Does leaving AC on Auto lead to premature failure?

[FatherTo1]

I tried searching for this topic but didn't find an exact match.

I personally have a habit of turning off AC after reaching my destination. When my wife drives the Y I completely understand her simply parking and walking away and relying on the car to take care of itself. If she is the one to park the Y in the garage and then later I grab something quick from the car, the act of opening and closing the door will cause the AC to come on for a few seconds and then turn off. Over time will this repeated behavior damage the AC components? There isn't anything in the owner's manual recommending to turn the AC off but I'm a little paranoid about the AC cycling on/off briefly and how it affects longevity.

 

[hgmichna]

It boils down to the question whether starting the heat pump and stopping it causes significantly more wear than running it for some minutes.

I personally believe that the additional wear is insignificant. I'm an engineer and have some insight in what actually happens when an electric motor and a connected heat pump starts and stops running. I see refrigerators do this for decades without failing, and they have essentially the same design as the air conditioning in a car.

Even if the air conditioning actually failed after 10 to 20 years, the cost of repairing it would be insignificant, compared to all other costs.

In short, I do not worry. I leave the air conditioning on and enjoy a few seconds of extra cooling when I enter the car to do something there for a short time without driving.

 

[bobbyjae]

I turn off the AC and run the fan when I park to flush out the damp air. Hoping it helps the AC from smelling prematurely.

 

[hgmichna]

Doesn't the Tesla air conditioning do that automatically?

 

[bobbyjae]

Doesn't the Tesla air conditioning do that automatically?

It may but I still hear people complain about how bad their AC smells so I try to be proactive. I think you really need to turn the fan up to flush it all out.

 

[FamilYLR]

You’re way overthinking it man just drive and enjoy. Your battery we’ll be fine even after you no longer have it in 7+ years. Just enjoy the car and don’t worry about it

 

[fiehlsport]

You’re way overthinking it man just drive and enjoy. Your battery we’ll be fine even after you no longer have it in 7+ years. Just enjoy the car and don’t worry about it

Exactly... like people nitpicking over PPF then trading the car in 2 years to a Ford dealership - it doesn't matter in the long run. Enjoy auto climate, set it and forget it, and let the car do its thing.

 

[DanDi58]

I used to turn it off on my ICE vehicle (along with radio), simply to avoid the extra load when starting the next time. But I leave it on auto all the time (unless I want outside air) and don't worry about it. No stink in my car after 18 months and 20k miles.

 

[tm3dlr]

From the files of worrying about nothing

 

[sckor]

I had my air filters replaced by mobile service, and the technician said to leave it in Auto all the time.

He said one of the changes they made to prevent the smell from coming back is that when in Auto, once you park the car it will keep the fans running to dry out the system. It would't help if your car was already smelly, but it should (hopefully) keep it from happening again.

Obviously this is just one tech, but to answer your question - it seems the recommendation is to put it on auto and just leave it.