You Should Use Your AC in Your Car in The Winter! Here's WHY
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- You Should use your AC in your car in The Winter. and in this video I'll explain why.
Car HVAC system has changed significantly over the years. Many assume that using the AC system in the winter in cars damages it. It actually doesn't damage and it's something that you should use as I'll explain in this video.
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Licensed HVAC engineer here, if the humidity is low outside then using the fresh air vent function instead of the recirculate function will dehumidify just fine without a/c. And yes, turning off the a/c saves gas. I have heard that running the a/c periodically in the winter will help keep seals lubricated. Good to know it won’t hurt the system. Love the channel, just wanted to share another perspective on this one. Thank you
Mechanical engineer here. The other reason to run the ac all the time is to keep the seals lubricated.
Agree, the refrigerant gas is oily, it will lubricant the seals as it is circulated thus reducing the risk of the rubber seals drying, cracking and leaking .
I run the Ac at least every few weeks in the winter, my last toyota which was over 20 years old when i sold it , had never needed the AC recharging and was blowing ice cold Air, the new owner still tells me it runs perfect till now(it was made in Japan).
@@lam3317 that's the key, right there.
I totally agree. It makes me mad that my Toyota turns the AC compressor on when it’s 60° outside. I know when I need to use it when the windows fog up but I don’t need it when it’s 55° outside. All that does is put time on the compressor which I’m not interested in replacing sooner than needed. I also can’t stand in the recirculation button automatically gets selected. I know when I want to use the recirc and I know when I don’t want to use it. I wish I could just disable it. These are some of these automatic features I can’t stand
@@condor5635 "time on the compressor": forget that notion; you will cause more damage from leaking seals long before the compressor wears out from overuse.
Yep, great advice, as usual! I also make sure to engage my 4-high and 4-Low in my 4x4 Tundra at least once a month, especially during the summer (for 10-minutes either on a straight road or on a dirt/gravel road). What’s that old expression, “Use it or lose it!” 😎
Thank you for your effort to share your knowledge to humanity.
We need such people nowdays.
May God bless you.
If you have automatic climate control, your car automatically uses the AC when using any settings. At least in my experience.
Some compressors with variable squash plates you’ll never notice either, like a sienna or highlander
Yes. It conditions the air. Conditioning the ait consists of temperature and humidity and dust.
Yeah which just to let people know if your Climate control dail shows numbers instead of Red to Blue then you most likely have automatic Climate control.
I think short informative videos like this will be a bigger success vs. long videos on one specific topic and vehicle that probably 90% of the people wouldn't be interested in. Although I think some still have their place
Short has its perks but long ones are the real & true gems. He’s a master mechanic who takes the exact & correct amount of time to communicate his mastery.
It depends on what you're here for. I value the detail shared in CCN channel. It's been incredibly educational for me & is not easily avaliable elsewhere. It has helped me make better decisions in car care and car purchases.
I TOTALLY AGREE. Ran my air on my 97 Camry & had 0 problems, NEVER serviced it. I do it on my 19 Prius & always will. I was always taught refrigerant lubricates rubber parts. I try & do when its not sub zero temps. Plus in winter, u step in snow, ur shoes are wet/carpet gets wet MORE steaming up windows.😉
I bought a used 2012 Rav4 last year.The vehicle it replaced was 27 years old.I saw when I set the climate control,the AC light alway"s came on in the winter.I used to turn it off but I"ve learned how it works now.Best ride I ever owned! V6,fast & fun!
Very helpful video. I am guilty of doing exactly what you explained, I always use the automatic climate control, but in the winter and turn off the AC, because I figured there’s no point, the air is cold outside, and why put a drag on my engine, I’m trying to get the best fuel economy possible. Thanks for explaining it, I know better now.
I only use a/c in winter when there's to much moisture on inside car and a/c is fastest way to be able to see out the car window
@@andyv6299 i do the same
I was told years ago to use the AC to defrost the windshield on cold damp days, and I found it works better than the heat, and as a plus, you don't have to wait for the car to warm all the way up, as the AC will blow cool dry air almost instantly. I also have come to understand that running the AC several times during the cool months helps keep the system working, vs leaving it sit idle and unused for over 9 months out of the year. Then I discovered that on my Ford Escape, every time I turn my heat/AC dial to windshield defrost, the AC runs whether I turn the heat setting to hot or cold, and this was done to be sure the AC system runs periodically all year long. My truck is now over 18 years old, and while I think the AC has lost a bit of its charge, it still works very well having had not maintenance all these years.
