do you leave your HVAC in AUTO mode at all times or shut it off before you shut off the engine?

 

No, but it is a good idea to hit the EC button and let the fan run for a few minutes to get the condensation out of the ducts.

 

I almost always keep mine on auto, and I haven't had any problems with the condensation causing that moldy smell. Sometimes I even forget push EC when I have the windows and roof open.

 

I just leave it in auto mode.

 

I find myself turning off auto for a while so that I can hear myself think over the fan noise and then once the car temp stabilizes, I set it to auto again.


CZ

 

In lesser humid climates, like mine, I've grown accustomed to running in EC Mode from October thru mid-May (A/C compressor off). I open the RR window about 4 inches and tilt up the sunroof, and it creates an amazing amount of circulation in the car that cools it off to ambient in no time at all. On an afternoon commute above 85 degrees or so, I will sometimes open the driver's window about 4 inches, but usually it's not necessary.

The car gets at least 1.5-2.0 mpg better mileage in EC mode with my type of commute.

I leave the fan in auto mode, however, and yes, it whirrs at a huge pace when you first get into the car and it's hot inside. Auto Mode with A/C is mandatory in the Summer months here.

 

Dammit! The title of the poll is: "do you leave your HVAC in AUTO mode?" So I click on it and answer "Yes."

However, the exact wording of the question is exactly the opposite of the title and asks if you switch your OFF your AC before turning off the car.

Duh. This is a good example of how not to write a poll.

 

I leave it on auto unless the fan is so high I can't hear anything.

then I have to switch it off

 

I leave the A/C on "auto" all the time. I don't really see any advantage to turning it off when you turn off the car.

Back in the "old" days, it was good to turn the A/C off becuase that reduced the load on the engine when it was started, but modern cars (like our MBs) don't engage the compressor until the engine is started.

I suppose I might get marginally better mileage with EC on, but the hassle of deciding (yeah, I know, I'm lazy) is too much so I just leave it alone. And I didn't buy my car for its mileage, obviously!

I also leave my lights on Auto, so there!

Kinda screws me up on other cars, though - all those accessories to turn on or off and mess around with while driving!

 

Don't need AC much here in the frozen north, but when I do use it I try to turn it off a couple of minutes before turning off the car to get most of the water out of the system. I also like running with the fan speed set manually at 2 because it makes the cabin quieter in town. The temperature control still works automatically.

 

I have left it on EC ever since I owned it (Dec 31 02) but suspect I will need the AC at some point this summer.

When you set EC mode, I have to manually control the fan - I put it at around 3. There's no way to do automatic fan speed in EC, right?

--Steffen

 

Steffen, the AUTO button determines whether the fan speed and air direction are set automatically or manually. So yes, you will be using EC mode with automatic fan speed when the indicator light on the EC switch (or AC OFF switch, depending on which one you have) is lit and the indicator light on the AUTO switch is not lit.

 

oops. let's see you write one up then :p

 

No, I don't turn off the A/C when I shut the engine. The 'Auto" button is always on since day 1 since no harm will be done by doing so on a modern engine.


--Terry

 

Yeah...even though Auto on a warm day upon start-up makes the car sound like a Peugeot 504 at -40 degrees trying (in vain) to defrost its windscreen on a Calgary morning in January...

Once the cacophony is over, the "set and forget" nature of the Auto setting is much appreciated...

It's not humid enough here to make de-moulding techniques necessary. Ahh, the good old temperate climatic zones, there are so many good things to be said for them. Vancouver Island's east coast is actually in a Mediterranean climatic zone

 

auto mode with self controlling the fan speed

 

See my entry above. It used to be bad to try to start an engine with the compressor engaged. Now the computer automatically turns it off while starting in most cars.