Just read this on another forum

Quote:

Here's a little example of why aircon should be run.

A colleague at work has a BMW 3 series, which he's had for 4 years. He never used the aircon at all saying that it uses extra fuel and its not needed. He recently decided he fancied a change of car and decided to get the BM fully serviced ( full service history anyway), so that any potential buyer would have piece of mind.

He had a fair few potential buyers look over the car, but they all tried the aircon......and you guessed it the aircon doesn't work.

Easy he thought, just go and get it regassed as it only costs about £40.

Well he had the shock of his life when the aircon specialist he went to told him that the system was knackered and would cost £1000+ to reinstate due to all the seals drying out and letting moisture in, which had in turn knackered the compressor, condenser and most of the other main components. He was told that a proper repair figure could be given once they had the system out of the car for closer inspection. But the last BM they had in was closer to £1500 to reinstate as the owner of that one had done the same and hadn't ran the aircon in years either.

The specialist even said the best thing is run the aircon system in auto all the time, after all for the miniscule amount of fuel it uses its years and years before you use £1000+ worth of fuel running the system in auto.

So now he's faced with a dilemma, spend the money and get the aircon fixed, or take the cost off the asking price of the car. Which would leave him with not a lot as the same spec cars as his and year is going for not much more than the repair costs.
He even tried trading it in, but the places he's been have noticed the aircon not working and have only offered him a few hundred quid for the car as they would have to get it working to sell on.

He's as sick as a parrot because the car he thought he could sell for roughly £2,000-£2,500 is now only worth about £500. So the few quid he's saved in fuel has cost him more.

I turn mine off whenever possible but might be leaving it on permanently now and wearing a coat  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

Same here, its on auto now all the time  Current Volvo XC90 R Design T8
Gone 2010 TDV8. Stornoway Grey
Gone VW R50, AUDI S8, ML320 Sport, FFRR V8
Stolen 2007 TDV8.

+1

Heard of this sort of problem before, actually told someone with a BMW 3 series and they said I guess you can only warn people!!  2023 P440e SE Dynamic on order -cancelled

2022 HSE Dynamic P400e

2017 Discovery 3.0 HSE Silicon Silver Nimbus interior and a few extra toys SOLD

2013 HSE Black, Orkney Grey, Ebony Seats and Ivory Interior SOLD

2006 HSE

Plus a few other cars inbetween!

Mine is on Auto all the time. It also de-humidifies the air and helps stop misty windows in the winter.

Old AC systems ran the compressor all the time if they were switched on. Modern systems are much more economical and the saving if fuel is fairly minimal. ---------------------------
MY13 HSE Black Edition
----------------------------
Santorini Black with Black Interior
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It's Very Black

I always have the air-con on through summer AND winter because of instances like that in the OP.

It's the same reason I only put V-Power diesel/petrol in my vehicles too, like my grandad always says "Look after your tools and they'll look after you."

I seem to remember that on a 38A the default setting was ON. In Spain - 2018 F Pace - Frightened away from the Sports due to crank failures
Gone - A couple of RRS, A couple of Disco's. However thinking of another Sport.

I run mine constantly, just adjust the temperature. If you don't run it, it will get smelly when you do, like a stale urine smell. Gone - 2008 Stornoway Grey RRS 2.7 TDV6
Gone - 2009 Buckingham Blue RRS 2.7 TDV6
Gone - 2010 Alaska White RRS 5.0 V8 Aspirated
Gone - 2017 Chawton White RRS 5.0 V8 Supercharged
Current - 2010 Java Black RRS 5.0 V8 Aspirated
Current- 2024 RRS P400 SE Dynamic

I leave mine off, but turn it on regularly to lubricate the seals. If left on for long periods I find it dries my mouth & nose up a bit as it removes moisture from your body too.

Having said that, I use it in really hot weather or if the car mists up when it rains.

I much prefer to open the window a bit & have fresh air though. I'm in the shed, I'll be back in the real world in a minute.

on all the time .....

especially when you have to insert the keyfob, and press a start button, then resync the cheapo bluetooth dongle to play itunes through the radio, press the reversing sensor button to turn them off because the drizzle is beading and they are picking up the water and beeeeeppppping to annoy you, then press the window down and then up button to clear them so you can see out the driveway, then press the horn because the kid on the scooter isn't watching where he is heading at 50mph on the pavement with his head turned round like a owl looking at his mum, then your playing the wrong song so the kids want something else on, you press your finger to your lips to tell the little to be quiet and stop arguing over who can hold the toy spiderman. press the off button on the radio, because the kids have pressed all the wrong buttons on your inner detornator of rage and then half a mile later your pressing the off button, to press the keyfob turn the engine off, pressing the window buttons to make sure the kids haven't put a window down, to get out of the car, to press the keyfob to lock the car, to find the horn sounds because the kid hasn't closed his/her door, then finally, you breath a sigh of relief as you press the brolly release button to get out of the rain

...too many button in my life, Aircon on all the time for me

Bad day Nick  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

So you just leave the econ light off then it kicks in the AC as and when required?

I've always had my air con / climate control running all the time in all of the cars that have had it fitted. I heard long ago about the issue with seals etc. drying out. But more importantly is that I want the air inside the vehicle to be at the correct temperature and humidity - that's what the system does after all!

What I don't understand is why people would buy a vehicle with air con / climate and then switch it off to save a few pounds of fuel. The funniest people are those that turn off the air con because "I don't want cold air in the winter". There is, as they say, one born every minute  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

muddywheels wrote:

Bad day Nick

just a average day in the life of dropping kids off

npinks wrote:

then half a mile later your pressing the off button, to press the keyfob turn the engine off,

Half a mile? Make the little darlings walk!  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed