Why Use That A/C Recirculation Button?

The Air Conditioning systems on today’s German performance vehicles are all designed to allow the operator to select a mixture of air from outside the vehicle or recirculate the air within it.  Whether you drive a BMW, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes Benz or Volkswagen, each manufacturer provides a driver selectable option on the console. Your German automotive experts at German Auto Center recommend for your health and the health of your vehicle that you leave this feature on recirculation mode.

There are three simple reasons to leave the switch selection in recirculation mode. The first: it is better for your and your passenger’s health. The latter two reasons reveal that the recirculation button is better for the health of your vehicle’s air conditioning system. Bet you did not know that.

Let us explain. First, all German makes utilize a filtration system (charcoal activated) that is designed to catch debris, grasses, pollen and other pollutants from entering the vehicle, this system does not capture and neutralize 100% of these pollutants. Molds, grasses, pollen and other microscopic organisms enter the cabin of the vehicle and can be breathed in high concentrations by the occupants, causing sneezing and similar allergic reactions. Considering what a rough place Austin can be for allergy sufferers, it’s important to eliminate these allergy triggers as much as possible. You can minimize this issue by changing the cabin filters regularly and by keeping the air conditioning system on re-circulate as to reduce the amount of outside air entering the system.

Second, as your German auto pulls outside air into the cabin, the grasses, pollen and other debris collect on the cabin air filter, clogging and further restricting air flow. This restriction in air flow makes the blower motor in your vehicle’s dash work that much harder to pull the outside air into the cabin. As this motor works harder, the life and longevity of the blower motor is reduced, which could lead to costly Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, BMW or Audi repair in Austin.

Third, your air conditioner will work more efficiently, keeping the cabin cooler. This is simply due to the fact that the air conditioner is working to cool a contained amount of air from inside the cabin as opposed to cooling 100 degree air from outside.

You can keep your German vehicle running for years to come by following tips for operation and by having routine maintenance performed on your vehicle. Listen to Porsche, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Mini, Audi, and Volkswagen service experts in Austin. If you have any questions, simply come by and visit Austin German automobile repair experts at German Auto Center. We will be happy to assist you!