As the weather has warmed up here I have started using the fan a little bit. And I have been really surprised with how cool it is. Cool as in temperature-wise. I don't use Climate control and I dont turn on the AC ... so I just turn the fan on at the lowest speed (1) and with regards to the temperature ... the number shown in around 28 or 30.

That seems to take care of it. The cabin gets nice and cool fairly quickly and it almost feels like the AC is on. But the display doesnt say that the AC is on.

So is the fan really that effective or does the HCH2 get sneaky and quietly turn on the AC without indicating that it has?? It definitely makes me suspicious.

 

If your climate control is on Auto, it may be using AC unless you manually set it to AC Off with the AC button. Left on auto, it won't tell you when it is and isn't using AC. And with its two-stage (electric driven/engine driven) compressor that (if I've got this right) under low load only runs the electric side, you won't feel a loss in the car's power when the compressor cycles. So if you *really* don't want the AC going, you need to push the AC button so that it says AC Off.

--d

 

Just pressing the OFF button and then using the fan **** to turn on the fan should ensure that the AC is off right??

 

Y'know, I've actually never tried turning on the fan after hitting the off button on the climate control. Dunno if changing the fan speed turns it back on or not. But you make me curious -- I'll check it out on mine tomorrow and see what I think it's doing.

--d

 

Yes, your AC is on even though you didn't turn it on.
Honda has a bad design.

When I reach for the fan dial it, for some reason, turns the AC on.
I can tell because the car gets very cold and the display says AC ON.
(Are you sure your display really says AC OFF, or does it say nothing?)

I don't like this because I neither turned on the AC or the AUTO function.
I hate the AUTO function and never use it, but apparently it is still automatically turning on the AC when I turn the fan on if the temp control is set to a low temp.

I do leave the left ****, the temp control, fully CCW so the heater never comes on.

Also I don't like how Honda designs the AC to come on if you just want to direct air to the windshield (defrost position).
Once again, Honda wants to do the thinking for you (If you are sending air to the windshield then we assume you are defrosting the windshield so we'll force the AC to come on since that helps with defrost.)
But maybe I don't need to defrost the windshield but just want to direct air there.

Now that I understand Honda's stupid (let us do the thinking for you) design when I reach for the dial to turn on the fan I also press the AC button to TURN OFF the dang AC.

 

Being a heating ventand cooling installer ,when one asks for defrost the essential action you are asking for is not just air heating the windshield but dehumidying the air that hits the windshield, the only way to accomplish this is by cooling the air to extract the moisture in the form of condensation and then if one desires ,reheating it to a comfortable point. AC will alway be on when requesting defrost as it is a safety factor, and that is clear vision through your windshield. we had a old chevy blazer we would use for winter snow storm no ac left , windows always fogged up . I think it is likely all manufactures will always run ac compressor when calling for defrost , even in winter as it helps maintain the refrigerant seals to prevent leakage along with the clear windshield requirment Now the ac at least in the 2004 hybrid can be turned off while in the ac mode , but not the defrost mode

 

Yes AC helps defrost a windshield, no argument.

The OP is asking why her fan is so cool.

I am saying it is because she/he has the AC on and doesn't know it because of Honda's odd design.

Also if I want to send unairconditioned air to the windshield I should be allowed to, just like I was in my 2004 HCH and every car before I had it.
This "if they send air up there it HAS to be airconditioned" thing is new and while I understand the logic I find it annoying.

 

Looking at the climate controls, I'm pretty sure AC-on-defrost is defeatable. See what happens if you try this:

Cycle AC button to show A/C OFF

Then either
- Cycle Mode button to show windshield/floor split
- select full windshield with Defrost button

It'll pump air to the windshield while *showing* A/C OFF. I'm pretty sure in that case A/C really is off. If you just select the Defrost button, it shows nothing about the AC in the display and it's on.

I haven't actually tested this to check the temperature of the air coming out and be able to tell by that if the A/C is truly off or not.

Anyone else know?
--d

 

Thanks to the comments here, I finally figured it out. Yes the AC was secretly on. I pressed the AC button till it showed AC OFF and there was a definite change in the temperature of the air coming out the vents.

Feeling a bit stupid now about having had the AC on all this while even though I didnt need it. Well better late than never

So for anyone else wondering about it ... unless the display actually says AC OFF ... its safe to assume that it is or could be ON.

 

Don't feel bad.
It's a bad design.

Yes, many HCH2 drivers ARE driving around with their AC on and don't know it, because people think the AC only comes on when you turn it on.

In fact i suspect this explains why the database shows the same MPG average for the HCH2 and the HCH1.
The HCH1 didn't do this and was rated 2 MPG lower.