Is what my wife tells me when we’re driving in the car. I like to drive in hot weather with the windows down to get fresh air in. I would also prefer to have the air a bit cooler than it’s been lately (it’s been consistently in the 90’s and humid).
So, the next logical step for Mr Uncommon Sense is to compromise with myself and open the windows to get the appropriate fresh air intake and then crank up the AC to circulate cooler air through the car.
This is, apparantly, a huge NO-NO with the wife. I haven’t pinned down exactly what the offense is but it has something to do with wasting the AC and/or some other vague nonsense. It would be ok for me to drive with the windows down and the AC off, or drive with the windows up and the AC on, but I am unable to drive with the windows down and the AC on. Hmm.
So, who’s side would you be on? Am I nuts, or is the wife being difficult?
PS, I do the same thing in the winter, except I use the heater instead of the AC.
Battshit craziness originating from the wife ensues.
My gripe is;
The wife doesn’t comprehend the term ‘thermostatic control’. Where she will always be turning the AC or the heat on and off instead of dialing in a comfortable setpoint and leaving the damn controls alone for the rest of the trip.
Car gets up to 80 degrees. Turn on AC for a few minutes. Car gets down to 70. Turn off AC. Rinse, wash, repeat.
No amount of pleading will change this. This is the way it will be done. 'Till it’s my turn to drive.
We have a rule in our household: “Driver comfort.” Whoever’s driving gets to set the AC and the radio.
Personally, I think driving with the windows down and the AC on is a waste, and I have been known to turn the AC up a bit if it’s a bit too chilly in the car.
So, in the interest of sanity, if you’re driving, then you get to put the AC on full blast and drive with all the windows rolled down. I’m not sure of the fuel efficiency of such a manuever, but it’s your car.
I don’t know what cardinal offense you are committing here but I’m on your wife’s side. If the A/C is on, close the damn windows 'cuz you’re letting all the cold air out! Plus, you’re wasting gas with the A/C and even more with the A/C AND windows down.
I however, have automatic climate control in my car so I set it to a comfortable temp and just leave it to cycle on and off automatically.
Winter is different. I like some fresh air with the heat on. I usually tilt open the sunroof a bit to get nice cool air in.
Now close that damn window! It’s 'effin hot out there!
Well, I agree with you. This is why I take books along when we go anywhere - it gives me something to do, and I can ignore him and his constant fiddling around with window buttons, the darn A/C knobs and his various other “things I must do while driving to annoy my wife.” The only thing I control - if he even BRINGS his paws near the radio tuner - I can get really ugly.
I’m with you. The way I figure it, the A/C is going to be on anyway, whether the windows are up or not. It’s fricking hot, I’m using the A/C.
Having the windows open gives me the illusion of a cooling breeze and “fresh” air, and I like that illusion, and I’m not wasting any more gas since the A/C would be on anyway, so there.
For me, one of the huge benefits of using the air conditioning is that it decreases the humidty as well as cooling the air. Having the windows open lessens the former effect too much for my taste. So I’m a window-upper.
As long as my hair is either up in a ponytail or I’m not going to a place where I care about it being totally windblown, my windows are down when I drive alone. I turn the music up medium-loud and sing along.
When together, it depends. In-town driving? My window down, his up. Highway driving? Well, with the windows down you can’t talk or listen to music so the windows are up.
Upon reflection, I see I didn’t answer the OP. I suppose you’re not wasting any more gas, but it still seems like a waste. But then I am the person who has a fan blowing on my exposed feey at night while the rest of me is tucked into a warm blanket, so I guess I can’t talk.
Doesn’t your AC have two settings, one for recirculation and one for cooling fresh air sucked in from outside? I notice that in our car, which is only a year old, the recirculated air smells strange, like there may be mold growing in the works. If it’s too noticeable, I put it on the other setting. It’s not as cold as recirc, but it does bring in fresh air. It works the other way, too. If we’re in traffic, and somebody is burning oil, you can smell it in the car from the air intake. So I set it to recirc, and the pollution stays out.
I’d think that it uses up less gas to run the AC with the windows up, cooling air that comes in from outside. Doesn’t having the windows down defeat the purpose? Here in FL, you drive with the windows down, it’s just like being outside.
But you know, especially in this case, your mileage really may vary.
I hate the noise of having the windows down. The AC in my sweetie’s car is out of commission, so when we drive around in his car, the windows have to be down or we’ll die. But the noise drives me absolutely mad.
And why blow all the cold air right out the open windows?
