Turning the AC on and off, don't be careless, these are the rules

 Air Conditioner aka AC aka air conditioning on the vehicle is in charge of helping comfort. Especially during the dry season, car air conditioning is one of the mainstays to make driving comfortable. The problem is, many are not aware of this air conditioning operation. Not all drivers turn on the car's air conditioner the right way. With the aim of cooling the car cabin, but because of the wrong way, it actually makes the temperature in the cabin even hotter.

The hot temperature in the car cabin is definitely uncomfortable and can slow down the driver's reaction while driving. If the cabin in the car heats up to 35 degrees Celsius, the driver's reaction will be reduced by 20 percent compared to driving in a cabin with a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius.

AC operation should not be done haphazardly. If you do not follow the rules, it is possible that these components can be damaged quickly. For example, when turning off the engine, the AC should also be disabled. Because, in the long term there will be components that quickly break down prematurely.

Common mistakes

The mistake most drivers make when turning on the air conditioner is to set the air conditioner to the coldest temperature immediately after entering the car cabin. Even though this one will actually make hot air circulated in the car cabin. The right and effective way to make the car cabin cool quickly is to open the door and glass first for about 1 minute, to wait for all the car systems to connect. After 1 minute, close all doors and windows, then turn on the air conditioner to the coldest setting.

Then, the AC grille should not be directed at the driver in order to cool down quickly. This method can actually make the temperature inside the car cabin become hotter. We recommend that you point the AC grille to the roof so that cold air is more evenly distributed throughout the cabin. If the car is equipped with automatic AC settings, we can take advantage of this feature. By using the Auto system, the cabin will still feel cool and the air circulation from outside is still ongoing so that the glass will not appear fogged.  

There are other bad habits that are often done by vehicle owners. That is turning on and off the car air conditioner when the engine speed is still high. Even though when the engine speed is high, the compressor rotation automatically also goes high. If the car's air conditioner is suddenly turned off or on in these conditions, the car's compressor will bear a large enough burden. As a result, there will be considerable friction in the AC pulley components and the compressor center piece.

Things not to do

There are some things not to do. Do not drive with the windows open when the air conditioner is on. Make sure you close the windows on the car, this is intended so that no dust and dirt from the outside enters the car and is sucked in by the car air conditioner and sticks to the cabin. That way the air conditioner will stay awake and not emit a bad smell.

The thing that is often seen is smoking in the car. Never smoke when the AC is on. Cigarette smoke can cause excess dirt in the cabin, so the car air conditioner will be damaged quickly and not cold. Avoid smoking in the car if you want the car air conditioner to stay cool and well maintained.

Well, when you are driving and will arrive at your destination, make sure to turn off the AC first before turning off the car engine, as well as when you will turn on the car engine after turning on the AC optimally. Incorrect use causes the voltage of the electrical system in the car to be high and unstable, it can have a slow impact on the damage to the electrical system components in the car.

Do routine maintenance

Finally, don't forget to check regularly the condition of the car's air conditioner so that it can work optimally. Routine maintenance to avoid long-term effects. The reason is that there are many important components in the air conditioner, such as compressors, condensers, to evaporators. If there is a problem with the component, then the performance of the AC will not be optimal.

There are a few things to note:

- Every 6 months / 10 thousand km replace the cabin filter.

- Every 1 year light periodic service such as blower and condenser service.

- Every 2 years a major service includes the evaporator, blower, condenser, changing the dryer and cabin filter and recharging the freon.