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Condensation And Aircon


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The other morning I scraped the frost off I noticed there was frost and condensation on the inside as well.

I've also noticed that when I start the windscreen mists up then clears but I've always thought that was just the way the ventilation and aircon worked.

I rarely use the aircon during the summer, but have it running during the winter to stop the screen misting over. To my knowledge it was last recharged 3 years ago. Dunno if it's been done during a service in the meantime though.

a) Do I have an air con problem? It seems to blast out cold air when turned right down, but then it's cold outside anyway.

B) Is the ventilation the the GS300 generally good and I've got another problem, or is it just crap? I remember my old BX would mist up and I'd open a window and it would all go .... and no aircon in those days.

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If there is ice on the car, then the aircon will not switch on the ac compressor as the system pressure will be below 30 psi, however once the car has warmed up and has been driven, then the compressor may run and dehumidify the air. Once you have switched off the car there will still be moisture on the evaporator coils so that when you start the car next morning, the moist air will be blown on to your windscreen where it may freeze.

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make sure to put the air to fresh and not recirc. you should also use the aircon each month to prevent the seals drying out.

Yep, I always run it on fresh air and only close to recirc once in a while.

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make sure to put the air to fresh and not recirc. you should also use the aircon each month to prevent the seals drying out.

Yep, I always run it on fresh air and only close to recirc once in a while.

Hi guys,

Just out of curiosity, if you run the aircon in fresh all the time doesnt it consume more power? as in keep the compressor running for longer..

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Hi guys,

Just out of curiosity, if you run the aircon in fresh all the time doesnt it consume more power? as in keep the compressor running for longer..

Not necessarily. The only job of the aircon unit itself is to cool down the air. If you are drawing in fresh air which is cold, then the compressor will probably not run at all. But assuming you have the interior temperature set to something more comfortable than the outside air tempratures we've seen lately, then running it on recirc will mean the compressor will run more than on fresh.

However in the summer, yes it will definitely run the compressor for longer as the outside air temp will likely be higher than the inside, thus needing more cooling.

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Hi guys,

Just out of curiosity, if you run the aircon in fresh all the time doesnt it consume more power? as in keep the compressor running for longer..

Not necessarily. The only job of the aircon unit itself is to cool down the air. If you are drawing in fresh air which is cold, then the compressor will probably not run at all. But assuming you have the interior temperature set to something more comfortable than the outside air tempratures we've seen lately, then running it on recirc will mean the compressor will run more than on fresh.

However in the summer, yes it will definitely run the compressor for longer as the outside air temp will likely be higher than the inside, thus needing more cooling.

Yeah, sorry thats what i meant, when the air temp is higher outside, it will increase the fuel consumption. also if the air is damp outside then wont it cause more condensation? sorry if i am being too thick!

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There are many factors involved here, but bearing in mind that even on the hottest day in the UK, once the car interior has cooled down, the aircon compressor will run pretty infrequently (When compared to say somewhere like Dubai, where the ac compressor will run constantly) , cycling on and off as needed. Although the use of the compressor will use a little more fuel you must also consider that the cycling of the compressor will cause accelerated wear of the clutch plate and stress on other components, repair of which you may find yourself paying else where... There is no right and wrong answer here, so do as it suits you.... Use of the ac will help dry the air coming into the car from outside, use of the recirc to my mind is pointless as it is only really useful in really hot climates, all it does in this country is cause your cars ventilation system to become smelly and cause the windows of cars without a working ac system to mist up.... Next time you are driving in the rain, see how many cars there are with badly fogged up window... Yep, they are the numpties who cannot work their ventilation system.

When washing your cars at this time of year, don't forget to give your ac condenser a good flushing with clean water from your hose as road salt is the main cause of corrosion on alloy condensers... So keep 'em clean

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