Ditching the A/C compressor in 100-105 degree heat and 100% humidity??

[psyshack]

I say,, do what you need to do. I keep the A/C system's in my cars working. Ive had heat stroke and exhaustion a few times in my life. Its much easier to get after you have had one or some of it. Ive grown very tried of these Okie summers. I flat out hate them now days. I didn't like them when I was a kid.

All of our cars have tint. The Ranger has a factory tinted glass. Its done very well. The Accord and Civic we had done in 3M CS 30% front, sides and rear. With as 20% strip across the top of the windsheild. Then I had the sunroof's done with Huper Optiks. The Huper is high dollar stuff. Its heat blocking is wonderful. Next time I have a car done. I will fork over the dough for a all Huper install.

Wife uses a sun shield in the Accord. I don't cause I dislike the folded up and spring hoop things in my car. ( That could change this summer ) We both tend to leave our windows cracked about 1/4" along with the sun rood cracked the same amount with the sun shield pulled back just a hair.

On those near to 100f days or 100f plus days. I get in the car, roll the windows down. The Accord will roll them down with the key fob as you unlock and walk up to the car. Thats nice! Key on and turn the blow on high. Let it push out more hot air from the cabin and duct work. I then start the car. Back out and bring the windows up to the 3/4 mark. Then flip the A/C on with fresh air intake. Then as Im driving to the freeway I go ahead and close the windows and put the A/C on max air/recirculate. This pulls heat from the dash and other interior parts of the car, along with cooling me down. By the time I hit the freeway cabin temps have dropped. I will then most likely turn the A/C off, crack the windows 1 to 3 inches, depending and let the blower fill the cabin with outside air.

A lot of this depends on. Did I spend the work day in the office in the A/C. Or was I in the none A/C shop. Or in the field working in a boiler room or dancing around a pump row in a mech. room. Or just flat out in the sun all day drinking Gator Juice. I hardly ever fire off the A/C in the morning. Its the afternoons that get me. Then add in the fact that part of my afternoon drive home can be straight into the sun. It becomes a spot call.

Some days the A/C is never ran. Others,, only 2 to 5 miles. Then some days its on the whole 40 mile trip home. I wont use a ICE Vest or recirc system. My goal is to stay as comphy as I can without ruining my mpg. I want to stay alert and in a healthy psychical state.

One of my signs of alert is when my exhaled breath is cooler than my lips or nostrils. Its then time to take some sort of action.

Your mileage may vary.

psy

[JanGeo]

Paint your roof and hood white and get the cold air intake connect to the grill area of the car instead of the windshield area where the hot air off the hood gets in. Check your old compressor for leaks maybe it is a low leak and will last a few months if you recharge it which will carry you through the hotter months.

[Bill in Houston]

+1 on leaving the windows cracked during the day. What a difference.

Check the rubber seal on the back edge of your hood to make sure air isn't coming through there and into your ventilation intake. Except, I guess the air would theoretically flow the other way...

[GasSavers_Brock]

I wish I could remember where I saw it, but someone sold a relatively cheap ($60) that was nothing more then a cooler with 2 fans in it, one at each end near the top. You filled it with ice and turned one or both fans on and presto, cold air. They said on high with "one bag" of ice it lasted for three hours and about 5 hours with only one fan running. It said it easily kept a car interior cool even on low

I have seen more expensive models of the same sort of thing more meant for RV’s or boats. Or you could just get a 12v muffin fan and an old cooler and make it yourself.

[caprice]

I bought an adjustable thermostat (only $20 at AutoZone) for my Caprice for the electric radiator fan. I am thinking, if I buy another, and I Wire the sensor part in my vent, I could turn it real low (compared to the radiator temp) and use the stitch as a "governor" for the AC clutch. It I set it at 90 degrees, it is much better than 150+ degrees and it should make hardly any impact on gas mileage.

The reason being is I know if I turn on the AC for 3-5 seconds then I can drive with the vent on for about 5 minutes very comfortable!! This thermostat would do it for me! Most AC systems run the AC compressor more than 50% of the time. In a car with good tint, that is over kill.

Also, with a Chevrolet fuel pump relay you can rig up a "regenerative" type AC mode, so that when you are stepping on the brakes, you charge up the AC system for free! Done right with injection cut off, this should make AC have NO impact on FE in stop and go driving.

[Gary Palmer]

With the heat and humidity you are talking about, I would get the compressor fixed and working. When it's not running, it doesn't really draw enough power to be worth bothering with. When it's hot and humid, it's a massive improvement in your comfort and how temperate you feel. If you feel more comfortable, you are going to be able to pay more attention to what your doing, without getting flustered over something because of being irritable with the heat and humidity.

I'd leave it in. I put an AC system into my daughters 87 Honda, last year and I'm putting one into my 89 Honda, this year. Massive improvement, particularly when it's hot and humid.

[jj94auto]

These are all interesting thoughts!

Thanks so far.

[Gary Palmer]

Their used to be a device that you could put in one of the rear windows, that used solar to run a little fan motor, to circulate the air. I haven't seen one in a long while, but those worked pretty well at keeping the interior of the car from getting into oven mode, in the summer time.

[Sludgy]

You wonder why (on cars without standard A/C) the A/C option costs about $1000, when you can buy a portable room A/C for $140 at Walmart.

[GasSavers_Brock]

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