hi there.

im looking at getting a civic hybrid, and am deciding between a cheap(er) first gen civic or a nice new 2nd gen. my preference is the new model, but budgets might take me to the older model.

anyway, i read somewhere that the a/c wont run on the HCHI without the engine running, which would be a real bummer down here in south florida. we use our a/c about half the year, so that would be a major deciding factor for us. my understanding is that honda fixed this problem on the 06 model by adding a little electric motor just for accessories so the car can shut off.

anyone live in florida and have experience using the first gen civic with a/c?

thanks!

 

the ac will not run with the engine off with the hch1. you do have the option to disengage auto stop so that the engine will continue to run at stops , traffic lights etc, but the engine must run.

 

You can also still have the fan on with the engine off. Where in south Florida are you?

 

im in sarasota. i am curious to know if the a/c will stay cold enough for a minute or two, while waiting at a stop light (with the engine off). if not, that seals the deal for me on the HCHII. what's the point of having a hybrid designed to shut off at traffic lights that cant be shut off?

 

Now, what I'd like to know is if the dimensions of the HCH I and the HCH II's A/C compressor is the same or at least quite similar. I've got the HCH I and I'd love to modify it so that I can flip a switch to have the A/C on when I'm stopped or run it just on electric
The HCH II has the dual scrolls to use either electric or belt driven compression; I however do not know if it can use both at the same time.

-13th

 

Both halves of the hybrid AC compressor on the HCH-II can be used simultaneously as the climate control system requires.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

I'd say if it's more than a minute you'll start to get hot. Especially if you're in the sun. I'm near West Palm Beach and manage to tough it out without AC most of the time because I'm a little crazy about getting the best gas mileage I can, so I don't have a whole lot of experience with the amount of time it takes to get hot it the car. I will say that the AC can get very cold, maybe if you turn it really cold as you're slowing down that will help it stay colder longer. But it sounds like you should just go for the HCH II. Whatever you end up going with I suggest getting tint. It's getting warmer, take a test drive.

 

The A/C on the HCH1 will shut off when auto-stop is engaged, though the fan will still run. (Of course, a long stop means some pretty warm air blowing on you.) Hitting the "ECON" button to disable auto-stop should bring back the A/C (never tried it myself).

On the HCH2 the A/C will still work in auto-stop -- up to a point. If the IMA battery gets too low, either the engine will restart or the A/C will quit (happened to us once or twice last year during a lot of city driving).

For the record, we're in the Orlando area.

 

my days of going without a/c in florida are long gone, especially since i have a newborn baby we will definitely need cold a/c running at all times in the summer.

i love the look and feel of the HCHII. i have a dealer willing to sell me an 07 at invoice, plus give me a nice trade in on my wife's bug. only catch is the APR on the civic hybrids is TERRIBLE. i'm trying to remember when honda runs their year end clearance sale... the other alternative is to find a super cheap 06 HCHII.

is that $2100 tax credit going to be available all year on the 07's?

thanks!

 

You need to shop around for financing. Perhaps your bank or insurance company can offer you a better deal. If you're a AAA member, check them out as well.