disconnect AC for the winter?
 

I've got a 2002 Protege5 with AC.
I read that the AC is automatically turned on when certain air vents are on. I don't want the AC on in the winter so I 'd like to disconnect it. And reconnect it in the summer.

I tried removing the AC fuse from the inside fuse box. But this turns off the blower motor too.

I tried the AC fuse in the fuse box under the hood but it didn't do anything.

Anyone got any ideas.

why?

you'll miss it and then be complaining about how poor your defrost works

Exactly. Without the AC, the defog would not work well at all. Ever see those cars that drive around with their windows all fogged up when it rains/snows? Those are the guys without AC :P

Well, I think its ridiculous to be running AC during the winter all the time. In the winter I will keep the vents at the windshield or the floor. Ideally I would turn the AC on myself when I think I need it. Running the AC all the time is a waste of power and my money. It may wear the compressor faster too. They sell P5s without AC, so it should be no worse than those cars.

I got the idea of pulling the fuse from a post somewhere, I tried it but it disconnects the blower motor too. Someone else even rewired the controls so the AC works properly.

You realize that the AC only kicks in when your fan is on & your vent selector is turned to defog. When it's in any other setting, the AC is off.

This is true, but these are the guys that I was talking about earlier with the fogged windows :P

This is news to me.

In my car the AC comes on automatically if the vent is set to floor, windshield/floor, or windshield AND the fan is on.

I'm in Canada and Air conditioning is an option here.

I never noticed that in my car at all. My A/C only kicks in when it's set to windhelid & windsheild/floor.

do you have a 2002 or 2003?

On my 2002 three settings, floor, floor/defrost, and defrost turn on the A/C.

It's a 2002 (like yours, I think). Maybe I just never noticed the A/C turn on when I had the vent set to the floor. :(

I may not have a clear understanding of how a/c works... but a/c isn't just for making cold air, it conditions the air... so whats the big deal about the a/c being on in the winter? its not like you have to have the thermostat set to cold.

a/c is air conditioning not air cooling. it dehumidifies air which makes it more comfortable and also lowers the temperature. when you're breathing the same air over and over it starts to get damp and fog up the windows!

Disconnect the AC? Not a good idea.

First of all, you SHOULD run your AC in winter too keep the system running well and the seals lubricated.

NOT running the AC in winter will shorten the system life FAR sooner than running it "too often" (in your opinion).

And you NEED the AC to dehumidify the air and keep your windows from fogging.

If you think "running the AC in winter is a waste of money", trying to disconnect it is a waste of time, and possibly a BIGGER waste of money. The car doesn't use that much more gas when the AC is running anyway.

I think someone needs to get over it and move on.....

~HH

That's fine. However I would still like to have it off unless I decide to turn it on. The AC compressor uses power and that costs money.

I would prefer if it only came on when I push the AC button. Since it does not do that I would rather have it disabled completely for the winter.

I've heard it's a good idea to turn it on once in a while in the winter to keep it lubed. In my old car I would push the button and let it run a couple of times over the winter. It does not need to run all the time. In the summer the AC is rarely on since I keep the vents pointed at my face. My fuel economy was much worse in the winter, the AC may be one of the reasons.

If I can't fix this I'll be driving this winter with the warm air coming at my face.

Your reasoning is illogical and un-founded.

But have fun anyway. Hope the system doesn't freeze up on you and refuse to work again.

Oh, and if you've got a warranty left, you can forget about using it if something breaks.

If you want, you can use the search and find a thread in which there are instructions as to how to de-solder a connection in the control panel's circuit board to eliminate the auto-on of the AC. It's a delicate operation, and I wish you luck. Some things are better left alone.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

~HH