Curious if the folks in cold winter states keep their climate control AC on all year long? I used to run ECO button in the winter because I didn’t think the Auto button was needed since you don’t need AC cooling in the winter but then realized that the AC would keep the condensation in the car down. It doesn’t harm the car to run the AC all year long right?

 

Yes I run it all year, running the AC in cooler temps does it no harm and as you say keeps the condensation down.

As I originally hail from the UK where the condensation on the the inside in the winter is terrible having the AC to help with the defrost is much needed help in the morning!

 

Thanks, I’ll do that then. When I had a Boxster before the 997, whenever I ran the AC, I felt a noticeable drop in HP, as the car didn’t have much power in the first place, so I didn’t like to run the AC, but in the 997, I can’t feel a loss of power when the AC is on.

 

Not running the compressor for prolonged periods of time can lead to rubber seals perishing and loss of refrigerant. OEM recommendation is to leave it on regardless of heating or cooling.

 

Can you please point to this in Porsche's literature?
I now understand why the LED is lit when the ECO button is in the Off position.

 

All cars, not just Porsche.

 

.2's are way different. No A/C clutch.

 

What is the significance of that? You mean the compressor is running in the .2 regardless if the AC is on?

 

2009 C2S 193K miles

No, I keep it off when cool outside to conserve fuel. I turn it on every once in a while to keep things lubricated. Porsche, apparently, wants you to run the AC all the time given the the switch light implies "off" is a special situation. I keep the AC off to conserve fuel and turn it on when there is condensation on the inside glass.

The AC in our cars (definitely .2 cars, not so sure about .1) do not use a clutch... it uses a swash plate (aka wobble plate) that has infinitely variable engagement... the compressor shaft always spins at engine speed (defined by the belt pulley ratio) regardless if the cabin switch is off or on. The computer controls how much engagement is needed. If you mash the gas pedal or if the engine temp (oil? water?) crests a threshold, the computer will back off the AC to reduce load. The system is sophisticated and smart.

Peace
Bruce in Philly (now Atlanta)

From my manual:





I believe our system is a variable displacement system:

 

Thanks for the explanation Bruce. So since I have a .1, I guess I can just opt to run the AC once a week to keep things lubricated unless I notice condensation in the car, or just keep it on all the time.

 

I hardly ever run my AC unless it's really hot. The car runs better with the compressor turned off in ECO mode and I prefer the windows down and the extra engine sound that comes in because of it.

 

I used to do that but in the winter, at 15F, opening window is not an option. LOL.

 

That's really not at all necessary. What most manufacturers recommend is to run A/C for at last five minutes once every couple of weeks: that's enough to circulate the lubricating oil and ensure the seals stay fresh.

Only time I turn mine on in the winter is when it's raining or humid and I need to dry the incoming air.

 

Well, my car is a 2012 and the AC has probably been used twice a year, so 25 times total, has never been recharged, and works fine.

 

If mine worked I might use it, but probably not. I’d love to pull the whole system out of my car lol