[F1-Addict]

Reading these posts reminds me of my College days. My first car - a humble first generation Zen. Bought pre-worshipped. Sigh!! Great memories with my first “lady in red”. More on that on another day.

I remember pocket money was scarce and I had to conserve petrol. So driving with the a/c on was very limited. College and back was a daily hot commute of 24 kms. And things were tougher in the monsoons with all the glasses getting fogged. Pulling up at a signal next to a bus or truck was horrid. Since there were no power windows the smoke would directly enter the vehicle.

No reverse cameras, no sensors, no power windows, no power steering - but still:: God I loved that car.

[fordday]

Originally Posted by Tassem

I also have a habit of regularly (every 3-4 months) sanitizing the AC ventilation & hoses:

Do this after the vehicle has been parked for a few hours, preferably at night and close all the inside AC vents before you begin.

1. Turn on the engine and run the AC on high temp at full blast for a couple of minutes
2. Turn off the engine (and the AC) but leave the fan on full blast till the air isn't hot anymore
3. Spray two or three blasts of the below linked disinfectant from the outside AC air intake vents (usually just below the wipers.) This circulates the disinfectant throughout the AC plumbing. You should see condensation appear on the inside vents.
5. Wait for a minute or two. Open the inside vents and leave the fan on full blast for 5 minutes or till the air inside has no smell and park the vehicle for the night.
6. Next morning before you drive, air out the vehicle for a couple of minutes.

I will try this but have some queries.

If all the inside vents are closed and AC run run at full blast, where will the air go?

How long do we keep the fan on with engine off? Asking because I drained the battery once trying this.

[ssenhyd]

Originally Posted by VRJ

This is one reason why I support electric vehicles. Our daily commutes can become a lot better. We’re not only not emitting harmful gases, even the bikers and bus goers will indirectly benefit out of this. They’ll breath much cleaner air during their commute.

Your wish may come true for different reasons. The Corona Virus pandemic has been a boon in one way, it has proven convincingly once for all in the minds of most management that most IT/BPO workers can work comfortably from home for extended periods and be fully productive.
If this trend takes hold, then rush hour commute in cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, etc. will reduce dramatically for good and not be a temporary reduction as being witnessed now

[PrasannaDhana]

Mine is almost always rolled up. Only times I roll them down (partially) are the times I drive back home from the gym (3 km drive) and when I give alms to poor people at signal stops / tip the air pressure check guy at the fuel pump. Even then the ac is still ON in the external air circulation ON mode, and I have the magnetic sunblinds on all windows which infact act like a sort of dust filter, stopping dust from entering the cabin.

Moreover, I am lucky to be settled in a tier 2 city in central Tamilnadu without much traffic or pollution and with 40+ degree summers and warm winters. There isn't a need for the AC to be switched off and windows to be rolled down.

100% AC at 23 degrees Celsius + windows up is what I find most comfortable.

[Tassem]

Originally Posted by fordday

I will try this but have some queries.
If all the inside vents are closed and AC run run at full blast, where will the air go?

The inside vents are far from air tight. Closing it just ensures that the air pressure inside the vents will be slightly higher than usual. They will still find ways to escape. I missed adding that the car should be in "Fresh Air" mode and not Recirc while doing this. I also shift the flow modes a few times to ensure the footwell vents are also taken care of.

How long do we keep the fan on with engine off? Asking because I drained the battery once trying this.

Not more than 5 minutes. You'll need to run it a lot more than that to drain a good battery. How long did you run it when you drained yours? And was it an old/weak battery?

Give it a try. You'd be surprised how much better it feels. We won't notice it till the air is actually different.

[Vipin Kumar]

I always keep the windows rolled up. I open a window only when I have to make payment at a mall exit, when I am stopped for thermal screening these days or when I am stopped at the toll etc. The interiors remain clean and you are also insulated from the noise outside and the pollution.

The only time I drove with windows open in the last one year was while climbing a green and misty stretch before Virajpet while driving to Mysore, that too must be around five to seven kilometres.

I also get somewhat impatient when somebody drives me with all windows of the car open. I would then rather prefer a bus or auto whenever I feel like I need to be in the world Thus I prefer townbus etc when I am in other cities, without my car.

[AnandB]

Wrong thread. Mods please delete.

[vikramvicky1984]

Agree with all the points stated and I drive most of the times with windows up. I have some questions which is do with generally staying in AC environment all time , not just in cars.

