Dear Tom and Ray:

I own a 1988 Toyota pick up with factory air conditioning. Often, it is too hot to go without the AC, but not hot enough to keep it on for more than a few minutes. The air blowing out is just too cold to stay comfortable. I'll turn it on for one to three minutes until I'm cooled down, then leave it off for 3-5 minutes until I'm too hot again. Is this constant on/off approach hard on the AC unit or motor? Would I be better off leaving it on, but warming up the air slightly by adding some heated air? Dennis

Tom: That's exactly what you should do, Dennis. You turn up the heater control knob on your dashboard and blend some warm air from the heater with the cold air from the air conditioner. And voila! Comfort!

Ray: That's exactly what the more expensive "climate control" systems do. And it uses no extra "energy" to mix in some heat, because the heat already exists. It's taken from the coolant that flows through the engine.

Tom: And it sure beats the way you're doing it now. Hot then cold then hot then cold. Didn't your mother ever tell you that's the way you get sick! 889

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1994 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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