as one town reached 49.5C. 

Edited 24 January, 20197 yr by Gerrycan

On 20/01/2019 at 10:17, chicken93 said:

21c or 22c and auto all the way! 

Longer journeys I get heat pointed at my feet. 

I often turn the AC of about 5 minutes into my journey. Just let it suck the cold and damp out of the air. 

My Spaceback has actually been defrosting very quickly in the morning. Better than my old 05 Octavia. That back windows defrost is very quick. 

Heat on the feet is proven to put drivers to sleep. A Swedish survey on behalf of Volvo found that heat setting and trousers combined caused drowsiness. Skirts or kilts were ok though.

These are good https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heated-Foot-Warmer-bottle-warmer/dp/B01ES2TX1C/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1548348031&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=foot+warmers&psc=1

 

I find these keep my feet warm, trouble is whilst driving I have to remove the left foot for gear changes and then the right if braking, it gets a bit  confusing until you get use to them.

As well getting baffies or UGG's (or Copies) and have each foot cozy but lonely.

I just feel the feet heating setting pushes air around the car better. I hate having to adjust anything mid journey. Having the air pointed at the floor seems to keep the car in a nice warm sorta place. Totally understand why it would send people to sleep as well. I can get very very comfortable sometime