What is AC anyway?

[Kristian]

AC can be defined as both cooling and heating the air, but is often used for the ability to cool the air.
When AC is turned off by pressing the snowflake button is both heating and cooling turned off? Or just cooling?

I have the 5hs version with the electrical water heater.

One reason I am asking is that today while I was not moving the ICE started for a short spell while the snowflake was off. It was 12C ouside, I had not preheated while hooked up as I usually do.

 

[PhevWestNorway]

AC = Air Condition = Cooling.
It is used also in cold weather in addition to heating because it dries the air.

Pressing the snowflake button only turns off cooling.

 

[simonrh]

On the GX4h MMCS display I think the Air conditioning "gauge" on the EV screen shows the power being consumed by both the heater and/ or the compressor for the air cooling system.

I know the heater looks to draw a lot more power than the compressor typically.

 

[Kristian]

I am in Oslo, but my fellow Norwegian form the west, you did not answer the question, does turning off the snowflake turn off heating as well? Somebody who has had the car for a while and during the winter must know.

And Air conditioning as defined by wikipedia:

Air conditioning (often referred to as A/C, AC, or aircon) is the process of altering the properties of air (primarily temperature and humidity) to more comfortable conditions,

so AC is by definition is not only cooling (I know in Norway we will use it mostly for cooling, but such changes in meaning is common for imported expersions (juice = saft if translated, but juice in norwegian is a subset of juices)

I am not sure the writer of the PHEV users manual know how to use a dictionary though. So what does the car do?

simonrh: you imply that taking the snowflake off also stops air heating?

 

[tun]

Normally i turn on the snowflake when I wanted it to cool the car. And switch the snowflake off when i want to warm up the car. Not sure if this is the right technique but have been doing this for generation

 

[maby]

Just leave it on auto and set the required temperature - I was not even aware of the snowflake till recently.

 

[Titan]

AC is also good in cold damp conditions, as it removed moisture from the air. As such, if you have a misted windscreen, turning on the AC will clear it significantly faster than just the blower.

 

[anko]

IMHO:

I think AC goes well together with heating.

You set a temperature, higher or lower than the ambient temperature.
If it is set higher, the car will always heat.
If it is set lower, the car will cool, only when the snowflake is ON.

When the snowflake is ON, the air is dehumidified, regardless of temperature setting.

Turning the snowflake off, does not turn off the heater.

The engine will not start as a direct result of turning on the AC, as the engine cannot replace the electric AC. It cannot cool or dehumidify. The engine may start as an indirect result of the AC, as the AC may deplete the battery over time or because the battery cannot provide enough power (KW) to drive fast and cool at the same time.

The engine may start as a direct or indirect result of turning on the heater, because the engine can actually be used to generate heat.

 

[tun]

Learn something new today! Snow flake dehumidified!!! Didn't know that

 

[Kristian]

IMHO:

You set a temperature, higher or lower than the ambient temperature.
If it is set higher, the car will always heat.
If it is set lower, the car will cool, only when the snowflake is ON.

When the snowflake is ON, the air is dehumidified, regardless of temperature setting.

Thanks anko for a precise answer. Your recipi for good use will however severely affects EV range I think. But I agree that using a few spoonfulls of petrol for heating by the ICE of t is a good idea since the heating is a "free" byproduct of the ICE charging. But like many here I am a EV purist, and in the morning therefore I think pre-hetaing will be good in the winter and then avoiding ICE use For my daily rutine I can run all electric.

 

[anko]

Tough discussion. Yes, it is a good thing when your trip is beyond ev range anyway. If not, it can be different. I've been in situations where the car decided to fire up the engine to provide heat and then shut it down again even before reaching sufficient temperature (coolant temp < 60 deg C, so solenoid valve stayed shut), because the electric heater caught up with it :evil:

 

[hdasmith]

One reason I am asking is that today while I was not moving the ICE started for a short spell while the snowflake was off. It was 12C ouside, I had not preheated while hooked up as I usually do.

It's not the AC that's doing that, it's the climate control which, other than pressing the off button, can't be set to not switch on the engine when the cabin temperature is cold (unless pre-heating). If the climate control is set to 15C, and cabin is 12C, then the engine will start regardless of AC on or off.

AC is useful even when heating as it does remove moisture, so in cold conditions, will demist the windows more quickly.

 

[anko]

If the climate control is set to 15C, and cabin is 12C, then the engine will start regardless of AC on or off.

Fortunately not.

 

[hdasmith]

If the climate control is set to 15C, and cabin is 12C, then the engine will start regardless of AC on or off.

Fortunately not.

How did you manage that then? Always does for me if it's colder in the cabin than the climate control is set to. Maybe it's the difference between a GX4 and GX3 (which I have).

 

[anko]

True, there is a difference. But with most of us (and I would assume with you too), 15 deg C means "fan but no heating" or "heater off". And than it doesn't mean whether you have a elec. heater or not.