It’s probably hot, you’ve just acquired a new vehicle and you want to use one of the most useful functions of your car, air conditioning!
On most vehicles, turning on the air conditioning is not a difficult thing to do, but today we’re going to take a look at this manipulation, which, although simple, can be a bit technical for novices. So we will see how to turn on the air conditioning on a vehicle? First, we will see how it works, then how to turn on the air conditioning on your car and finally we will give you some tips on how to use it.

how to turn on the air con on my car

How does the air conditioning work on a car?

The air conditioning of your car works in a very similar way to that of your fridge, in fact, it works with a compressor and refrigerant gas system which, depending on its state (liquid or gas) will emit cold. This system works in a closed circuit. Here are the main elements that will ensure that the air conditioning of your car works properly:

  • The compressor: It is the main element of your air conditioning system, it manages the pressure in your circuit and it will manage the circulation of fluids in the circuit.
  • The condenser: this small coil has as objective, like a radiator, to allow the gas to decrease in temperature and return to a liquid state (55 degrees).
  • The air blower and the evaporator: The heating blower will subject the pressurized liquid to a high temperature which will make it transform into gas and during this transition will create cold which will be sent into the passenger compartment by the evaporator.

In practice, this system works in a closed circuit, and by causing variations in temperature and pressure, the refrigerant gas will be allowed to change state, resulting in the production of heat or cold. You now know how the air conditioning of your vehicle works.

how to turn on my car air conditioning

How do you turn on the air conditioning on my car?

Now let’s move on to the part that interests you the most, namely how to turn on the air conditioning on a car? Although this manipulation is simple enough for most of you, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it because you don’t know how to turn it on.

Turn on the air conditioning manually on my car

There are two types of air conditioning on your car, the manual air conditioning and the automatic air conditioning, we will start with the most widespread of the two, namely the manual air conditioning, this version of the air conditioning on a vehicle is what we could call the entry level. Indeed, it won’t give you access to a lot of settings, but you’ll already have the possibility to cool the air inside your car. You can simply choose the ventilation intensity and the temperature of the air your system blows. To turn on the air conditioning of your car, you will need to turn on the A/C button, then set the ventilation and temperature of your car.

Turn on the automatic climate control on my car

Finally, we will see how to turn on the automatic air conditioning on your car. Although the method is very similar to manual air conditioning, there are some additional options that will allow you to enjoy fresh air with even more comfort. Unlike manual air conditioning, automatic air conditioning allows you to choose the temperature you wish to have in the cabin and the system will self-regulate to reach it. In addition to the automatic climate control, you often have the option of using the “Bi-Zone” option, which gives you the possibility of choosing different temperatures according to the zones of your car. To turn on the automatic air conditioning on your vehicle, you will simply need to turn on the A/C button of your ventilation system, then choose the temperature you want to reach and let the air conditioning on your car.

Some advices on how to use the air-conditioning of your car

Finally, last part of our article, now that you know how to turn on the air conditioning on your car, we will see some practical tips to optimize the use of your air conditioning and preserve it:

    • When you arrive in your vehicle which has been left in the sun, first open your windows at the same time as the air conditioning to evacuate the excess of hot air before closing them again to let your air conditioning work.
    • In winter, you can use your air conditioner to remove the mist from the tiles, thanks to its air dehumidifier, it will be more efficient than your heating system.
    • Turn off the air conditioning in your car 5 minutes before turning off the engine to preserve your air conditioning compressor and avoid humidity odors in the passenger compartment. In the event that you have noticed any unpleasant odours coming from the air conditioning in your vehicle, don’t hesitate to read our article on this subject
    • Turn on the air conditioning of your car regularly, even in winter, to keep it working properly.
    • Don’t set your air conditioning to a temperature too different from the outside temperature or you may get sick. Also, don’t project the airflow directly onto your face, but rather onto your arms or chest.