Honda Car Forum

The cycling controls to keep the A/C condenser at the proper
temperature are independent of the recirculating control. The A/C may
stay on more if you draw in outside, warmer air, but because it is
warmer, not because the A/C operates differently.

As to someone else's point about fuel consumption to cool outside
versus inside air, I'd be surprised if you could even measure the
difference. And remember, depending on how many people you have, they
generate a lot of humidity just breathing. That's why car windows
steam up a lot more with recirculating. Most manuals suggest
recirculating as a way to more quickly cool or heat at car at the
start, but that once cooled down or warmed, you should switch to fresh
air.


On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 18:58:15 +0000 (UTC),
dold@2003XAccor.usenet.us.com wrote:

>Dave Martindale <davem@cs.ubc.ca> wrote:
>
>> When the system is set to recirculate, air from the car interior is fed
>> through the system. After a couple of passes, it's a lot drier and
>> cooler than outside air, particularly on a very hot day. So the A/C
>> system will cycle on and off, working less hard to keep the air cool and
>> dry. But after a while the air may get somewhat stale.
>
>
>Does the A/C cycle on and off when it is in the recirc mode?
>That's simple enough if recirc is just an air control, but if it is an
>electric switch, it may also bypass the cycling, leaving the A/C on all the
>time. I seem to recall that being part of an A/C test, but that was on an
>older American-brand car.