My findings

[RachelnLa]

My little experiments arent complex and were for my own knowledge. I set up My View to show me the climate usage. There was talk on the boards about whether or not running the ac at a warmer temp with the fan higher used more/less than running the ac colder with a low fan. Once the car was cool it didn't change consumption of you increased the fan. I hopped in the car with the auto ac on and the fan was full force blowing and yikes the consumption was high. Once the car cooled and the fan decreased the consumption went waaay down. I am trying to find a good temp to run the car at. Hubby was cold. I thought there was a setting for your own personal climate temp and you could tell the car to be set at that. I didn't see it on the touch screen. I will have to poke around.

 

Granted its not full summer yet. But it was nice to know I wouldn't have to sweat to still get great gas mileage.

 

I like the auto feature but I don't like that blowing fan on high. Too loud. I would prefer to use a lower fan and wait but I think cooling it down quickly is nice for all occupants on a hot day in Louisiana.

 

What do you set your temp on?

[wab]

My little experiments arent complex and were for my own knowledge. I set up My View to show me the climate usage. There was talk on the boards about whether or not running the ac at a warmer temp with the fan higher used more/less than running the ac colder with a low fan. Once the car was cool it didn't change consumption of you increased the fan. I hopped in the car with the auto ac on and the fan was full force blowing and yikes the consumption was high. Once the car cooled and the fan decreased the consumption went waaay down. I am trying to find a good temp to run the car at. Hubby was cold. I thought there was a setting for your own personal climate temp and you could tell the car to be set at that. I didn't see it on the touch screen. I will have to poke around.

 

Granted its not full summer yet. But it was nice to know I wouldn't have to sweat to still get great gas mileage.

 

I like the auto feature but I don't like that blowing fan on high. Too loud. I would prefer to use a lower fan and wait but I think cooling it down quickly is nice for all occupants on a hot day in Louisiana.

 

What do you set your temp on?

.

"Hubby was cold."

The button that says "AUTO" is the master thermostat.

The button to the right that looks just like it but says "MAX AC" is the passenger thermostat, turn it.

 

"What do you set your temp on?"

COMFORTABLE I spent to many days in 100+ N. TX. heat to have it any other way, we are talking pennies per tank!

[homestead]

What do you set your temp on?

 

I set mine for 72 on my side and my wife sets hers to 70, this is in northwest Oregon.

[RachelnLa]

.

"Hubby was cold."

The button that says "AUTO" is the master thermostat.

The button to the right that looks just like it but says "MAX AC" is the passenger thermostat, turn it.

 

"What do you set your temp on?"

COMFORTABLE I spent to many days in 100+ N. TX. heat to have it any other way, we are talking pennies per tank!

Oh yes! I showed him how to set his own temp. :). I don't make him take a blanket in the car hahahaha.

 

I just thought it was interesting to see the consumption of the ac. It was no more than "other" once the car was cooled and the fan on low. I did notice with using the recirc it dropped it considerably.

[Laurel]

22C for us since getting input from the forum.  18C if I have a hot flash.

[fotomoto]

Especially here in the humid south, use re-circ as much as possible.  The urban myth that it raises CO2 because of the lack of fresh air is wrong.  

 

My personal feedback says auto-a/c favors efficiency (fuel economy) over comfort level.  I view this as a good thing and keep mine at 75f most of the time with occasional drops to 73f if the sun is coming through the windshield (I have tinting on all the other windows).

[Jus-A-CMax]

69f here, no auto as I turn on and control the ac as I see fit. Given that I also need to drive with my windows down so I can shoot the houses. Rule of thumb for my ac is when outside temp hits 80f.

[zhackwyatt]

I almost always keep it on 70.  I'll use the remote start and it'll cool the interior before I get to it.  Coming from A/C inside work to A/C int the car, the fan is already calmed down and interior is nice.  I think this saves energy for me, because if I got in the car when it was hot and turned on the A/C then I sit in heat for a while before it cools down. Then the fan dies down because the interior is cool, but I'm NOT!  So I have to crank it down more.  Probably not much difference.

[SnowStorm]

AC - what's that?  We are having frost for the next two mornings.  I generally dislike the auto modes but we'll see - when it gets warm enough.

[salsaguy]

1) I highly suggest adding a light light tint to all windows to reduce inside temps

 

2) try lowering all windows when (or before) getting in to let out the accumulated heat. then drive with windows windows down for a while before closing them and turning on max AC  with recirculation on to get get it close to a comfortable temp then turn to auto

3) 73 to 75  should be comfortable enough if you try it for a while. im sure 72 and under will decrease mpg significantly.

4) since cmax doesnt have a tilt up top, heat will build up inside so crack the windows a little when parked to let out the excessive heat.