Is it not going to adversely affect our immunity?
Are we making ourselves too dependent? I know many people who cannot get sleep without AC.
Will we not be able to drive some day when AC goes bad too if we are used to 100% windows up?

Request views of our members.

[ram.iyer95]

I too prefer driving with the windows up and AC turned on. The car that I have now (an old Alto) does not have power windows and it is impossible to quickly wind up the open windows when I'm driving alone and it suddenly starts raining or if a smoke-belching truck/bus passes by. So, I never bother with the windows and just enjoy the bone-chilling AC. The only issue is, this car becomes horrible to drive with the AC turned on, jerking constantly and crying for more power. So I just keep fiddling with the AC 'ON' button when in the city, something that's not required when I drive other (more powerful) cars.

[Sasanka_Sanga]

I don't even think of rolling down the windows while commuting in the city. Also the current pandemic is forcing me not to roll down. This keeps my car interiors clean and keeps me safe from pollution and viruses.

When I travel to forests, hill stations, etc, that is where I roll down the windows to experience nature as AC's are no match to what nature offers.

[Laxman9192]

Wow! Vindication is a sweet feeling!
Have fought with my family a number of times just to keep the windows rolled up. I never did mind the partial drop in FE and prefer to be cocooned within the car away from the elements and pollution, especially having commuted on a bike 70 kilometers a day for 3 straight years.

[adi.mariner]

The only time I roll the window down is for paying the Toll. I have had an experience of a bike flicking the right ORVM and causing the mirror glass to break and crash into the closed windows. The broken pieces would have come inside if the windows were open. It was a narrow lane and the bike was overtaking a car coming from the opposite direction.

[N33raj]

Originally Posted by GTO

I guess bikers & those who drive open cars (like my Jeep) are even worse off?

Unfortunately yes. However if you use a proper mask while in the Jeep you will be much better off.

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

Absolutely agree.
I've been wondering if I would again want to travel in city traffic without a face mask, not just Post-COVID, but even in the distant future.
...IMO Masks are here to stay.

While this may be a new thing for a lot of people, i have been using a mask since a long time now. I found this company on TBHP itself and their masks work well for me at least. I used to get headaches in Bangalore prior to using masks with my full face helmet. After this combination i did not have those headaches anymore. I use a N99 with valve as it fits inside my helmet. Of course now that i am in Delhi, i do not commute by motorbike anymore but take my car that has a Philips air purifier in it.
Here is the link: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post4305399 (Anti-Pollution Masks for Bikers)

Originally Posted by v1p3r

What'll really get your goat is seeing how small changes in PM level - a 10 count increase etc. - make a massive difference to life expectancy and disease risk.

Heh. Tell me about it. My friends in Bangalore even now poke fun at me due to my mask habits; i have been stopped by cops as well since they "could not see my face properly"!

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

99.9% of the time I drive with ACC on re-circulation and windows rolled up...I like to sing along to the music playing and it's in public interest that my voice should go unheard.
Does anybody else face the problems of heightened sensitivity to dust/ pollution after starting to use face masks?

My singing will make the departed souls come back to earth to beat me up! On the other hand, I have not faced this sensitivity issue so far. Maybe others who are heavy duty mask users can chime in.

Originally Posted by Tassem

I also have a habit of regularly (every 3-4 months) sanitizing the AC ventilation & hoses

Thanks for the tip! I will experiment with it and see.

[smooth indian]

I prefer to keep my windows rolled up with the AC running in low fan and partial vent mode. The windows are meant to protect you from the elements i.e. dust, pollution and rain. The AC is meant to keep the car environment comfortable for the driver and the passengers. Ocassionally I may keep a small slit on one or more windows if the passengers complain of chilliness inside the cabin. IMO the slight drop in fuel efficiency is a small price to pay for better comfort. A generation or two ago it was considered extravagant to have AC in a car or to use the AC regularly. I am glad that there are several people in India who have moved past the pretentiousness of treating air-con as a luxury to be avoided.

[RBalaM]

As stated by many keeping windows closed protects us from pollutants and helps maintaining the vehicle interiors. I usually follow this during the day time or when I drive between morning 7am to 11pm. Before 7 am or after 11pm, I keep my windows rolled down fully, just to enjoy the breeze of air which no AC can match.