A/c
September-4th-2002, 11:45 AM
#1
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 44
A/c
Anyone have problems with A/C sticking on, or switching on and off?
Sometimes when I turn off my A/C the pump is still engaged and it still blasts cold air. I tested it one time on a long trip. I turned it off and it stayed engaged for the rest of the 2 hour trip.
Also on fan position number 2 the pump will go off and on, and the light will flicker on the dash.
Wacky.
Sometimes when I turn off my A/C the pump is still engaged and it still blasts cold air. I tested it one time on a long trip. I turned it off and it stayed engaged for the rest of the 2 hour trip.
Also on fan position number 2 the pump will go off and on, and the light will flicker on the dash.
Wacky.
September-4th-2002, 12:08 PM
#3
Protege Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 44
As I understood it, and the way it has been in all my past cars, A/C comes on as default in the defog positions. But you have the ability to turn it off if you choose. That's why they provide an A/C button. It should be off in the floor, vent and floor vent combo positions unless you want conditioned air. Hence the A/C button again.
Mine stays on even in the vent only position. The only way to turn it off is to shut the car down and start it back up, or turn the fan to the off position.
As far as it coming on automatically in the defog position, I was told the following by a shop guy once a long time ago:
AC in the defog position helps defog in most circumstances because of the de-humidified air A/C provides. (This one I believe)
I also heard they do it so you are forced to use the A/C periodically during the winter and colder months to keep the pump running free. (This one sounds like urban legend stuff, but could be true I guess?)
Mine stays on even in the vent only position. The only way to turn it off is to shut the car down and start it back up, or turn the fan to the off position.
As far as it coming on automatically in the defog position, I was told the following by a shop guy once a long time ago:
AC in the defog position helps defog in most circumstances because of the de-humidified air A/C provides. (This one I believe)
I also heard they do it so you are forced to use the A/C periodically during the winter and colder months to keep the pump running free. (This one sounds like urban legend stuff, but could be true I guess?)
September-4th-2002, 12:53 PM
#4
Master of All Things :{D
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: southeast texas, near houston
Posts: 4,118
I don't beleive you have addressed his issue...that is if he had the vent in the DASH only position.....and here is why I mention that....its only happened to me once....BUT...the other day I took the car out of the garage and allowed it to sit and idle while waiting on the wife...I was out of the car and it sounded like the compressor or the fans were kicking on and off fairly quickly....when I got in the car my son noticed as we drove down the drive way that the AC light on the button was flashing on and off.....my ac stays in the same position all the time, MAX cold....MAX fan to start...and DASH only...in this configuration the compressor should be hooked up and running all the time.....especially when the car is still hot or warm inside.....well it did this off and on for about 15 minutes as we went into town....but hasn't done it since.
September-4th-2002, 01:01 PM
#5
Protege Owner
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 731
item 1: AC sutck on... I have not seen that.
item 2: AC light flashing?
yes, I noticed that the AC light on the switch was coming on and off intermittently on my car one day last week whilst on a long drive. I was able to get it to do it over and over again with pretty good reproducibility...
here's what I noted...
1. I had the car on defog (hence the AC is suposedly on regardless of the button position)
2. The A/C button was in the "on" position so that the light is on
3. the fan switch was on position number 2.
Well... that last one was a "sort of" condition. I thought it was on "2", but it really was not seated into the detent all the way (i.e. it had not clicked into that fan speed setting).
I am guessing that the intermittent contact caused the fan to also come on and off, but as it can coast easily I did not notice it (audibly) but I did notice the light flashing erratically at me.
Making sure the fan speed switch was really in the correct position caused it to stop flashing at me.. moving it a little to the left or right and it did it again.
Since then I have not seen it happen again.
Maybe there is something in there that makes some sense and was of some use...
item 2: AC light flashing?
yes, I noticed that the AC light on the switch was coming on and off intermittently on my car one day last week whilst on a long drive. I was able to get it to do it over and over again with pretty good reproducibility...
here's what I noted...
1. I had the car on defog (hence the AC is suposedly on regardless of the button position)
2. The A/C button was in the "on" position so that the light is on
3. the fan switch was on position number 2.
Well... that last one was a "sort of" condition. I thought it was on "2", but it really was not seated into the detent all the way (i.e. it had not clicked into that fan speed setting).
I am guessing that the intermittent contact caused the fan to also come on and off, but as it can coast easily I did not notice it (audibly) but I did notice the light flashing erratically at me.
Making sure the fan speed switch was really in the correct position caused it to stop flashing at me.. moving it a little to the left or right and it did it again.
Since then I have not seen it happen again.
Maybe there is something in there that makes some sense and was of some use...
