Yes, when I turn on the defroster, my A/C light automatically comes on, but if I press the A/C button, it turns off the air conditioner. Back when I had a working compressor, turning off the A/C would cause the compressor to disengage, even if the controls were in defrost mode to direct air at the windshield.
I’m not sure why you think I don’t believe you about your car. I believe you know your car, and perhaps many other cars, better than I know your car, but you don’t know my car better than I know my car. I’ve been driving and maintaining my car for 18 years, and I have evidence you’re wrong when you say all cars behave the same way, because mine doesn’t. Back when I had working A/C, pressing the A/C button to disengage the A/C would disengage it whether it was running in defrost mode or not.
Maybe that’s the newer model of the ES350…but it certainly is NOT how it operates on my wifes 07 ES350. You have to manually switch the AC on by pressing the AC button. It does NOT turn on automatically.
My '96 ES turned on automatically:
“FRONT WINDSHIELD mode – Directs air flow mostly
to the windshield and front side windows.
When this mode is selected while operating in automatic
mode, the air conditioning is set to operate and the
OUTSIDE AIR mode is set.”
Shape your lips like you were whistling. Blow into your hand. Feels cool, doesn’t it? Yet it comes out of your body at 98.6F.
Compress matter and it heats up. Expand matter and it absorbs heat (cools).
The way an AC system works is basic. Refrigerant is compressed, whereupon it becomes hot. The heat is removed by a small radiator called a condenser. The still-compressed but now cooled refrigerant is then pumped through a small orifice, just like the opening in your lips, past through which it expands rapidly, becoming chilled.
The now-chilled refrigerant is then passed through a small radiator (called an evaporator). Warm cabin air is passed through the radiator and the heat from the cabin air is absorbed through the fins by the chilled refrigerant. Heat moves from warmer matter (the cabin air) to cooler matter (the refrigerant).
The now-warmed and decompressed refrigerant goes back to the compressor, wherein it’s again compressed and the cycle begins again.
Moisture is removed because the warm, moisture-laden cabin air loses its ability to hold the moisture as it’s chilled at the evaporator core fins. It deposits the moisture on the fins as it chills.
My understanding of a heat pump is in winter it captures heat to flow to the interior, in summer captures heat to blow to the outdoors. Now I love a kerosene powered refrigerator, In my concept a heat pump is just a reversal of heating and cooling mechanics for winter and summer.
I’m sure there is some confusion related to “heat pump” being used as a trade term used to refer to a more efficient heating systems for our homes, but I don’t think cars use that kind of technology because they pull heat from the engine.
Yes technically an air conditioner is a heat pump, but in the industry jargon and popular usage, a heat pump works both ways, as a heater and an air conditioner. An air conditioner in a car is not a heat pump in the way most people think of a heat pump.
I didn’t quote you out of context either. The quote was complete.
Touche. I think every blanket statement has holes in it, much like saying cigarettes cause cancer or rebuilt water pumps are no good. I think that your year Civic is about the last that allowed def operation without AC operation. Hondas and Toyotas are, I believe, the only cars that ever allowed it.
IIRC, some Chrysler products (circa 1990s??) allowed you to run the defroster w/o the A/C compressor. After pushing the defroster button “in”, if you then pulled it out, the defroster function would keep working, but the compressor was halted.
The only way to turn on A/C in my 2010 Kia is by pushing the button and turning on the fan to at least position 1. I can turn A/C off and on using the fan switch or the A/C button.
Are you sure? This is from the 2010 Soul owners manual:
To defog inside windshield
Set the fan speed to the desired position
except “0” position.
Select desired temperature.
Select the or position.
The outside (fresh) air and air conditioning
will be selected automatically.
If the air conditioning and outside (fresh)
air position are not selected automatically,
press the corresponding button manually.
This is from my 2010 Forte owners manual:
Manual climate control system (which my Forte is equipped with)
To defog inside windshield
Select any fan speed except “0” position.
Select desired temperature.
Select the (symbol for defrost/floor combination) or (symbol for defrost only) position.
The outside (fresh) air will be selected automatically.
If the outside (fresh) air position is not selected automatically, press the corresponding button manually. A/C is not addressed. If I want to add A/C (which I normally do) I have to push the A/C button to activate it. Even the Automatic climate control system requires pushing the A/C button to activate A/C.
