Reasonable MPG or not?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Wow. You're getting great results. I almost always baby my A/C more than you describe and we're getting the same Summer MPG. If I've had to leave the car in the blazing sun for any length of time and neglected to leave the window cranked open a bit, then I'll start the A/C at the coldest setting on vent and the fan on 2 until the heat dissipates. The rest of the time I keep the fan on 1 about 98 percent of the time and the temp at 10 o'clock about 90-95 percent of the time. I find that the fan on 2 vs 1 has a slight effect re gas consumption, but turning the temperature below 9 o'clock has a significant and fairly rapidly accelerating negative effect on gas consumption the closer I set the dial toward 6 o'clock. I only shut the vents (put on recirculating) when I start to smell a skunk or see a dead squirrel/possum/skunk/dog/cat/doe/raccoon in the road ahead of me (a much more common sight than when I lived in California....I'm not complaining though, I just adjust accordingly). I usually keep the behind the cup holders vents closed and just use the center ones.

I used to drive with just the center vents, but I decided one day to pop my (driverside) cup holder vent open, and I find that it cools me better so that I can use fan speed 1 more often. I've never played with the temp tho, like I said, I play with fan speed more to get it cooler or "warmer".


Have you insulated that one AC line yet?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

I used to drive with just the center vents, but I decided one day to pop my (driverside) cup holder vent open, and I find that it cools me better so that I can use fan speed 1 more often. I've never played with the temp tho, like I said, I play with fan speed more to get it cooler or "warmer".


Have you insulated that one AC line yet?

No. I'll look into that. Do you think the fact that you have a sedan and I have a liftback would make any difference (re different dash/windshield/front door window angles, etc)?

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

No. I'll look into that. Do you think the fact that you have a sedan and I have a liftback would make any difference (re different dash/windshield/front door window angles, etc)?

Could be, you guys have the hatch area to cool off. Then again, I drive with my back seats down (because I can't hear my sub with the seats up), so the trunk area has to be cooled off too. Don't think the windows will make a difference, but the LB does have those two small windows in front of the front windows, right?

Oh, and my rear windows have 5% tint, I put up a sun shade/block on my front windshield, and those stick on mesh shades on my front driver- and passenger-side windows when I park, leaving a little gap in the windows (enough to reach the bottom of my window visors, which isn't much, probably 1/2").

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Could be, you guys have the hatch area to cool off. Then again, I drive with my back seats down (because I can't hear my sub with the seats up), so the trunk area has to be cooled off too. Don't think the windows will make a difference, but the LB does have those two small windows in front of the front windows, right?

Oh, and my rear windows have 5% tint, I put up a sun shade/block on my front windshield, and those stick on mesh shades on my front driver- and passenger-side windows when I park, leaving a little gap in the windows (enough to reach the bottom of my window visors, which isn't much, probably 1/2").

Right after I made my last post I was looking at (for lack of a better term) your 'signature car picture', noticed your window tinting, and wondered if that might make a difference.