Just because the A/C light is on, doesn't mean the compressor is actually running. It will only kick in intermitently when it needs to. Where I live, I run the defrogger the first couple miles on the way home from work at midnight. I can feel the A/C kick in about every 30 seconds for about 1-2 seconds. Just enough to defog the windshield.

That said, I also HATE not having complete control.

p.s. Running in the AUTO/ECON A/C mode is cheaper than driving with you window down. I made a 1800 mile run last July and got 24.03 on the 2 tanks with the A/C on and 22.9 with the A/C off and the windows down. And I could hear my "premium" Bose radio too.

 

This is probably the first thing that I complained about the car since I had it Christmas of 04. Thought it was a bug in the beginning. Anyway, I gotta admit my 13 yr old accord has a better temp. control than my G. It's so silly to have that A/C running by itself. I've had times where I changed the mode a few times and found out 10 mins down the road I was driving with the A/C on. It's absurd I think. Wonder if all the Infiniti's are like that. Any chance they'll issue TSB or recall to have it fix?

 

Infiniti is not the only manufacturer to incorporate this feature. I've owned GM vehicles that were designed and operated precisely this way. I never viewed it as a problem in those cars.

 

This issue bugs me too. And it's not like Nissan/Infiniti doesn't have the technical know-how (God forbid) or prefabricated parts to give me complete manual control of my Big Brother automatic climate control system. The '02 Alitma 3.5 SE I traded for the G had ACC and one very handy button labeled ECON. It also had another button labeled AUTO.

It did not have an AUTO/ECON button. Turns out this was important.

Pressing the ECON button in the Alty turned off the compressor and left it off. The Alty would not attempt tell me what it felt I instead really wanted. It understood that I wanted the compressor off, knowing full well I wanted it off because I damn well wanted it off. It didn't ask questions. Pressing the AUTO button enabled the compressor and gave me dehumidified heat if I so chose.

My wife's '02 G20 Sport also has ACC. It also does not attempt to outsmart me and allows full manual control of the compressor at the touch of a button. If I want to recirculate stale, humid, fart-filled air in the cabin, it will allow me to do so without a peep. (My wife, on the other hand, as a general rule will not. I cannot fix this issue.)

The '05 G35 in my driveway, however, apparently has an ACC with an MBA that thinks it is smarter than anyone in the cockpit, particularly me. It sports an AUTO/ECON button that is neither automatic enough to keep me fully cool nor economical enough to leave the power-robbing, fuel-guzzling, expensive-and-absolutely-necessary-to-replace compressor off. (Wait a minute. Expensive and necessary to replace? I think my ECON button is sitting in the Nissan CFO's office.)

I'm sure I'll find other wacky tidbits in the car as time goes on -- non-folding rear-seats with cereal-box-sized "passthrough," anyone? -- but this is currently at the top of my peeve list.

 

This problem also exists in the heating mode. Let me give you an example. Outside temp is 48 degrees, I need some heat AND the recirculating mode, the damn system would not let me. It will switch to fresh air or recirculating air WITH a/c. I can hear the click of the a/c being engaged when I push the recirculating mode. Now why do I need the a/c when I need heat The a/c would not kick in only when it is really cold outside, like below 36 degrees. I struggled with the damn system most of the time. Never had this problem with any of my previous cars, including the 2nd generation Maxima. Listen Nissan, give the customer the choice, not just your preference!

 

The a/c system isn't like the a/c systems of the 80s. You can just leave it on forever with no negative effects. Want it warm? Heat + A/C gives you dry, warm air. Want it cold? A/C gives you dry, cold air. I know it takes a lot of getting used to but the big benefit of having climate control vs just A/C is that you simply set the temperature you want, and whether to recirc or fresh air, and presto, it does it. There's nothing wrong with having heat PLUS a/c. In this car if you gun it, the A/C compressor turns itself off until you're ready to cruise again so it's not really robbing you of precious HP.

If it's a concern, use the ECON mode, but the only way you'll find you're completely happy with the climate control is to submit all control to it and just tell it what temperature you want it, and/or where you want it. It will do the rest.

Recirc comes on to minimize smelly mildew buildup in the A/C system. Notice how your AC isn't stinky yet, and in other cars you've had they're usually nice and stank by now? That's because it's not letting you commit the stanky AC crime of recirculating moist air.

