A/C not working - Honda Civic

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

Hi,

My daughter has a 2002 Honda Civic EX. The a/c isn’t working and she was told she needs a new compressor and valve.



My question is - does the a/c not working affect the defroster. Is this a safety issue?

Thanks.

2

Do you mean the rear window defroster you use in the winter? No the A/C doesn’t affect that. It will affect the defogger for the windshield though.

If your daughter’s windows fog up in a rain storm, it is a safety issue. People drove for years with out A/C, so how much of a safety issue this is really depends on your perspective.

3

Thanks. Yes, I mean the defroster/defogger for the windshield. I have a 2005 Honda Civic and can control whether the a/c comes on when you turn on the defroster, but on her 2002 you can’t turn off the a/c.

I decided to have it fixed since it appears it will be a safety issue. Thanks.

4

The defroster mode in the Civic does turn on the AC compressor to help dry the air in the car’s cabin. Without the AC working you’ll get air blowing on the windshield and therefore the defroster will work, but not as effectively. In cold weather it would clear the windshield just fine. In milder weather and in a rain shower if the windshield fogged up lack of the AC will make it more difficult to clear the windshield. It should work but would take longer.

5

Thanks for all your great information!

6

Forgot to add - but in the 2002 you can’t turn the defroster on without the a/c (it turns on automatically she told me) it really does make sense to get it fixed. She was told if she turned on the a/c it will cause further damage. So it’s a real Catch-22.