I watched the show MythBusters and they discounted this myth. They ran around a track at the same mpg, same SUV, same weight, same everything. One ran with the windows up and A/C on, the other with all the windows down and no A/C. I think they were travelling about 50mph. In the end the SUV with the windows down went way longer before running out of gas, I think it was over 10 miles or so can't really remember. It was a very interesting show.

 

I saw that episode of MythBusters too but didn't totally agree with their findings. "Course, those guys are nuts and don't think everything through. I was suprised though.

They were only doing 50 or so MPH. You will see more of a difference at real hwy speeds of 70-80. At least the posted limit in my state is 70 MPH.

An SUV already has a high cg so rolling down the windows doesn't hurt proportionately as much as ruining the .27 cg of our G by rolling down the window.

They had the A/C set on MAX the entire run. Who would do that in real life.

I know in the two 1800 mile runs I have made, I got a little more than 1 MPG better with the windows up and A/C on ECON mode than I got with windows down.

And, with the windows up I can actually hear my "PREMIUM" radio.

 

I guess that would make two of you, three if you count me...

My '98 GTP had this feature, but it also let me turn off the A/C at any point in the process without flipping back to fresh air. Same goes for my '98 M3.

Very lightly loaded A/C? WTF is that? Its either on or off, and regardless when it runs it takes power, not nil...

=
You'll take it how they make it and you'll like it.

BS...

Well, gee wouldn't it be nice to be able to control the A/C in the G just like the shift light?

 

I suppose I'll chime in here one more time. I'd decided to let Salti's post-full-of-errors-and-assumptions go, under reasoning that when someone is that far out of the ballpark there'll be no convincing him of where center field is.

The problem I have with Nissan's automatic climate control in the G35 is about engineering restrictions in design for no good reason. There's little or no cost associated with giving me the ability to shut the compressor completely off when recirculating air. This is feature so commonly included in vehicles built over the last four decades as to be unmentioned and assumed. Yet Nissan, the same company who built my old '02 Altima 3.5 with ACC that had this option, and the same company who built my wife's '02 G20 Sport with ACC that has this option, chose to leave it off my G35. SaltiDawg, if you can give me one good engineering reason as to why Nissan took this feature away, I'll go with you on it.

But you can't. There is none. And your assertion that a "lightly loaded" compressor consumes "nil" horsepower may be technically true. But what you're really trying to say, as JasonJ75 pointed out, is that a compressor that's not engaged consumes no horsepower. Well, duh. That's why I want the option to turn the thing off when I recirculate cabin air.

There's no such thing as a "lightly loaded" compressor when it's engaged. It's running. It's compressing refrigerant. That takes horsepower. Lots of it. (Anyone who's ever driven a weak-kneed four-cylinder car with the A/C on knows what a dog-butted car you're driving while you're cool and fresh.) It drags on fuel economy. Substantially.

So let's not mislead people here.

I'll leave the rest of Salti's personal comments alone. They're not worth addressing.

 

someone must be a teck guru on here and be able to pull a single fuse and solve this problem....hey...thats my wishful thinking anyway

 

has anyone try to go back to the dealer ask them if it can be reprogramed ?
everytime when i press defrost on my bmw it automatically turn on the ac, but i went back to the dealer they were able to re-program it.
can infiniti do the same ?

 

When you defrost, the AC helps to defrost faster as the AC is essentially a dehumidifier, which takes water out of the air.

 

I drive with the sunroof open or the windows slightly cracked because I like to hear the car even if the a/c is on. it's nice in the summertime!

 

"if you can give me one good engineering reason as to why Nissan took this feature away, I'll go with you on it."

I don't want to adjudicate a flame war and I'm not an engineer. This may not be an engineering reason, but since the A/C dehumidifies it prevents moisture build-up that can lead to bad smell and mold. This, from an engineering view, I suppose, saves warranty work for odors, etc.

My Subaru (LL Bean) with auto climate control has the defroster come on everytime I start the car in cool weather (unless the unit is turned off). I find this curious, and have been unable to change it.

 

I see I am not the only one who's having problems with the temperture control unit. I was thinking about a direct swap with the '05 unit but looks it's same sh8t.
Why was it blowing at full speed after I pressed ECON, when outside temp is 65, and I have set the inside temp to 60? and when I adjust the temp up to 65, all the suddent it starts to blow hot air, even when the A/C is on, when I decrease the air speed it goes to "manual," if I rise the temp a little bit, it'll start to blow hot air... annoying. now I hope the '06 model has a better and more simple unit for direct swap.... but besides that I love the damn car