Do many of you guys use your AC or do you ride with the windows down?

 

I live in Texas so its hard to ride w/ windows down during tha day. at nite im all about it though. I did hear that its bad to turn your car off w/ the a/c on, b/c it than has to start w/ it on & for whatever reasons it is bad for the quality of the a/c over its lifetime?????? but mine stinks like wet feet. i think i gotta change the filter or somthin

 

Windows down and sunroof open for the most part. However, if I'm stuck in stop-n-go traffic downtown then the A/C goes on. Also turn it on when I first get in the car if it's been in the sun for a while.

 

my a/c is leaking

 

Once you get above about 45mph you get better fuel mileage with the AC on. But, I drive with the windows down as much as possible

 

I love the cold A/C, but roof open and windows down in the summer is SO nice!

 

I live in Arizona and the temp is already at 108 but I still alwasy have my windows down and A/C off.

 

how does the ac make u get better mileage +45?

 

its not so much the a/c that helps, but the windows rolled up =) less drag at speeds above 45mph is noticable on the avg mpg on long trips.

 

hmmm still not understanding the windows bein down IMHO won't help THAT much lol

 

Driving with the windows down causes drag which decreases your MPG. I just read somewhere the other day that the drag is still pretty bad at speeds less than 45 and they recomended to keep them up all the time. It said AC would use much less gas than the drag from windows being down would. But I've seen many people disagree on what speeds cause wind drag to be a problem. I'm not a physics major or anything so I really don't have any idea what effect different speeds have.

To answer the main question of the thread. I just got my AC fixed and I've been using it a lot. Especially cause it's been raining for like 40 days straight But once I get my new speakers and install them and my new HU I'll probably ride with the windows down more.

Peace.

 

Also, starting your car with the AC is not bad for your AC...it's an old wives tale. The electromagnetic clutch disengages when you turn the car off and switches it back on shortly after the car starts. If you listen closely, you can hear it happen.

 

Yeah well I like to drive with the a/c on unless I see someone on the highway that wants to do a little highway racin' then I turn the a/c off to get more power. I do have the problem with my a/c smelling weird. Is there anything I can do to get rid of it??? Is there a filter I can change???

 

i usually use my a/c on the highway, or anything above 50 mph. my number one rule though "when in town, windows down" i live by it

Peace,

J

 

I ride with the windows down unless i am on a long trip somewhere. Actually, if I touch the turnpike, windows go up and a/c goes on. I can't stand the wind and radio at around 75mph!

 

ac. I hate bugs that get in the windows

 

I live in Arizona too, and i lived in Vegas all summer last year. It was always about 110+ everyday and always had the windows down driving to In-N-Out burger. AC is fake and overrated.

To the pussies that sweat. you are ***** made.

And to all of you that have smelly AC. you just need to drop a few drops of some good smell in the vents and there is another place to put it but i will have to go take a pictuere because its hard to explain. And it will blow out good smelling air.

 

i never turn mine off... yeah you know since i changed the AC compressor in nov of 02 and I am selling the car in a month i figure i would juice every living amenity out of it.. frankly i've PAID for it..

Yes my alternator went the other day so I am still ****ed. Only time I turn it off is when I have hill climbing for extended distances.

Upside of that though is that my interior looks factory fresh.

 

how much did people here shed out for fixing an A/C leak. (rough estimate)

 

This is a FAQ.

 

I use my a/c almost always. I was told that using it often keeps the compressor lubricated. When you leave it off for an extended period, the chances of leaks increase. Also, I think my white max with closed tinted windows and black window trim looks cool.

 

-I agree with the above statement. It's good to turn it on, even in the winter occasionally, so the parts don't sit idle too long.
-I forget the exact stats, but the A/C consumes about 10hp. The windows down consume anywhere from 0 to 25hp (possibly more if racing). If you are in the city, stats I've read say the windows consume less hp than the A/C. (as someone said earlier... city:windows down, highway:a/c .... stongly paraphrased!)
-If you are window obsesed, put the driver and rear-driver side windows down. (air comes in and goes out...) This avoids most of the coliding air flow, reducing drag... minimizing HP impact.

Maxine

 

I usually don't use the AC, I hate for my car to have to work harder when it is already so freakin hot out.

But sometimes I turn it on if I am going to church or somthing like that and don't want to sweat.

Even rarer occasions, if the cars clean and I want to cruise on a hot day, I'll turn the AC on with the windows down.

But I really love this cars torque, in my eclipse when you turned the compressor on it would jerk slightly, felt like it lost half of it's power and would whine like a super charger. When I turn the AC on in the Max I feel no difference in acceleration and I here no change in sound, I love this car!!!

