Auto Climate Control

November 6, 2005

hi all.just need some advice,i got a rav xtr,when i put the auto climate control on,will this use more fuel like the air con?

November 6, 2005

I keep mine on all the time (climate control) & I have`nt noticed any real difference in economy.

:)

November 6, 2005

Welcome to TOC Tom.

Yes it will. Climate control is Aircon Plus. You set it to a temp and it maintains it whether that requires heat or cold. There are other benefits in some systems e.g. removes humidity from the air; not sure if Rav has this or not.

But bottom line when it's cooling it uses power exactly the same as normal aircon. If it's removing humidity too then it'll use more power.

November 6, 2005

Air con naturally de-humidifies. It's great if the car is steamed up.

When you have the system on, if you listen carefully you will notice that the air con compressor isn't used all the time. The colder the air you require the more it is called for.

It puts an extra load on the engine, and with a light foot on the accelerator you will notice when the compressor clutch kicks in. Therefore when the engine is driving the compressor it will use a little bit more fuel. It won't impact so much on your car this time of year though because the compressor won't be activated as much.

It's down to taste really, but I like it on all the time. At the end of the day 1 or 2mpg is nothing for comfort.

November 7, 2005

I leave my climate control on almost all the time - unless it's a fantastic day and I want the wind over my balding head :-)

In the winter it does use less fuel than in the summer for reasons already stated. I guess it's a mile or 2 to the gallon difference. I'd rather be comfortable than save the small amount of fuel. Also, if you have a a/c compresser, it needs to be used every so often to keep it in working condition - I think it's some thing like 15 minutes every week. It's just easier to leave the CC on all the time.