 

5)use a white or reflective sun shade on front window when parked. that large front window lets in a lot of light and heat.

6) park facing away from the sun whenever possible

[MacGyver]

Anyone else find the AC a tad too cold sometimes?

 

I'll sometimes have to resort to a "blend" to get the right temp, put the right/passenger side at 70 and the driver side at 72 in order not to freeze myself but not let it get too muggy either.

[Adair]

73 was my comfortable temp this summer. Sorry to say I haven't needed the AC in a while  :cry:

[wab]

 

Anyone else find the AC a tad too cold sometimes?

 

I'll sometimes have to resort to a "blend" to get the right temp, put the right/passenger side at 70 and the driver side at 72 in order not to freeze myself but not let it get too muggy either.

MacGyver

 

In "normal" ac systems too cold usually means low Freon.

It's a known fact that some cmax left the factory low on Freon.

 

The only AC time we have our thermostat set below 74 is when it's +100*.

 

wab

Edited December 3, 2013 by wab

[ScubaDadMiami]

We have the kind of AC that uses Freon?

[ptjones]

We have the kind of AC that uses Freon?

No :)

 

Paul

[fbov]

Paul,

That's a false statement. "Freon" is a DuPont trade name for halogenated hydrocarbons, and trade names mean whatever the owner wants them to mean. In Freon's case, it's a line of chemical refrigerants. For fire suppressant products, it's Halon. 

 

R-12 is the bad stuff banned at Montreal in 1987.

R-134a is the ozone-friendly replacement for R-12. 

 

The key difference is chlorine; R12 is a chlorofluorocarbon while R134a has no ozone-eating chlorine.  At the same time, R134a is a super-greenhouse gas. Watch for similar restrictions as we get serious about GHGs.

 

HAve fun,

Frank

[ptjones]

Paul,

That's a false statement. "Freon" is a DuPont trade name for halogenated hydrocarbons, and trade names mean whatever the owner wants them to mean. In Freon's case, it's a line of chemical refrigerants. For fire suppressant products, it's Halon. 

 

R-12 is the bad stuff banned at Montreal in 1987.

R-134a is the ozone-friendly replacement for R-12. 

 

The key difference is chlorine; R12 is a chlorofluorocarbon while R134a has no ozone-eating chlorine.  At the same time, R134a is a super-greenhouse gas. Watch for similar restrictions as we get serious about GHGs.

 

HAve fun,

Frank

You're right, but the question was asked if our CMAX's use "Freon"  and they don't use it. Ford uses Motorcraft R-134a and who know who the manufacturer is. :)

 

Paul

[fbov]

The manufacturer is likely DuPont, as R134a is their naming convention... but R134a is Freon, regardless who makes it.

Frank

[MacGyver]

My little experiments arent complex and were for my own knowledge. I set up My View to show me the climate usage. There was talk on the boards about whether or not running the ac at a warmer temp with the fan higher used more/less than running the ac colder with a low fan. Once the car was cool it didn't change consumption of you increased the fan. I hopped in the car with the auto ac on and the fan was full force blowing and yikes the consumption was high. Once the car cooled and the fan decreased the consumption went waaay down. I am trying to find a good temp to run the car at. Hubby was cold. I thought there was a setting for your own personal climate temp and you could tell the car to be set at that. I didn't see it on the touch screen. I will have to poke around.

 

Granted its not full summer yet. But it was nice to know I wouldn't have to sweat to still get great gas mileage.

 

I like the auto feature but I don't like that blowing fan on high. Too loud. I would prefer to use a lower fan and wait but I think cooling it down quickly is nice for all occupants on a hot day in Louisiana.

 

What do you set your temp on?

 

If by "personal climate temp" you mean your side of the vehicle, you have to start by adjusting the right side temp knob either higher or lower than the driver side. THEN you can adjust the drivers side independently.

 

It's NOT on the touch screen, though you can accomplish the same thing via voice control. I think.

 

If by "personal climate temp" you mean having the car keep the temp at say 71 degrees, push in the center of the left knob where it says "auto", set temp by turning same knob, viola! it is a bit noisy, but quickly tapers off.

 

You could also avoid max fan by slowly adjusting target temp downward... hmmm, I think I just came up with a hack to control fan speed with the left knob instead of the buttons... I like that.

 

re; noisy air conditioning, at max, yes, maybe, but one of the cars I shopped was the Buick SUV Encore, which is RIDICULOUSLY LOUD set on max, think like so loud you couldn't talk on the phone... not sure that helps, except in a "it could be worse" kind of count your blessings kind of way... maybe take a test drive in one just to see how bad it could be.

Edited December 19, 2013 by MacGyver