Does anyone else have the following happen? is it supposed to happen or is there a fault on my car?

If I have the heater on (No aircon) but set on the air fow to left most position then turn the dial to the right most position the aircon is automatically switched on? Seems a bit stupid if it is designed that way?

mine is early 02 model.

 

If you set the dial to either of the defrost settings, the A/C will come on (by design). The A/C unit doesn't just cool, it also reduces the humidity, making the clearing of inside window fog easier.

 

This is a trait of 2002 UK models, it doesn't do this auto A/C on my original car!(Sept 99).

I do use my A/C almost constantly in winter though, as a dehumidifer as gep says!

 

I always understood that you should use aircon regularly throughout winter to ensure seals on system do not dry out. Is this true?

 

If you turn the a/c on and then turn the fans off, the a/c will be on the next time you turn up the fans. to stop this, you have to turn off the a/c button.
this is on my my00 anyway.
To keep the a/c working properly, it's best to use it from time to time. I will use it when demisting the car (it is winter soon chaps!) as it de-humifies at the same time so the misting doens't come back as quickly (esp if you get soaked outside & then get into the car.
euan, most a/c units will suffer (in varying degrees) from non-use & I doubt the honda will be any different so best to use it every coupla weeks to keep it OK - as above to dehumidify the car if nothing else.

 

I think A/C is an absolute essential in this car given the small cabin and plastic rear window, with no demister or rear wiper. Demisting is really all I use it for and I've been using it a lot in the wet weather just recently. It never ceases to amaze me how fast the air con shifts any condensation on the glass. You could be in some real trouble without it IMHO.

Just this morning I inadvertently hit the recirculatary air button by mistake instead of the air con and in no time at all I could scarcely see out of the car!!! A quick press off the AC button and the blower on full cleared it in no time at all.

That recirculatory air button is an absolute menace and should be positioned well away from the AC button!!

 

This is probably the only button on the car's interior I've never pressed. What use is it?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ade
[B]This is probably the only button on the car's interior I've never pressed.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ade
[B]This is probably the only button on the car's interior I've never pressed.

 

As far as using the aircon on a regular basis, then yes, its a good idea to do run the system for 10 minutes or so every week. The reason behind this is simple, the lubricant used in an aircon system is contained in the refrigerent gas, so by not using the system for a period of time the components in the system are not being lubricated. This is the usual cause of leaks and refrigerant loss in an aircon system. So run it every week, and keep the system lubed up to the max!