Mk3 - air con a must? - condensation?

Mk3 - air con a must? - condensation?

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Discussion

WetPaint

Original Poster:

1,212 posts

181 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
I'll be buying a 2.0 mk3 soon to replace my octavia and I'm trying to decide what spec to get. I believe the only way to not have air con is to get a 2.0i without the 'option pack' so it's unlikely to happen, but will I be stuffed if I dont have it?

I have a mini convertible which steams up quite badly after a cold/damp night and only clears fully with the aircon on. The standard heater fan clears patches but certainly doesnt clear it all which is not ideal. Does the mk3 have the same problem or are the normal fans up to the job?

The only thing I want is the LSD which comes in all the manual 2.0's. The rest of the options I can take or leave if the rest of the car is in good condition.


dragonheart

770 posts

182 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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I believe air con was not part of the "option pack" but rather a buyer option. I have a 2.0l non sport with the "option pack" that doesn't have air con, I have also seen sport models without it.

I have used my car in all weathers for the 2 years i have owned it and i have not suffered any problems with condensation. The standard heaters are excellent almost furnace like and demist the screen very quickly.

I suppose air con is a personal choice but i really don't think you need it in a soft top car, i have certainly never missed it.

Roof always down unless its pissing down.

WetPaint

Original Poster:

1,212 posts

181 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
I'll pay more attention in class next time.

Thanks for the info. Have to say I'm not keen on roof down motoring on a cold commute. Call me a wuss if you like.

Shaw Tarse

31,543 posts

203 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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You wuss!

dragonheart

770 posts

182 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
Shaw Tarse said:
You wuss!
biglaugh

HaylingJag

2,122 posts

148 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
Roof always down unless "doing under than 30mph" when its pissing down


fixed that for youthumbup


to the OP, my Mrs was having this problem with the XKR ragtop so we bought a de-hum pad from Halfords last week, she is now bereft of all moistness on her insideseek and all for a tenner

SmilerFTM

829 posts

150 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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The only time I would have needed aircon was driving around mainland Europe. To say it was like sitting in your own personal oven for 6-8 hours a day when the temps were in the mid to high 30's is an understatement. Other than that I've never felt I needed it and the screen doesn't take too long to clear in the middle of winter.

UphillFast

1 posts

223 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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When looking for my Mk3, I was only chasing the 2.0, 6spd, 6CD, full leather version. I saw one car without aircon with this spec and one with! I bought the latter. So far I'm 5months and 5,000 miles into it. In warmer weather it gets very hot in traffic jams - the heat from the gearbox and exhaust soon penetrate the footwell, then the airvents give up and blow hot air! Demisting in the winter is easy so far, but I don't use the aircon for it.

Good luck. Oliver

SCEL1SE

307 posts

190 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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I currently have a 2.0 Sport 2009 without Aircon. My last 2.0 litre sport also had no AC. Most i looked at where without AC. Most of the 2.0 Sportech models came with AC.
It is a major PITA to be honest without it. I find it worse when i have stopped or go out to the car next morning. It won't demist without a wipe down first. AC would certainly sort this issue. However with the price i paid for my car, beggars can't be choosers.
All 6 Speed MX5s came with the LSD.


dragonheart

770 posts

182 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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[quote=SCEL1SE]I currently have a 2.0 Sport 2009 without Aircon. My last 2.0 litre sport also had no AC. Most i looked at where without AC. Most of the 2.0 Sportech models came with AC.
It is a major PITA to be honest without it. I find it worse when i have stopped or go out to the car next morning. It won't demist without a wipe down first. AC would certainly sort this issue. However with the price i paid for my car, beggars can't be choosers.
All 6 Speed MX5s came with the LSD.

I certainly don't suffer from this problem. Have you checked behind your eats for damp carpets? perhaps your car is suffering from water ingress. To say you need ac to demist the car doesn't seem right, my car and i think most other owners car warm up very quickly and are easily demisted with the furnace like heater.

If you are suffering from constantly misted windows, as i said check for water ingress. Again if your heater is not getting hot enough to demist your car you could have a problem with your thermostat, does your temp gauge fluctuate?

All MK3 NC 2.0 models had the lsd.

Gandahar

9,600 posts

128 months

Wednesday 24th December 2014
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Well if you have the air con and put the setting for blower to be on the windscreen the air con comes on automatically. It doesn't for other directions of blow. It does make it a lot easier to demist when engine not warm.

My 3.5 mists up very easily. Not got damp carpets so perhaps it just has a good seal. I assumed it was worse than my other cars because the volume of air in the cabin is smaller. I just open the window 1 inch after demisting with the air con on and then it is fine, even changing the direction to give warm feet.

It's been quite wet and cold recently of course which does not help.


Munter

31,319 posts

241 months

Wednesday 24th December 2014
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I don't have it and do miss it on occasion in the summer.

Kickstart68

182 posts

165 months

Saturday 17th January 2015
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Hi

My Mk3 has a/c. It wasn't really a priority when I was looking for a car.

However I have been quite surprised how useful it is for demisting. The cabin is quite small and it seems to me that getting in to the car when I am wet means it mists up far more easily than normal saloon cars. The a/c stops this being anything like so much of a concern.

All the best

Keith

Gandahar

9,600 posts

128 months

Sunday 18th January 2015
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Kickstart68 said:
Hi

My Mk3 has a/c. It wasn't really a priority when I was looking for a car.

However I have been quite surprised how useful it is for demisting. The cabin is quite small and it seems to me that getting in to the car when I am wet means it mists up far more easily than normal saloon cars. The a/c stops this being anything like so much of a concern.

All the best

Keith
I think this is another sign the MX5 has a small internal volume of air v glass surface area and also the good seal Mazda have done in keeping the wet out means wet on the inside, bit like those old kagools.

Presumably people having sex in one will really make the windows steam up, has anyone tried it?



Flip Martian

19,666 posts

190 months

Monday 19th January 2015
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Gandahar said:
I think this is another sign the MX5 has a small internal volume of air v glass surface area and also the good seal Mazda have done in keeping the wet out means wet on the inside, bit like those old kagools.

Presumably people having sex in one will really make the windows steam up, has anyone tried it?
If only me and my wife were that flexible these days, I would!