2010 Honda Insight EX: Conflict of Interest Climate Control

Major points to pyo for the Konami Code!

Also is the Insights A/C electric or belt based?

Belt based unfortunately.

I don't see this behavior in my Insight. I leave the system in AUTO, with the temp on 71 (Seattle) and it just works.

One possibility is the climate control system is in AUTO mode with the temperature set to "Lo" when you exit. When you get back in, it may be trying to continue in that mode. When you've set the temp to "Lo", the system runs at full cooling, and does not regulate interior temperature (see P162 of the owner's manual.)

Setting the temp to "Lo" (A/C always on) also disables the automatic engine shutoff one normally experiences in ECON MODE during stop/start traffic. It also lowers fuel economy by about 3-4 MPG, as the engine and A/C compressor are constantly on. This fact isn't obvious until you experiment with it.

For those in cold weather climates, the heater and defrosters work well, btw. The wipers seem a bit deficient for Seattle's heaviest rain, however...

In my G8, the A/C always comes on. I was irritated when I first got it in March. Turns out that it doesn't really drag on the engine and it helps to keep everything in the system lubricated. I don't even bother with it now.

In Hondas whenever you turn the climate control to Auto, no matter what the temperature outside or inside, the compressor kicks in. Honda's rational is that is keeps the compressor properly lubricated.

Also, I've read you should not turn off your climate control when you exit a car, just turn the fan down so that air can circulate.

Who in the world turns everything off when they park a car? Why? What's the point?

I leave my HVAC on 72-75...otherwise, it doesn't need fooling with.

My uncle's A3 does that too. He complained to an executive at Audi about it (he's a journalist too) apparently its a 'feature'

but as for turning everything off before you get out of the car: i do the same thing. My grandpa, who owned his own service station for many years, taught me that its harder on the car to start up with everything on. Granted, he was working on cars from like the 50s and 60s, not ones with climate control and all that, so i dunno if its actually true anymore.

I like to keep the compressor off as much as possible, so auto systems just irritate me. The less the comp is off the better the MPGs and with gas prices starting to go up again every little bit helps.

How do you expect it to control the climate if it can only move the temperature in one direction? You'd be screwed if you wanted it to cool down.

Acura's do the same and I think many other cars as well. If you turn off the A/C and then turn off climate control and then back on then A/C will default to on.
I think that makes sense since the automatic climate control will not work well without A/C (even when heating up the climate control won't work well with A/C off).

That's what I love about my Mazda3, there are no default settings. If something is on or off, when i turn the car off then on again it stays the same, whether its rain sensing wipers, heated seats, recirculated air, AC, etc.

All cars with Auto Climate do this, and cars with manual systems usually warn you not to drive the vehicle with the system off. The compressor is always engaged to make sure it stays lubricated, to properly maintain cabin temperature and most importantly it prevents the windows from fogging. Major safety issue. You can override by pressing the A/C button and turning off the compressor but the windows will quickly fog up especially in cold wet weather.

They probably consider keeping the windshield from fogging up a safety thing, so automatic climate control always tries to dry the air out by running the a/c for a bit.

You really think are smarter than a Honda engineer? Light on doesn't = lost gas. Those guys may not know how to build seats for fat American asses, but they know how to make their climate control work efficiently with their hybrid system. C'mon!

Cheers, nf