My 2005 Corolla Royce still pumps AC like a boss. Def accurate! Keep that air flowing!
condensation on a surface is linked to temperature differences between the surface's 2 sides, not humidity differences
I just told my neighbor last week that she should run the AC during the winter (upstate NY) when the temp gets above 40 in order to keeps the seals from drying out. I never gave a thought about humidity or running it below 40. Good to know it won't freeze below 40. Always good info from you.
When I run my AC in the summer, it hardly affects my mileage at all in my Gen 3 Prius. Much better than the older cars.
I drove school buses for a living for about 10 years and I can attest to this. I would use the A/C during the winter to dehumidify the interior and worked great!!! I tried Rain-x defogger before and worked too. The only thing was that it was alcohol based and stopped using it for safety concerns.
If I may..I drove school bus for 6yrs some years ago. Where on God's green earth do they come equipped with A/C !!
@@chuckymurlo5654 🤣😂🤣😂🤣
It's good to get that AC clutch engaged, once in a while, too, and circulate some refrigerant throughout the system. The refrigerant has oil in it to lubricate the compressor and seals.
Right on, I was gonna say that. It's important to keep the oil going through the system.
Yes I heard a long time ago use the air conditioning in the winter to keep everything lubricated and running, to add to that as well if you have a manual shift four-wheel-drive it’s also beneficial to occasionally engage that mode,conditions permitting of course. you want to avoid situations that would make it bind and such,but still don’t just let it sit in 2 Wheel Drive mode for years.
Much the same as occasional use of heater in summer , use it or lose it.
excellent point, I also heard that it lubricates the seals and minimizes refrigerant loss in the long run; I have noticed that with the direction control set to defrost or defrost/floor that will cycle the compressor as well, thank you for excellent videos and also wish many Blessings from the Lord to you and your family
I think using defrost or defrost + feet setting automatically turns on AC. At least it did in my '05 Echo. On my '22 Corolla it's much less obvious when AC turns on so I can't say for sure.
I turn it on occasionally because I heard somewhere you should do this. With gas prices like they are I cleaned my air filter and it sure needed it so that's something folks should consider. I intend to replace it when I go to town.
Lived in Florida since 1984. We definitely run our A.C. in the winter 🤣.
I've known this concept for a long time. Turning on the AC and put the setting to "warm"...you activate and maintain your AC even in the winter and rapidly defog your windshield/windows. I believe that's the best and fastest way to defog your windows. BTW...my miraculous 2005 LE with 218,000 miles...never needed the AC serviced. Now I have a 2020 LE 2.5.
Very valuable information. I always wondered why when I put the automatic climate control in my Camry the a/c button lights up. I was constantly turning it off. Now I know. Thanks Ahmed.
Thank you for explaining this so well - if only my wife would believe it …
My old 1995 JDM Toyota Crown Royal G had dual climate control system and it was turning on/off A/C and air re-circulation on its own.
I had no reason not to trust it and all I ever needed to do is to change the inside target temperature to 24C in summer and to 20C in winter (people usually wear a lot more cloths in winter).
Never had fogged up windows or any other concerns. But I was wondering why the A/C light was on when the outside temperature was dropping down to -30C? Those people who designed car AC systems did very good job!
Totally agreed,,,, I’ve told many customers when I worked at dealership.
I wish there was Mazda Guru like you. Just discovered your channel. I drove Priuses for the last 11 years, and just traded in my 2016 Prius with only 24k miles for a Mazda3 HB. I don't drive much, and worried about ruining the battery. Never had a single problem with this one or my 2012 model.
A lot of positive comments in this comments section! I encourage viewers to like his videos to help him out. I rarely ever remember to like videos, but I always remember to like TCCN videos because the high quality content and information prompts me to do so.
I have always turned on AC one a month in the winter. We live in the Great white north.
Most new cars turn the A/C compressor on when you use the defrost setting. Hybrid cars use an all electronic compressor, which is needed since there’s no belts/pulleys and the ac needs to stay running even when the engine is off.
it clears my foggy icy windows much faster in winter,
Another good reason to run A/C in Winter is to keep the seals in the system lubricated with A/C oil. This is especially true for the compressor. Surprised you didn't mention that important aspect.
I have automatic climate control in my Highlander and I noticed that after a few minutes when the engine warm up it switch on a/c during winter.
As well , said to keep the seals lubricated by the oil , to prevent leaks
Super helpful. I actually knew this but I somehow forgot and kept my AC off this winter. Thanks for the reminder
👍👍Outstanding indeed! Thank you for sharing. All I learned another new and useful information. I even had my wife watch it twice. I watched it three times to make sure I didn't miss a thing. And thanks also to Ben Davis...for adding on that extra knowledge about the recirculate function. Keep up the great videos AMD. Take care and Stay Safe.
