How long to operate A/C while in storage.

I can't answer that question. But, I use the A/C pretty much all year long, it does a great job defogging and defrosting the interior of the windows. We've had temperatures in the -25 to -30 (Celsius) over the last few weeks, and my A/C has never, refused to operate.

Are you sure its actually engaging the compressor? Most cars used to have a cut out that won't turn on the compressor when the ambient temperature is below freezing. There also used to be a mention of it in the owners manuals up until the mid 90's.

Is suspect there is nothing wrong with the AC if it doesn't engage at 20 degrees F. Does it engage after the engine compartment warms to above freezing?

Btw - Only running the engine for a minute or two at freezing temperatures is not doing it any favors.

Yes, the condensation on the windows is removed at a rapid pace, as opposed to using just the heater.

I no longer see the statement in the user manuals of the newer cars. Maybe it went out with the switch to R-134 from R-12?

I think his '93 Honda has an R-12 AC system though.

Honda recommends 10-15 minutes per week

This isn't a good idea. Not only is that not long enough to allow the A/C to spread the oil around and lube its seals, but it is also EXTREMELY bad for your engine and exhaust system. You really want to run the engine long enough to come up to full operating temperature and then stay there for at least 10-15 minutes.

Some vehicles turn the A/C on with the defrost position. Plus if you have the old style separate manual A/C button, you can turn on the A/C and the heater at the same time so you don't freeze while setting there with the car running. This warms up the inside enough to allow the A/C to come on....

I have several collector vehicles, as old as a 1941. I learned from other collector over the years. I take each one out on the road every month. If the weather doesn't permit me to do that, I run them, with one drive wheel off the floor, for at least twenty minutes. That seems to be enough time to return the start voltage to the battery and keep all of the seals and mechanical stuff lubed. I also run all of the switches through the functions, as well. That regimen has served my cars well over for fifty years.

mike hunt

Tibur Walts>

What if there's no time to run the A/C or motor for 10-15 minutes? I run the motor at midnight and feel unsafe to sit in a car. The local laws requires that an unregistered or uninsured car cannot operate on public roads. The laws also require that a vehicle must move once every few days and be free of dirt. I finally had it registered, but still no liability insurance. What if I operate the AC once a month for 15 minutes and just start the car for a minute, just to move the car a few feet from its original spot?

I will try the defrost position, good idea. However, the diagram doesn't show a connection to the defrost button.

Q: Does the AC system uses a thermostat switch before engaging the A/C clutch? Answer: Yes.

Q: Does the AC turn on when the cabin is warm? Answer: Probably. It's always cold when I run the engine only at midnight. It works fine the last summer. I will run it for 15 min and see if A/C comes on.

Q: What type of A/C? Answer: R-12.

Thanks, Tibur

"Tibur Waltson" wrote

It still isn't good for the engine and exhaust to only run the car for one minute all the time.

What kind of area has these laws? If it's private property, who cares if you don't move it every couple days? Who keeps track? Depending on the terrain, you could shift it into neutral without running the engine and push it a couple feet. Then once a month run it up for 15 minutes. Why do you feel unsafe in your car?

And I'm going up on the next space shuttle.

LOL! So tell us Mikey...what refrigerant does the '41 use in its a/c system?

-- '03 S2000 '94 Accord

It's just about going fast...that's all...

I'd feel better with the whole rear end (or front, as the case may be) jacked up, in a vehicle with a limited slip that is mandatory anyway. Your advice is basically good but I'd probably skip the running-on-jackstands as at least in the case of my '62 Stude, if you start it up and let it idle it will never actually warm up, apparently the bypass in the water pump housing is big enough to allow enough coolant flow that the temp gauge never gets off the peg unless you actually drive it, if you do drive it it will warm up in 5-10 minutes.

nate

Seems like you could run it at a fast idle for 15 minutes and it should warm up.

I will begin pushing car 1 down the to the street from my incline driveway. I will push car 2 up. Pushing it up is difficult.

Residential California (Northern). Everybody's seems to be moving to anyplace other than Calif. My relatives are gone. This state is getting more strict by the minute.

Even in private property they require cars to be neat. No FOR-SALE signs. No repairs. No parking in dirt, lawn. No driving in lawns. No cobwebs. The city police pass by three times a week and city inspectors come randomly. I like the idea, see why below.

People had been robbed of there leg. A few yard from where I am typing this, young African-American men want money from a truck driver. The truck driver refuse by saying, "I work hard for my money," and they shot his leg... Doctors amputated his leg.

My father gets carjack by drug dealers on the street. No, he did NOT buy drugs. They drag him a few feet when his leg didn't separate from the seat belt. He escape with several black eye and we recover his car several miles away and we stitch his trousers. The car had a homemade timed kill switch. I had to make a switch, it's the only car gets us to work.

California is not your place to be in, and if you are, DON"T STARE at ANYBODY. If you do, you might end up in the hospital with a few cheap bullets inside your back. We're immigrants and we can take anything here, but it's really a sad situation with no real practical solution, other than STRICT appearance regulations, even these don't help.

One other thing, at New Years Eve, we set up sand bags and trenches. Neighbors set up machine guns and OOZIES for joy shooting, it's worse than war. One dude dragged out a makeshift CANON, for goodness sake. I'm interested in hearing some solutions.

Tibur

Yup, purely local ordnance, not a DMV or state law issue.

Moving? Sell the unused car to pay for the move?

I think the manual for my '88 Accord says to run it 10 min. once a week. When it is cold it won't run because you would end up sending liquid through the compressor and cracking the compressors head - HVAC fact. Once the car has warmed up completely it might get warm enough under the hood for you to get the compressor to turn on. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I don't think anyone is following the advice in the manual to the letter. Running it one in a while should be fine. Don't be scared if you can't get it to run in all winter. It will probably be fine.