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United States of America, loud'n'proud! |
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I think the large sloped areas of glass on the Aura / new Malibu contribute greatly to making the A/C work harder cooling the cars. aurakr's tinted windows would cut down on the solar heating a *lot*, so the A/C can catch up faster. In any case, I'm glad I don't (and have no plans to) live in an area where >99 temps are common.
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I went wine tasting at Disney's Food and Wine festival in Anaheim. Boy it was hot. Triple digit temps, a long day outside, and alcohol is not a great combination. I'm looking forward to normal spring weather again, which should start tomorrow. The AC in my Cobalt works pretty good, but fan speed is pathetic. As Jeremy Clarkson would say, it feels like an asthmatic in Bangladesh blowing at you through a straw.
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aurakr
- Apr 14, 2008 4:14 pm
(#40 Total: 42)
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Dan:
I went again on Sunday to gas it up at Costco, $3.60 a gallon :(
It was 94 when I left the house, and I set the temperature at 73. By the time I got to Costco, the car was nice and comfy, 5 minute drive.
BTW, my car is Midnight Blue with the Moroccan leather. However, what might affect mine is that it is tinted all around.
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tlcruz
- Apr 14, 2008 2:48 pm
(#39 Total: 42)
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far far away from my hometown, pa |
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oh MAN, i do not miss hot weather like that!! :)
The weather here is suppose to be getting warmer as each day passes. it's suppose to be up towards the high 70s by friday and then going back down to mid 60s by the weekend.
My car's air conditioner never fails me. It's always as cold as I want to it to be and if I get too cold, I turn it down or off :)
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"(the F20C produces a ton of heat)."
Yes the heater will run you out of the car. The same goes for my old Civic. Its unaturally too hot.
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I live in Hermosillo, Mexico, which is about 6 hours south of Phoenix, and shares the desert climate. Yesterday we were also over 100ºF, and today should bring more of the same.
00 New Beetle: 7/10. Chills the cabin at a decent rate (with medium-dark tinted glass, it gets better)
99 Civic Sedan: 5.5/10. It will do the job...after a while.
99 Chevy 2500: 8.5/10. Good A/C power combined with a single cab means it gets cool fast.
....And not mine but tested
06 Chevy Corvette Coupe: 9/10. The damned thing worked even while putting in laps (it was mid-day August :D)
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langjie
- Apr 14, 2008 11:08 am
(#36 Total: 42)
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honda's are horrible, i think my altima's is ok, but not as good as my 1987 pontiac 6000, you get cold with that one (probably freon though)
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I agree that American manufacturers, GM in particular, seem to make more "effective" AC systems. But I don't like auto climate control, and I never have. Call me a Luddite.
The "normal" AC sytem in my Aura XE performs to my satisfaction. Last year my company moved offices from the lovely beach climate of LAX to toasty Covina, so I had all summer to put the AC to the test. It may not cool down *quite* as rapidly as GM cars I've known in the past, but it has no problem maintaining a comfortable temperature once it is reached.
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estreka
- Apr 14, 2008 10:43 am
(#34 Total: 42)
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subarctic north - Great Falls, MT |
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The S does provide very cold air, but the vents are right in front of your hands (assuming 10 and 2 positions). I have to constantly change positions to keep my hands from freezing. It's the same with hot air (the F20C produces a ton of heat).
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1487
- Apr 14, 2008 10:32 am
(#33 Total: 42)
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Philadelphia PA United States of America |
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the two slots at the top of of the center vents are much smaller than the adjustable louvered section. I doubt they are much of a factor in your lack of cooling. If the cabin isn't getting cool when its 101 outside its a problem with the cooling capacity of your AC system. I'm guessing most cars will have trouble maintaining a 70 degree cabin with a 100 degree outside temp.
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My vast experience with older Hondas is that the air is cold but the blower was inadequate for really pushing out the cold air. Add that with the large windows and you have an A/C system that is just barely adequate.
My 2003 Acura CL-S and our Odyssey have adequate A/C systems. The S2000....I dont think Ive used the A/C in the S before. My old modified Civic Ex sedan doesnt have A/C at all because it was removed when I installed the Integra GSR/Type R drivetrain. Its a sweat box in humid heat.
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If your A/C is not performing well, one of the things to keep in mind is to check the cabin microfilter if you have one. A clogged filter will substantially reduce airflow and cooling. Since this is a relatively new thing in most cars, a lot of us forget to routinely check and replace them.
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jriz
- Apr 14, 2008 8:58 am
(#30 Total: 42)
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One problem I've noticed with the Aura's A/C is the design of its center vents. The top two slots don't adjust and those are the vents that seem to get the most air. This design might be good for ambiant interior temperature (I'm guessing), but it's lousy for cooling you down when it's hot.
-Riswick
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ryster
- Apr 14, 2008 8:00 am
(#29 Total: 42)
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GM A/C is not what it used to be. I have noticed a steady decline in their A/C systems over the past 20 model years or so
'88 Chevy Beretta...awesome A/C
'95 Pontiac Grand Am...very good
'99 Pontiac Grand Prix...very good
'99 Chevy Camaro...downright frigid!!!!
'03 Chevy Impala...mediocre
'06 Chevy Impala...great until outside temp is 85-90...then effectiveness drops off considerably.
Toyota A/C that I have experienced has usually been right on par with GM. VW, Ford, Honda, and Chrysler not as good.
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About 80 here in Portland OR on Saturday. Glad I'm outta S.Calif - any bets Calif's a scorcher this year?
Was your Aura dark color with dark interior? It's fascinating that S. Calif's home for so many black cars with black interiors. Potential buyers might try simple test - touch cars in sunny parking lots to see which color is hottest; black wins every time!
AC in the '09 Forester is decent (surprisingly good airflow), but maybe a little weaker than my former '04 Malibu Maxx. Hopefully its all white exterior will help keep it cool.
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Philadelphia, PA United States of America |
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I think a lot of newer cars are using a new less effective type of refrigerant. As many have noted, American cars of the '90s blew meat locker cold air during even the hottest of days. My '05 Mazda3 never blew ice cold air- ever. Haven't test the '07s just yet as I got it during the end of the summer so we shall see.
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1487
- Apr 14, 2008 7:44 am
(#26 Total: 42)
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Philadelphia PA United States of America |
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I read that freon was a better refridgerant, but is no longer used.
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1487
- Apr 14, 2008 7:18 am
(#24 Total: 42)
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Philadelphia PA United States of America |
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I dont think the Aura's AC system is any more European than the G6's or Malibu's. While the Aura shares the look of the Vectra, its still an American cars. The Vectra has the short wheelbase version of the platform and has a different interior and different engines. I haven't had to use the AC in extremely hot weather but I have never experienced a GM product with weak AC previously. I find the blower to be very loud and powerful in the Aura. If the car isnt getting cool it must have something to do with the refrigerant.
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jaden82
- Apr 14, 2008 6:58 am
(#23 Total: 42)
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I live in KC, and I've been dealing with miserable wet and sub-50s weather for the past few days. No chance to use AC in my 2002 Focus yet this year. It gets really hot (90 to 100) and dry in the summers and with little cloud cover, the sun is the enemy of car interiors here. The Focus's A/C has alway cooled me down pretty quickly though. 5 minutes of AC at full blast then it's alright for the rest of my drive.
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