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[Doctor Gollum]

1. Never press the ECO button.
2. Leave in Auto with all the vents open.
3. Adjust temperature to suit.
4. If you need to clear the screen, close the dash vents and press the front screen button.
5. Ensure that the boot vents are clear.
6. Keep the scuttle clean and replace the pollen filter annually.
7. Never press the ECO button.*

* Quite important.

[omega2018]

i have the eco button on all the time unless it's summer or unless screen demist isn't working enough without it.  even with the latter i'm reluctant to unpress it (switch ac on) as although it clears the screen instantly, as soon as you switch it off again it mists up quicker than before, due to the a/c defrosting.

eco button on (ac off) uses 4.8% less fuel at a constant 60mph (try it).  assuming you don't have to open the windows that is. 

allegedly leaving the ac on permanently (eco off) preserves the ac pump... yeah right, like leaving anything on all the time makes it last longer

[TheBoy]

Turning off the A/C dries out all the seals, not just in the compressor, making repairs *very* expensive.  This is why all cars with A/C tell lyou to turn it on regularly, even in winter.

In my pretty extensive tests over several tanks of fuel when I first got my MV6 over a dozen years ago, I found the difference to be exactly 1 mpg - 24.8mpg with A/C off, 23.8mpg with A/C on - which puts in the realm of 3-4% without getting a calculator out.

However, the climate control struggles without it... ...and the facelift climate in particular is a PITA with its over zealous fans already...


Overall, I'd agree with the recommendation to keep it permemently on - which is what we do in our FL (the old MV6's A/C has long since died due to compressor and condensor issues)

[tunnie]

In both my 3.2 Omega and the VW, they are both left in Auto mode 100% of the time. What ever minimal savings in fuel to be had, would be wiped out by a compressor replacement or air-con condenser 

[omega2018]

most cars with ac have a button to switch it on or off.  most of the time people switch it off.  their ac seems to still work when they switch it on . 

here's what the owners manual says:

"When no cooling or drying is required press
the ECO button to save fuel" p126.

"Operation without cooling
Press ECO button. ECO appears on the
display.
Switch on to save fuel. In this mode cooling
(the cooling compressor) is switched off." p130

"Maintenance
In order to ensure continuously efficient
performance of the electronic air
conditioning system it must be switched on
once a month for a few minutes,
irrespective of the weather and time of
year, with the cooling (cooling compressor)
operational." p133 - that means once a month not 24/7

[VXL V6]

The only car I've ever turned the aircon off on was a Tata Safari... and that was in the hope the thing could tow the caravan up a hill 

[Nick W]

most cars with ac have a button to switch it on or off.  most of the time people switch it off.  their ac seems to still work when they switch it on . 

I've recovered a couple of Passats in the early spring that wouldn't idle, just stalled with a noise like strangling a parrot.
Turns out the fault was that they had turned on the A/C for the first time in months and the compressor had seized.
I saw several more like that, but recoveries weren't necessary: just pressing the off button was enough.

[omega2018]

I've recovered a couple of Passats in the early spring that wouldn't idle, just stalled with a noise like strangling a parrot.
Turns out the fault was that they had turned on the A/C for the first time in months and the compressor had seized.
I saw several more like that, but recoveries weren't necessary: just pressing the off button was enough.

sounds like they didn't follow the manual and switch it on once a month for a few minutes

[johnnydog]

Audi have been doing air con updates to vehicles that go in for other work - the update to the air con software briefly operates the compressor without any driver input when switched off, primarily to prevent the compressor from seizing due to periods of inactivity.
I always have mine switched on in the Omega; as with most cars, when it's switched off, the car tends to mist up quickly, dependant on the outside weather and temperature.

[Nick W]

I've recovered a couple of Passats in the early spring that wouldn't idle, just stalled with a noise like strangling a parrot.
Turns out the fault was that they had turned on the A/C for the first time in months and the compressor had seized.
I saw several more like that, but recoveries weren't necessary: just pressing the off button was enough.

sounds like they didn't follow the manual and switch it on once a month for a few minutes

How many people do you know that have actually read their cars manual? I'd owned my 525 for over 2 years before paging through the handbook revealed that coming to a stop was supposed to switch the wipers to intermittent if they weren't already. I hadn't noticed that I wasn't doing it myself.


All those jobs were for cars less than 4 years old, and fitted with climate control. Which as we've already said, is designed to be set to a required temperature and left alone.