[oldertech]

I sold my 2007 Chevy Cobalt for a '92 VX and this is my first summer with it. I've learned some amazing things about cars, their use of energy and the quest for best FE. I find it fascinating that turning on the headlights can kick up the idle on this car, or running the interior fan. Not to mention running the A/C.

I live in Kansas where we have hot, humid summers. I drove many summers in cars that had no A/C so it's only in recent years that I've even had the opportunity to use one.

Now, what I've noticed on the VX is that while many considerations are made for fuel economy, that same consideration was not made for AC. When you run the AC on the Honda, like many cars, it just cranks things cold, and if you want it a little bit warmer, you have two choices - cycling the AC switch yourself or adding warm air to blend in with the cold air and get you a steady interior temp. The first method can get monotonous. While the second method might be good for creature comfort, it isn't good for FE. Seems to me that what we need to do for hypermiling is coming up with thermostats or timers that can dial down the cycle time of the AC to just keep the temps cool enough and humidity low enough to be comfortable instead of throwing heat into the mix. Has anyone considered altering the cycle ON time of the AC compressor? Is the Honda VX thermostat adjustable?

Scott