Air Con - at what point does it operate?!

[Spacecowboy]

Owned my first S3 for nearly 2 months now and I can't figure out the CC system at all. I could just read the manual but I thought I wou;d ask Audi whilst I was there. This is what they told me:

ECon: Aircon
Auto: Is just that, regulates the temp in the cabin
Then you can overide all this of course.

To get the aircon pumping, you need to switch you Econ, set the temp to LOW, put it on AUTO (I dont think that can operate same time as Econ?) and push the recirculate switch.

It doesnt feel anymore cooler with this on. In fact, it feels cooler when just set to low, low speed fan and no Econ. Can anyone help?

 

[icenutter]

The idea is that you set the temperature of the cabin, then the system adjusts the temperature, speed and location of the air, to reach that temperature. If the car doesn't think you need cold air then you don't get it!

In otherwords, in theory, you set the temperature you want the cabin to be and then don't touch the aircon controls all year round.

 

[Spacecowboy]

So it isnt possible to overide this and blast ice air when i demand it? I thought the above was only applicable to AUTO? What does Econ do then?

 

[joe6886]

If you want the coldest air possible, temp on low, fans on high, Economy off.

As far as I'm aware the Aircon stays on all the time, Econ button turns it off.

 

[Spacecowboy]

Econ means economy! Ha that would explain why not so cool when its on then! Stoopid Audi. Would prob be saving quite alot in petrol too with having it turned off.

 

[Shades]

The ECON button switches the Air-Con compressor on/off. With the ECON button ON the Air-Con compressor is switched OFF and your heater reverts back to the days before Air-Con (meaning you don't get the demisting effect of the Air-Con and you don't get refrigerated air). Its there because having the Air-Con running actually lowers the MPG of your car and having the Air-Con blasting all the time isn't always necessary, so if you switch the Air-Con off you're actually saving fuel.

In 'Auto' (with or without ECON on) the heating/cooling system will try to maintain a constant temperature in the cabin of your car. So if you set the temp to 21 degree's the heating/cooling system will first alter itself to reach 21 degree's then to maintain 21 degree's. With ECON on though the system will be less effective at maintaining lower temperatures as no refrigerated air is being produced.

For example on a cold day you may notice that, in auto, if you set the temp to 26 degree's the fan speed will increase rapidly (as the heater tries to quickly raise the temperature of the cabin) but then slow down enough to constantly maintain 26 degree's once its reached it.

 

[joe6886]

Yes for everyday I leave mine on Economy, when I need proper cold air turn it off temp as low as poss.

 

[mk1chopper]

im guessing econ is found on the facelift models as all i have on my pre face lift is auto, aircon button, and recirculate. with mine i set it to auto and set the temperature, the cc then works out what fan speed is required and where, if i want it ice cold i turn on the ac, but i normally turn off the ac to save on fuel, but this does not effect the cc operation (i.e the fan speed still adjust its self with the ac on or off)

 

[icenutter]

As Shades says; puting on econ just turns off the compressor, so the car uses less fuel. It still does the climate control thing of adjusting temperatures, but isn't as effective as it could be.

 

[madvw]

im guessing econ is found on the facelift models

on pre-facelifted climate controls, the econ button is the snowflake button.

 

[Spacecowboy]

Thanks guys. That's exactly what I thought but not what I was told when at Audi. They said when the ECON button was on, the Aircon was on! So I have been driving round for the last 2 months with the button off but not realising the Aircon was constantly on. Thought she was damn thristy compared to the Gti!

The annoying thing about it is that the Aircon on (i.e. ECON button off) seems to be the default mode as soon as you touch one of the other buttons so its important to look and make sure the button is back on (and therefore Aircon Off) else it will be running without even realising it. Did a 100 mile trip last night and noticed a massive difference.

Cheers Guys!