JT
You can also set the temp to 68F or warm/hot when running the AC. It doesn't have to be set to low temp.
I was told back in the 1980s that running the AC continuously, with or without the heater on, prolongs its life because the seals don't dry out. I have no idea if that's true, but beginning with my 1990 Honda Accord and then my 2002 Honda CR-V, I've always left the AC on and I've never had to spend a dime on AC maintenance or repair.
No mention of the lube suspended in the refrigerant? It's always been a good idea to run the A/C in the winter for that alone. Circulate the lube to keep the seals supple so they don't dry out and crack thereby losing all the refrigerant that's in a gaseous state. It also lubes the A/C compressor bearings so they don't seize up and it makes it last longer overall.
This is the most important reason to run it in the winter.
Thanks for the info AMD. May God bless continue to bless you and your family 🙌🙌
Very useful tip, thank you very much, this was something I was confused about:)
I keep it off most of the time ( with gas at $4.10/gallon in Texas I have to save as much gas as possible). But I do run it on humid mornings and in the afternoons when it’s hot or warm enough. Good to keep the oil moving through the system. I also learned from an old mechanic that it’s good to turn off the ac a little before shutting off the engine and letting the system equalize and blow the moisture from the evaporator. Supposedly it makes for a very long lasting ac system.
Living in SoCal in a LA suburb obviously our winters are mild., lowest it gets is 35 degrees on a extreme cold night for SoCal standards, never Ice or below freezing conditions unless you live in the mountain ranges of San Gabriel/San Bernardino/Idlywild or the High Desert these areas snow or below freezing in winter often, I use the AC but have the temp at 80 degrees and it dehumidifies the cabin.
Well , I learned something new today. I thought I was crazy, when I would push auto (in the wintertime) and the a/c button would turn green too.
I'm rum A/C all the time also in extreme cold like -35 Celsius I never turn it of.
For decades and among all manufacturers when the defrost is selected the A/C is running, because of the blend doors is why you won't feel the cold off of the evaporator.
Yes, as Ben Davis says, helps keep compressor seals lubricated .............
Usually by running the defrost the compressor will cycle too.
I live in Texas. No problem. :)
i run the defrost often in the winter, it runs the ac with that feature.
Best car channel on youtube (but then again i own a 2001 and a 2021 toyota so a bit biased)
When my now-wife and I were dating, she picked me up after work on a warm, rainy summer evening with her heater on full blast - it was a hundred degrees in her car. I asked her what she was doing and she said she was trying to de-fog her windshield (rather unsuccessfully). I turned on her a/c and, of course, the fogged windshield immediately clear up. I told her that the a/c was a dehumidifier, she didn't understand, and the conversation proceeded down the same road millions of husbands and wives have gone down. We had a similar discussion about putting large quantities of food down the garbage disposal. She's owned at least a dozen cars and has yet to read the owner's manual for any of them.
Who knew? Good stuff, thanks man
When you use the defrost on the compressor turn on cause it has a dehumidifier that’s what unfogs the windows
Yes. Thank you. Learned something new today!
I was told by a car guy years ago to keep the ac on year-round.
The defrost mode does the same thing right?
This is new to me and I appreciate your information. Thank you.
I use my A/C in the winter all of the time. Where I live the weather isn't that bad during the winter months. I also have an Avalon Hybrid, so gas mileage isn't a big concern. But with the current state of gas prices now, I am so glad I invested in my vehicle over 6 years ago. AMD u inform us a lot about the care and maintenance of the main battery in Hybrid vehicles, but u don't say to much about the 12v battery. Could u do a video in the future about this item. Like how long do they last, are they specialized batteries, cost and signs to look for when they start to fail. As always, love your videos and keep them coming.
The A/C system is all electric in hybrid cars, so gas mileage isn’t affected.
@@tails300 yeah I totally get it. It works like a house refrigerator or freezer without depending upon the cars radiator [and/or] water pump to cool the freon. It's all pressurized flow I believe. All electric vehicles use this same concept. No pulleys or belts to break.
@@markypeedydj1481 a lot new plug-in hybrids and EVs use heat pumps for heating and air conditioning although they lose their effectiveness at below freezing temperatures.
Great advice!! Thank you for sharing!!
I knew it! Can’t wait to share with my husband!
AMD, Funny, I did not get the usual notification for this video drop. 🤔
That is a dumb question since the A/C compressor cycles when the control in in Defrost position - by design !
Good to know! Thanks, AMD!!!
❤❤
Thanks for the great advice!!
keep giving us more of your Utube videos.