 

doogie,

Right on! I've had many cars over the years that operated precisely the same as you've described and for the reasons you cited. (One of them was an Olds dating to 1976. )

The HP drawn by the A/C operating with very little to no cooling load is zip. I suspect Nissan/Infiniti has incorporated this feature for good engineering reasons and for some to somehow feel that they did so to limit their perogatives or somehow violate their space is absurd.

 

I beg to differ. The issue is maintaining humidity in the cold season, and the added level of comfort it gives. The most efficient way to warm-up a car and feel comfortable in it is to recirculate heated air that contains some level of moisture. This is exactly how all of our houses work in the wintertime! Unfortunately, if you don't know what you're doing in a car, the windows are going to fog up. I believe the only reason Infiniti inhibits recirc without A/C is for this circumstance.

I don't follow this at all. Actually, the best way for an A/C system to avoid moisture buildup is to permit a mode where (1) the A/C is off, and (2) the driest air possible is blown over the evaporator coils to dry them out. In the summertime (where I live anyway), the air inside the car is much drier than air outside (because you have been conditioning/dehumidifying it). So the best recirc mode would be ON. But the G35 does not permit A/C OFF, recirc ON!!!

 

Not to step on your toes, SaltiDawg, but I would be curious as to exactly what good engineering reasons you think Infiniti had in mind to disallow manual control of the compressor in recirc mode. While foggy windows can be a side effect of heating up the cabin with recirculated, humid air, the tradeoff -- a more comfortable perceived temperature in the cockput quicker due to increased humidity -- is one we as drivers have dealt with since heaters were first installed in automobiles.

I'm not anti-technology. It's how I earn my living as a matter of fact. But technology that intrudes on my ability to make myself comfortable in my own car smacks a little on the Orwellian side of things for me.

What's next? A transmission that tells me what gear I should be in and shifts itself? Get me out of here!

J

PS - FYI, an A/C compressor in a typical passenger vehicle eats 10 to 30 horsepower depending on load. While it's true you won't feel that drain in a 250-plus horsepower big-displacement Six car like you would in a 140-horsepower Four, the losses are still there. You'll pay for them at the pump and on the onramps. And by running a compressor 365 days a year when it's necessary less than half that time, you'll pay for it at the repair shop eventually too. Don't think auto manufacturers don't know that. As the cars they build become more reliable and people keep them longer due to their exploding costs (USD $28K is the average price for a new vehicle nowadays; yikes!), they've got to find more creative ways to keep repair revenues coming in.

 

ECON mode gives you all the frills of full auto mode at the expense of some humidity.

Here in Texas I leave my AC on for most of the year. When it's cold I turn it off and use the heater but the fact that I can't do recirc without AC means my AC system is not stinky like it would be if I were able to do that, that's all I'm saying.

I like non-stinky ACs and I'm happy there's no way to stink it up in this car.

I'd like to see the dyno that shows a 30HP power loss with the AC on, I think that number is way too large. I also believe you'd find that your MPG would be less if you drove with the windows down and AC off, than if you drove with the AC on.

 

Ah, but do you make a successful living in technology? I trust it is not in automotive design nor Thermodyamics.

Again, car manufacturers (GM and others) going back at least to the 1970's have incorporated this feature - 1970 Olds specifically was my first car with A/C and it had this feature.

The power demand of an unloaded or very lightly loaded A/C is not 10HP or more. It is nil.

Stop whining about Infiniti's intrusion into your space and live with a well engineered car.

PS "A transmission that tells me what gear I should be in and shifts itself?" I assume that you didn't get the 5AT and also that you have disabled the shift light on your 6MT, all as a matter of not having your space intruded on.

 

To run the A/C with fresh air, select the ECON mode. When the inside of the car is hot, the system will run in RECIRC mode, then switch to fresh air when the car has cooled off a bit. The initial RECIRC is to cool the car as fast as possible, I believe.

 

I absolutely HATE this part about the G....I drove a 02 accord coupe with the recirculate always on (it had a seperate button) and never got foggy windows (unless raining out)....I hate driving a nice car such as the G and smelling the exhaust fumes of all the trucks and POS cars on the road.... really pisses me of that I have to turn on the AC to recirculate....and by that time you already have the smell in the car.... cant someone find a way to trick the system?

 

I actually found a way by accident. Turn the AC / HEAT off completely and then press the recirc botton.

It will work but not as good as when you have the ac on. Or put the AC on and increase the temperature inside the car to you comfort level.

 

Kewl! I guess you didn't read reply #15 of this same thread that I posted.