Note: Air conditioning system is installed on some vehicles.
The system provides low-inertia regulation of air temperature, practically independent of the vehicle speed. The amount of air entering the cabin is mainly determined by the fan operating mode, so it should be turned on even when driving at high speed.
Outside air can enter the passenger compartment through the door windows when the windows are lowered and through the air blower located in front of the windshield. Air from the air blower can enter the passenger compartment of the car through the windshield blower nozzles, side and central nozzles, as well as through the lower nozzles of the heater housing.
Note: Driving with the windows open at 100 km/h increases fuel consumption by approximately 4%.
1.9. Heating system control unit (air conditioning) and ventilation of the cabin
The quantity, temperature, direction and intensity of air flows are regulated by the following switches installed in the heating system control unit (air conditioning) and ventilation of the cabin (figure 1.9).
1 – Air conditioner switch. To cool the air entering the car, press the air conditioner switch (if it is installed on the car) – a yellow indicator lamp will light up. To turn off the air conditioner, press the button again.
Note: When the air conditioner is turned on, especially in hot weather, the moisture contained in the air entering the heat exchanger condenses on it, flows off the evaporator and is removed from the heating unit through a special opening.
Note: The air conditioner will not turn on if the blower fan mode switch is set to the "0" position (the fan is off) or the ambient temperature is below 0°C. This is not a sign of a malfunction, but is provided for by the design.
Warning! Switching on the air conditioner while the engine is running in severe conditions (long climbs, heavy city traffic, etc.) may cause the engine to overheat. Monitor the coolant temperature gauge: if the temperature exceeds the permissible value, turn off the air conditioner. During long trips in city traffic conditions, the efficiency of the air conditioner may decrease due to the intense thermal conditions of the engine. This is not a sign of a malfunction; when driving in normal road conditions, the air conditioner will work effectively.
2 – Fan mode switch. To increase the intensity of air supply to the passenger compartment while driving and to ensure air supply when the vehicle is stationary, use the switch handle to set one of the four modes of operation of the air blower fan.
3 – Temperature regulator of the air supplied to the passenger compartment. To change the temperature of the air supplied to the passenger compartment, turn the temperature regulator knob. The blue part of the scale corresponds to the supply of the coolest air, the red part – the warmest air. When the knob is in the middle position, air is supplied to the passenger compartment at the ambient temperature.
4 – recirculation mode activation lever. To activate the recirculation mode, move the lever to the extreme right position. When the recirculation mode is on, outside air does not enter the passenger compartment, and the air blower fan ensures air circulation inside the passenger compartment. This mode is used to quickly warm up the passenger compartment in cold weather, as well as when the surrounding air is dusty and polluted with gases.
Attention! It is not recommended to keep the recirculation mode on for a long time while the car is moving, as this usually leads to fogging of the windows.
5 – air flow distribution regulator supplied to the passenger compartment. To change the air flow direction, use the air flow distribution regulator handle to select one of four options (clockwise):
- air supply to the upper part of the cabin (through the side and central nozzles of the instrument panel);
- air supply to the upper and lower parts of the cabin (through the side and central nozzles of the instrument panel, as well as through the lower nozzles of the heater housing);
- air supply to the lower part of the cabin (through the lower nozzles of the heater body);
- air supply to the windshield (through the windshield blower nozzles).
Depending on the various combinations of the control unit switches, the heating and ventilation system operates in the following main modes:
- maximum cooling mode. Used in hot weather and after prolonged parking in the sun to quickly cool the air in the cabin. In this case, before turning on the air conditioner, it is recommended to briefly open the windows to remove heated air from the cabin. The air conditioner and air recirculation switches must be on;
- normal cooling mode. Used when driving around town and outside the city in moderately warm weather. The air conditioner switch should be on, the recirculation switch should be off;
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- maximum heating mode. Used at very low ambient temperatures and to quickly warm up the air in the cabin after a long period of parking. The air conditioner switch must be off, the recirculation switch must be on;
- normal heating mode. Used in the cold season to maintain the optimum air temperature in the cabin after its intensive heating in the maximum heating mode. The air conditioner and air recirculation switches must be turned off;
- windshield and front door glass demisting mode. Used to quickly eliminate glass fogging in high humidity conditions. The air conditioner switch can be in any position depending on the ambient temperature, and the recirculation switch must be off.
Note: To prevent the glass from fogging up in rainy weather, turn on the blowing mode with the heater turned off, since the difference in temperature between the glass surface and the supplied air can cause condensation.
Useful tips
For more efficient ventilation and heating at vehicle speeds below 50 km/h and when driving on particularly dusty road sections with the windows closed (to create excess air pressure in the cabin, preventing dust suction) we recommend turning on the heater fan switch at low or maximum speed.
To quickly eliminate fogging of the rear window and free it from ice and snow, turn on the heated glass switch.
If you do not use the air conditioner for a long time, you need to turn it on briefly once a week with the engine running to restore the lubricant layer on the compressor parts and seals.