I thought that when u use the defrost function that it automatically uses the ac condenser for this reason? You don’t have to then turn on the ac. Is this wrong?
Super Awesome Tip!!!!!!!
Innnnteresting.
THANK sir. I'm on it!!
I've been told that even when the AC button is not "on" the compressor will still work when you use the defrost air vents...
Great video AMD!! I’m in Florida but good to know that. Thank you!
Thanks I didn’t know that. 😊
Canadians don't just walk around in shorts during winter, we use our AC sometimes too 😄
Especially when we leave our igloos 😆 🤣 😂
How else do we keep our snowman from melting while in our passenger seat to use the multi person lanes on the highway 😂 🇨🇦
@@TimeforchangeTrudeaumustgoEndb Iam building a new igloo before the thaw. Real estate is a premium here
@@moeanthony9308 don't forget to sell them ice too....
@@TimeforchangeTrudeaumustgoEndb lol
Great info as usual, thanks AMD
Never had an issue NOT turning it on in the winter either.
most cars in the defrost cycle the ac automatically comes on
Not older shitboxes like my Nissan Sunny!
@Steven Strain The only way my Nissan ac is gonna go on is if I press the ac button. That will defrost the windows. Nice thing is I can use the heat with the ac, then it's really comfortable on a rainy wintery day. The ac removes the dampness.😊☺
@@Bubbles12345-cat
Maybe that's because it's designed for cleaning dairy barns. 🤔🤪
Great info! Hoping to hear back from you on Landcruiser set up.
Great common sense reasoning, thank you.
You forgot to mention that it keeps the oil in the system circulating so everything stays lubricated. Reduces leaks and extends compressor life.
Yep. Keeps that shaft seal lubricated and (almost) leak-free.
@@daveb495 I also lube my shaft before I start going at it.
Thank you. This answered my question
May the Lord bless you and keep you. Amen! 3:09
30 years in the HVAC Biz here...not a good idea in Canada 😂
It’s extra wear on your compressor, mine went out while using it in the winter and I didn’t know it was broken until I needed it months later.
No it's not you need to lubricate the system at least
Thanks for sharing this video, interesting information.
The windows fog because the temperature of the air next to the window is below the dew point temperature.
Wait AMD...what if I don't have automatic climate control? Do I just turn the temp dial to warmer...say mid-level with the AC on?
Thanks
Thanks. Great 👍
You get hot air faster using AC and high temp setting.
Keep up with the good information.
We live in Georgia no problem
Iike a old gas heater you put a bowl of cold water On top or when you go to a take away the food fogs the window up
I have 2021 Toyota Camry 4 cylinder and the gas pedal is so hard and stiff to press my foot is hurting me now so bad is there anything I can do about it
As someone who wears glasses, this helps defog my glasses and I can see clearly :)
Thank you for the tip
please talk about lighting a fire under the Engine in Siberia minus 60 degrees !
As far as I know you can also start getting fungus in the ventilation system with all that humidity around, and that's not fun at all
Love your work 👍
Important: Many older cars (pre-2000) have separate A/C and heat systems, meaning that when in doubt you should heed his advice. BUT, because of this problem, the vast majority of cars made after 2000 or so will automatically kick on the A/C for dehumidification whenever you use the Defrost/Defog setting, even if you don't manually activate A/C, thus ensuring that the A/C system gets regular exercise during winter. Manufacturers got tired of warranty claims that happened after people left A/C unused all winter. So, chances are you're good, and if you really care about your MPG then you should also be aware of this. If you turn on Defrost/Defog and hear a fan kick on under the hood? Yeah, that's the A/C kicking on.
People turn off their AC due to not reading the owner's manual. I have a wife like that. The main reason for using AC in winter is that you exhale water vapour into your car, the warm water vapour condenses on the cold window and the window fogs up, cutting off visibility. AC removes this water vapour from the window so you can see outside. You can run heater and AC at the same time.
My Neon's all would turn the compressor on when I put the defrost on. It is good actually to run it during the winter they say, BUT it hit my mpg just like running it in the summer - at least I could tell it was kicking on and off. My Elantra does not do that and I actually like it .. even without having the deluxe defrost system they offer (it was a big concern, fortunately the "blower system" seems to function just fine .. until I go underground and the entire exterior turns to white frost .. thank goodness for heated mirrors, which I never had before and did not know how to turn them on for a couple months - I had learned to "use the Force" before that).
I had 2 Audis that the AC button would light up when then the heat was on, my Lexus GS 350 also. I always figured other countries (non-english speaking) considered heat a type of air conditioning, lol
great tip thank you
I figured it'd be something like if you don't use your AC in the winter it could be bad for your AC this is not the reason that I want