I have had the 04 LS premium in the past and did not notice the default to AC on the Climate control when turned on in auto and manual. I recently bought a premium with controls in the nav which defaults to AC.

Is there a real drain on this big ol V8 or the A/C system or mileage where I should be trying to remember to turn off the a/c every time? Thanks

 

Correction recently bought a Modern Luxury.

 

I never turn my A/C off. It's left on auto year round, 24/7. It's there to pamper me and I let it do it's job!

 

One of my favorite features of the ls is the automatic climate control and the oscillating vents. Let it work its magic. I can't imagine the compressor is always running so it shouldn't affect mpg too much

 

Wish I lived in AZ 6 months a year but from here on in for 6 months I will not need A/C.

 

You NEED auto a/c ON... It's not just make you 'cool', it's there to dry the air as well.
And hvac computer is clever enough, to turn the compressor on just when it's really needed.
Also don't forget, that compressor is automatically disabled if outside temp is below about -8C.

 

I turn it off manually when not needed. I live in FL so for about 4 months it is an unnecessary hit on my gas milage. I do understand that the compressor is not running all the time, the system cycles it on and off as required but I just turn it off myself if I am comfortable enough. I have tracked every drop of fuel and maintenance since buying the car in January 2009 using an excel spreadsheet and the A/C is a 10% hit. I roll my windows down in the morning, open the sunroof occasionally... There is absolutly nothing wrong with saving money.

 

Phew, there's absolutely nothing wrong with living in sunny FL.... Not cold and grim s-hole called Moscow... When it snows - a/c needs to be on constantly to dry the cabin, when it's hot - same deal. Driving with open windows is such a luxury over here.... Pollution and traffic jams are horrid...

 

I can't tell when it cycles on and off; I never hear a "click" like with other cars.

 

Several experienced A/C techs have told me that it is good to run the compressor every 2 weeks for a few minutes even in the winter to keep the seals from drying out. Of course, this happens automatically if you leave the system in AUTO mode.

 

Thanks for the advice. Glad I asked will turn it off unless the windows fog then on couple times a month.

 

I use Auto temperature mode and Auto air intake mode all year round. In the summer, I manually enable the rear AC and put it on HIGH to keep my beverages cold and for enhanced cabin cooling. In the winter, the system automatically disables the compressor when it's too cold out (somewhere between -4 and -8C).

A potential upside of running the A/C often (ie. automatically) is that it constantly "washes" the evaporator (via condensation buildup/draining). The evaporator is coated with a nylon resin that has an antibacterial agent embedded into it. Lack of condensation constantly washing the evaporator may encourage bacteria/mold/mildew/spores/etc to collect and grow on the fins.

My A/C system had a leak, and when enough refrigerant leaked out to noticeably reduce cooling capacity, I noticed the typical A/C mildew smell that people usually blast away with evaporator cleaner, drain tube cleaning, or cover up with Ozium/Febreze/Lysol.

I didn't use any of those methods. Instead, I got my A/C leak fixed, recharged, continued using Auto/Auto, and that smell never came back. I'm convinced that having an ice cold evaporator creates enough condensation to wash itself enough to remove any odor-causing material.

I even bought a can of BG Frigi-Clean to thoroughly foam-clean the evaporator, because the smell was quite noticeable prior to the A/C fix, but ended up never using it because the problem corrected itself.

 

Ace motoring ^^^^^