tonymil
Well-known member
Among the MiEV's quirks is the way the a/c settings are set up. The temperature dial has a neutral spot at 9 o'clock and if you want warm air, you turn the dial clockwise, if you want cold air, you move it counter clockwise. In most cars if you just want unheated/uncooled air from the outside coming in through the vents you turn the temperature dial all the way to coldest. On the MiEV, you keep the dial in that neutral 9 o'clock position.
According to the car manual, if you want to use the a/c, you move the dial from the neutral position to somewhere along the cold range, depending on how cool you want the air to be. But that seems odd to me. Doesn't an a/c unit just kicks out cold air? If you put the temperature dial somewhere short of maximum cold, aren't you just mixing outside air with the cold air generated by the a/c? Isn't this in effect wasting energy since the a/c will work just as hard no matter how much outside air is mixed with the cold air? In addition to keeping the fan on low, what temperature setting is the most energy efficient way of running the a/c?
Tony
According to the car manual, if you want to use the a/c, you move the dial from the neutral position to somewhere along the cold range, depending on how cool you want the air to be. But that seems odd to me. Doesn't an a/c unit just kicks out cold air? If you put the temperature dial somewhere short of maximum cold, aren't you just mixing outside air with the cold air generated by the a/c? Isn't this in effect wasting energy since the a/c will work just as hard no matter how much outside air is mixed with the cold air? In addition to keeping the fan on low, what temperature setting is the most energy efficient way of running the a/c?
Tony