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FILTERING: Most, if not all cars, filter all the air that is pushed by the fan. Modern cars have a very good quality filter (handles small pollen as well as the bigger stuff). Because of this, anytime you run the fan, it cleans the air in the cabin. This includes air that is pulled into the cabin when using Non-Recirculating mode.
COLD WEATHER VS A/C: When it's cold outside, you may still wish to run the A/C so to de-humidify the air in the cabin to minimize condensation on the inside layer of the cold windshield. This is MUCH more effective than trying to use the heaters hot air to try to heat the inside of the glass, since the glass has fast-moving outside air against it.
What I do, (and I'm an engineer and well understand condensation and energy use):
When it's cold outside, humid in the cabin, and the car is cold: At first, run the A/C anyway to dry the air inside as quick as possible, accepting a few minutes of discomfort to speed getting the windshield clear. When the heater warms up fully, I then disable the A/C and enable Recirculation, and/or crack the window a small bit, and/or open up my sun-roof a crack, allowing in the cold (usually dry) air that smells fresh to mix with my hot-humid breath, and therefore keeping the cabin dry enough to not condense. This saves a pretty good amount of gas.
One thing to remember is, (once your car's engine is hot), using heat in the cabin you can actually helps your motor's efficiency (your helping out the front radiator). So using as much heat as you can in the cabin is a good thing, not the waste it might seem.
To add to the above, it's always been my understand that using the Defrost mode automatically enables the A/C function.
I just keep mine on A/C year round, the loss of MPG, if any, is negligible.
Full face mask with air tank (like firefighters or hazmat) is the only was to be truly safe from the air that exists on earth. Your cabin filter is probably moldy and will only make things worse.
And don't forget that the air you're breathing has already been breathed by billions of people and animals before you. That's just disgusting.
1. no, you should be running in Outside mode all the time. Recirc turns on AC to max capacity and is, automatically or by choice, engaged when humidity needs to be reduced. Normally, this happens when blower air flow is pointed at windows. Modern cars have this safeguarded, you can't manually turn AC off when in windows mode. Otherwise, you run in Outside air mode.
2. AC needs to be turned on for 15 minute sor so, once a month, every month. Or, passages get clogged by freon/oil/additives mix, if not used
3. AC is stealing your engine power and mpg, unless you have electric only AC, like on hybrids. You want that?
I don’t know how we survived back in the old days before cabin filters.
They say that about the old days and air conditioning, too, but I imagine those folks wearing black in the summer didn’t complain...they died from heat stroke.
Oh, and air flow goes through cabin air filter AC on or not. Does not matter.
But any filters a car's cabin air actually would go through isn't HEPA/industrial. Same member worried about "contaminated" toxic sawdust from the remodeling next door.
They say that about the old days and air conditioning, too, but I imagine those folks wearing black in the summer didn’t complain...they died from heat stroke.
Big difference between surviving without air conditioning and surviving without a cabin filter.
To add to the above, it's always been my understand that using the Defrost mode automatically enables the A/C function.
I just keep mine on A/C year round, the loss of MPG, if any, is negligible.
True, I had calculated mpgs on my Toyota RAV4 every fill up by calculating between the trip odometer and the gallons of gas pumped. The RAV4 was actually built before there were built in mpg calculators became common. I noticed that the MPGs for similar driving/commute conditions year round whether the manual A/C was turned on most all the time or off most all the time the mpgs calculations with each fill up remain much the same regardless. Though the windows were fully closed 99% of the time though whether the A/C or heat is on or off.
The time I remember A/C making a difference in mpg being way back in the days, when I had a 1984 Ford Escort and a 1992 Mercury Sable. Back then it could be a 2-3 mile per gallon penalty. And I could feel the engine strained and RPM drop on the tachometer when the compressor went on especially on uphills. Pushing the A/C button off really helped with the struggle to climb the hill situation back then almost like shifting to a lower gear or disabling the overdrive. Though all my newer cars I notice no difference in rpm power whatsoever whether the a/c compressor is on or off.
So the cabin filter works even if the AC is off???
Any air that goes come out of the vents is going through the cabin filter, it’s doesnt matter if it’s a/c, heater, or defroster.
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