When am I supposed to use the recirculate air button in my car?

Question

Am I supposed to turn it on if I'm in heavy traffic, to reduce exhaust fumes coming in my car? Does it make a difference energy-wise? What are the guidelines and recommendations?

Answer 1

Recirculate air should be used in heavy traffic and high dust conditions. It helps the air conditioning inside the cockpit to give a cooler feel, as it uses cold air recirculated by the AC system from inside rather than outside, hence making it easier on the compressor and other electrical components. It will also keep out all the bad smells etc. It will also cycle the AC less as the source of air is already coming from inside rather than outside, On a long trip no traffic, dust conditions you can turn the recirculation off. Remember the colder you keep the inside temp the harder it is for the AC compressor to work, thereby increasing your useage of fuel as the Compressor requires a few horsepower from the engine to drive it. So city driving I would leave the recirc button on and long hauls on the highway turn the recirculation off. Also check your cabin filter as this will affect all the above, very important. Hope this helps. regards.JL

Answer 2

yes, turn it on recirculate when you are stuck in traffic, because the fumes still come in either way, especially from diesals, but is cut down quite a bit. if you turn off the recircle while you're smoking in the car, it keeps it from smelling as bad like smoke, FYI

Answer 3

when using the a/c