GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

It was very cold due to that polar vortex a couple weeks ago. Was 20 degrees in my garage. Drove out - probably zero. Didn' realize my dial was on defrost which I know uses the A/C. Any danger of damage operating the A/C at those temps?

Maybe to your hands and tips of any extremities.

No problem at all. When it's that cold is when you need the drying effect of the AC to keep your windows clear. The colder the air, the less water it holds.

Actually the A/C will not engage once the outside temp approaches freezing. As the last reply mentioned, less moisture can be held in the air as the temperature drops, so the need is also reduced for the drying effect as it gets colder. I believe that moisture would simply freeze on the coils if operated when colder, preventing any air flow. The car is designed so that it prevents the compressor from engaging under conditions that would cause damage.

I modified the switch in mine so that the Defog setting no longer forces the A/C on. I can still manually engage it if the extra drying is needed, but most of the time it's not required. I still remember to run the A/C for at least a few minutes every month or so (if temperatures permit) to keep it working, but otherwise I'd rather be able to keep my windows clear without using the extra gas to run the compressor. Here in Canada, gas is notably pricier than the U.S. still.

Most of my past vehicles were never equipped with air conditioning, and the only time window fogging was an issue was usually during very humid and warm weather. It's NOT required under all circumstances as many people seem to believe. I'm sure they wouldn't have continued to offer Vibes right up to the end of production without A/C if it had been a serious safety concern.

Anyway - quick answer - you can't damage anything regardless of what setting you choose.

John

Thanks j42snyder for the reassurance that my inattention will not result in a compromised a/c unit. Does the "42" mean you were born in in 42? That's my year of birth.

jake75 wrote:Thanks j Does the "42" mean you were born in in 42? That's my year of birth.

Jebus, and you're still driving!

jake75 wrote:Thanks j42snyder for the reassurance that my inattention will not result in a compromised a/c unit. Does the "42" mean you were born in in 42? That's my year of birth.

Jake - I see that you're also a fan of Douglas Adams. I'm sure you'll know where the "42" came from then - The Hitchhiker's Guide series is one of my favorites. I just started using that about 15 years ago, and stuck with it. Although unrelated, my current address also happens to be "42". I don't think this house possesses any great answers though (or questions for that matter)

I happen to be a bit younger than that - but I'm not going to "rub it in". If it was "22", well, that may be different! I have an aunt who still drove up until she was 92. We had to convince her to stop - but it wasn't easy. She did realize it was "time" then - but largely due to sight and extreme hearing loss issues that made it too difficult to drive safely anymore. She's still going now at 97 - just not driving for sure! My dad's over 80 now and still drives fine every day. I don't look forward to the day when I have to make that decision for myself - so I'll never bug someone about it unless they're clearly a danger to others. I have other relatives out in the prairies still driving into their '90s too. I can only hope I'll have the opportunity to do the same!

John