Leaving The Air Conditioner Running

[mcirish]

Anyone know if this is a problem with the Leaf? I know that doing this with a regular gas powered vehicle is not good as it puts a lot of strain on the motor since you must leave the engine running to operate the AC. The weather has been very hot lately (I live in So Cal) and I was waiting for my wife to come out of the grocery store. Our daughter was in the car seat in back. I parked near the entrance (yes along the red curb) and waited with the AC on. Must have sat there for 30-40 mins. Was nice and cool in the car and nothing seemed amiss afterward. The temp gauge did not spike, but I think it did drain the LI battery a bit. Anything to worry about here?

 

[ebill3]

Well, I wouldn't think so. Cooling mode of the climate control seems to be quite efficient. Of course, you are going to consume battery power, 'cause there ain't no free lunch.

As long as you have enough battery to get home or the next charging station - no problem.

 

[TonyWilliams]

No worries.

 

[Nubo]

Nothing at all to worry about as long as you had enough range left to complete your trip.

 

[MikeD]

mcirish: Since you asked the original question, maybe you could ask your dealer what is the likely cost of repairing the Leaf's A/C due to wear (would this likely be the compressor? -- or is my knowledge of such systems hopelessly out of date?!), and report back.

 

[garsh]

I do that all the time. No worries, and it doesn't waste too much energy either, given how efficient the AC is.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Your best bet is to leave it in Eco mode when you have to leave the A/C on. It still cools the car, but uses less power to do it. The air doesn't blow as cold, but in 95% of my driving I find that to be a good thing.

 

[Nubo]

mcirish: Since you asked the original question, maybe you could ask your dealer what is the likely cost of repairing the Leaf's A/C due to wear (would this likely be the compressor? -- or is my knowledge of such systems hopelessly out of date?!), and report back.

Maybe you can research the MTBF of the compressor and report back? :roll:

 

[RegGuheert]

We used to leave the car in READY mode with the A/C running on very hot days when we went into stores. Then I discovered that you could get into the car without the key and drive away! So if we forgot to lock the doors or someone broke in, they could easily take the car. As a result, we stopped doing that! Now we just start the climate control remotely if we want it to stay cool.

 

[mikefox]

There is nothing to worry for running your car air conditioning. It doesn't waste too much energy either, given how efficient the AC is. But the best practice you can try is to leave it in Eco mode when you have to leave the A/C on.

 

[Stanton]

This is one of the BENEFITS of an EV: you can run the A/C without wasting gas! It just kills me to see someone waiting in their car (like at school pickup) spewing fumes just to run their A/C (yes, it gets hot here).

 

[Bateman]

Funny you mention that. I was eating lunch in my ICE car about a week ago. It was hot and I had the A/C running. The whole time I felt like a hypocrite with my engine clattering away so I could munch away in the cool air. Sitting in an idling ICE vs an EV really makes the difference so apparent.

 

[MikeD]

Nubo: Thanks for your response! I think you are confirming that you also believe the component most likely to fail due to frequent use is the compressor, is that correct? And this is regardless of whether one has a 2011-12 or the newer 2013 "heat pump" A/C? I really don't know and that was actually the main thrust of my original post -- sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I was up late when I posted it and my sense of humor was evidently adversely affected as a result. Although it might be useful to know a MTBF (especially in evaluating whether or not to keep an "old" Leaf or to buy/lease a "new" Leaf), I thought trying to put a $ figure on the most likely A/C repair would be helpful to know in connection with using it or not (and simply rolling down the windows when that is a effective alternative).

The next time I am at my Nissan dealership (I drive past it frequently), I'll try to get the $ info myself (and report back).

 

[garsh]

Your best bet is to leave it in Eco mode

Your best bet is to leave it in PARK, so the car doesn't roll away.

 

[RegGuheert]

Your best bet is to leave it in Eco mode

Your best bet is to leave it in PARK, so the car doesn't roll away.

LeftieBiker has a 2013, so that brings up a question: Can a 2013 be in Park and Eco at the same time? Maybe so...

 

[mcirish]

Thanks for all the great responses. Since I am parked when I doo this I generally leave it in "ready" mode. TBH I really don't use eco mode too much. My daily commute round trip is only about 20 miles. I really do like the quickness of my Leaf when it is in regular drive mode, very zippy!

 

[mcirish]

Your best bet is to leave it in Eco mode

Your best bet is to leave it in PARK, so the car doesn't roll away.

:lol: I was wondering who else caught this, but I wasn't going to point it out.

 

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

Your best bet is to leave it in Eco mode

Your best bet is to leave it in PARK, so the car doesn't roll away.

LeftieBiker has a 2013, so that brings up a question: Can a 2013 be in Park and Eco at the same time? Maybe so...

I have a 2013 and always wondered about this. Yes you can cave eco mode on in all 4 driving positions (Drive, Brake, Reverse, and Park). What difference does it make if it's in eco mode while in Park? It can be activated or deactivated while in park.

 

[Nubo]

Nubo: Thanks for your response! I think you are confirming that you also believe the component most likely to fail due to frequent use is the compressor, is that correct? And this is regardless of whether one has a 2011-12 or the newer 2013 "heat pump" A/C? I really don't know and that was actually the main thrust of my original post -- sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I was up late when I posted it and my sense of humor was evidently adversely affected as a result. Although it might be useful to know a MTBF (especially in evaluating whether or not to keep an "old" Leaf or to buy/lease a "new" Leaf), I thought trying to put a $ figure on the most likely A/C repair would be helpful to know in connection with using it or not (and simply rolling down the windows when that is a effective alternative).

The next time I am at my Nissan dealership (I drive past it frequently), I'll try to get the $ info myself (and report back).

Sorry my response was a bit flip as well.

But I think you're on the wrong track. We all understand that any mechanical system has a limited service life, and the more you use it the more you wear it out. I really don't think that was what the OP was after with their question. They were asking whether or not running it *when parked* would have any adverse effect, as opposed to running it while driving.

I wouldn't obsess too much about wear. You might not know that the AC compressor is also invoked when the heater and/or defroster is on, to reduce humidity and fogging of the windows in cool weather.

In practical terms, most cars will go to the crusher with a functional AC compressor. Use as you see fit. Researching the replacement cost is silly, imho.

 

[TomT]

It is hard to leave it in Eco when you are in Park... And you certainly would not want to leave it "in gear" if you are leaving...

Your best bet is to leave it in Eco mode when you have to leave the A/C on. It still cools the car, but uses less power to do it. The air doesn't blow as cold, but in 95% of my driving I find that to be a good thing.