Testing Air-con

[forsure]

Going to view a car tomorrow, and I want to check that the aircon is working.

But the outside temperature is likely to be in single figures.
How can I be sure it's functioning properly?

[GroundEffect]

Ask to run the car in the dealership?

[GAjon]

It should also heat up quicker than the normal heater

[LuS1fer]

Put the heater on and then turn the AC on and put it on cold. It should still be obvious whether it's working from the chill factor. Given it's £50 for a refill, any doubt is a haggling point.

[big_boz]

Take the missus, get the windows steamed up...then see how long it takes to clear.

[GroundEffect]

GAjon said:

It should also heat up quicker than the normal heater

No. It would inhibit warm up.

[GAjon]

GroundEffect said:

No. It would inhibit warm up.

Mine doesn't if it set on hot it provides heat if its set on cold it provides cold,
It kind of conditions the air.

[SebastienClement]

Hit the windscreen demist button?

Should be able to tell reasonably easily whether the aircon is working.

[LuS1fer]

SebastienClement said:

Hit the windscreen demist button?

Should be able to tell reasonably easily whether the aircon is working.

Doesn't make a whole lot of difference on my Fiesta ST and that has just been recharged.

[SebastienClement]

LuS1fer said:

Doesn't make a whole lot of difference on my Fiesta ST and that has just been recharged.

Eh? Hitting the demist button will just stick the aircon on at full blast. Unless you mean Ford's heated windscreen?

/Confused.

[LuS1fer]

SebastienClement said:

Eh? Hitting the demist button will just stick the aircon on at full blast. Unless you mean Ford's heated windscreen?

/Confused.

I mean when it's on full-blast fan, it makes no real difference in clearing time with the AC on or off.

As for the Ford semi-heated windscreen, let's just say the new ones are much improved and much faster.

[SebastienClement]

LuS1fer said:

I mean when it's on full-blast fan, it makes no real difference in clearing time with the AC on or off.

As for the Ford semi-heated windscreen, let's just say the new ones are much improved and much faster.

Clearing time doesn't matter - you can feel the difference between air con air and just cold air.

[GroundEffect]

GAjon said:

GroundEffect said:

No. It would inhibit warm up.

Mine doesn't if it set on hot it provides heat if its set on cold it provides cold,
It kind of conditions the air.

Air-Conditioning only cools air. It's a heat-pump. 'Climate Control' uses both the Heater Core that is heated by engine coolant and the AC Evaporator that uses Refrigerant to achieve the requested Temp.

[deadtom]

GAjon said:

Mine doesn't if it set on hot it provides heat if its set on cold it provides cold,
It kind of conditions the air.

you clearly only kind of know what A/C systems do.

[GAjon]

deadtom said:

you clearly only kind of know what A/C systems do.

Chill out, it was a joke! but no smilies from my phone.

But, the system in my car, Mazda, heats up quicker with the air on, but its climate control so that may be different.

[LuS1fer]

I tested my air-con and it got 4 questions wrong. Should I sell?

[SebastienClement]

LuS1fer said:

I tested my air-con and it got 4 questions wrong. Should I sell?

Nah just needs a recharge, innit

[deadtom]

GAjon said:

Chill out, it was a joke!

THE INTERNET IS NO LAUGHING MATTER AAAASRRRRGGGHHH

[GroundEffect]

GAjon said:

deadtom said:

you clearly only kind of know what A/C systems do.

Chill out, it was a joke! but no smilies from my phone.

But, the system in my car, Mazda, heats up quicker with the air on, but its climate control so that may be different.

Makes no physical sense. And I design part of the Car Heating System (it's part of my role as an powertrain cooling engineer).

When you try to heat the car, you are allowing the inlet air to pass over the Heater Core (a heat exchanger) that then gets heated. If you then pass this over the evaporator with refrigerant running through (at whatever mass flow rate) it WILL cool the air before it gets to the cabin. The heat from the now-heated air will be removed via enthalpy of vapourisation of the refrigerant. Simple thermodyanmics.

Oh and was the 'chill out' an intended pun?

[cuprabob]

One thing to note is that most cars disable the air conditioning system below an ambient of 5 degrees.

As said on previous post ls aircon system is all about cooling and dehumidification and nothing to do with hesting.


A lot of people confuse climate control with air conditioning whereas infact the latter is just a function of the former.