I always make sure the AC is off when turning off, or starting my car.

 

The AC even dis-engages when you floor it, too, to maximize engine power. Modern technology can be good.

DW

 

I just leave my windows down because the stupid a/c uses too much gas. It's bad enough that I only get 16-17MPG (wasting money on premium gas ) I only use the a/c when it gets near the 90s because it's too hot at that point

- Jatan

 

Did someone say the compressor disengages when accelarating? I always thought this to be true but mine is not doing that. I'm getting a annoying noise coming from the compressor when accelatating from a stop. The dealer said it was a normal sound but is has never made the sound before. It only does it on hot days and in Austin, there are plenty of those (90+ degrees) I always though the compressor should disengage and it has asways done so up until this point, but Mr. Dealer says only if the car is under a extreme load. Anyone know what the problem might be. Also, I love to roll with the windows down but I hate the dirt and lint that sticks to my dark interior. So windows up more times then none.

 

Yeah, with the accelerator pegged to the floor, the AC will dis-engage. If not, something's up with your car. Try this test: put your AC on, and fans at high speed. Move your hands over the vents to get a feel of the temps that are blowing into the cabin. Now, floor it, you should feel the temp rise just a bit. It's noticeable.

Keep your eyes on the road when doing this, I don't want any lawsuits

DW

 

I try that but I do know that from a moterate take off, it stays engaged...

 

All i know my uncle had a ford ranger (yea i know thats hard to compare to a maxima but its the principle here that matters) and he use to always leave his a/c on. Then it got bad and his truck wouldnt even start if his a/c was on. He would turn it off and it would start fine.

Maybe Technology has fixed stupid things like that but i just dont risk it

 

I always turn mine off first. Habit I guess. Oh I did the little test and I didn't notice any change in the temp of the ac. I'll do it again in a less patroled area..lol..."Yeah officier I was just checking to see if my ac compressor was working correctly"

 

The AC compressor runs when the defroster is turned on in order to help dry the moisture out of the interior of the vehicle... It also keeps the AC system lubed in the winter months.

It's a good idea to turn the AC off and turn the vent fan on high a few minutes before shutting the car off. The evaporator core inside the dash (the part that gets cold) gets wet with condensation when the unit is running. Letting it sit around all wet encourages mold, and all sorts of 'funk' to grow... causing the AC to smell like crap while fostering all sorts of allergens and germs.

When the car is shut off in hot weather, the evaporator becomes a warm, moist place to grow all sorts of funk. It's a good move to dry it off before shutting the car down.

Good Luck!

 

its true that the A/C runs with defroster but no condensation or lubing is occuring within the low and high pressure tubes still allowing the a/c parts such as o-rings and hoses to leak.. still a good idea to turn on a/c once or twice during the winter.

 

When the AC system is running... it's running. It doesn't matter if the cabin switches are on AC or defrost.

When on defrost, the cold evaporator condenses the moisture out of the air inside the cabin, which helps clear the windows.

When the defroster is on, the AC is on. Moving the temperature adjuster to 'cold' will produce cold air.

There is no need to put the system on AC in the winter. Defrost runs it as normal.

 

so are yo saying i can go to my car and turn on the defroster and put temp to full cold at 4 speed and it the same as hitting the a/c button and putting the temp to full cold at 4 speed???

I would figure that mactaully using the a/c will best lube it up mostly from the cold air but if defroser activates a/c and can blow cold air i stand corrected

 

Has anybody taken theirs off permenetly and how were the belts done.

 

just wondering, are 4th gen max air conditioners alittle on the noisy side?

 

The 'lube' that is mentioned is the oil that is dispersed within the system's freon. When the compressor is running, the freon (and oil) are getting circulated. It doesn't matter where the temperature control is slid to. The AC system runs regardless. That slider does not adjust the AC, it adjusts how much heat gets mixed with it.


It's also not a good idea to go around with the defroster on all the time since it will prematurely wear out the AC system.

Good Luck!

 

windows always half way down with the tinted windows, so i still get air without no 1 knowing who i am when im creeping up the block at 5 mph

most of the time ac is off , i hate to put strain on the motor, only time i really turn it on is when im parked in a secluded area, with my tinted windows up and a whole lot of body heat lovin inside

i really love the max back seat , and love tints , everyone without tints should get them right away

on a serious note
i read in my dads 2001 max manual that u should run the ac at least 10 minutes per month , even in the winter so that way u dont dry up your ac lines

 

no, mines quite and very efficient! i think its almost time to change the filter or something though.

 

In the city when it's cool, it's windows for me. On the highway, I have the blower only and let the cool air come in to the cabin. Ocassionally, I roll down the rear windows a little.

A/C at other times.