2016 Fit LX, 27k miles.

It's been hot (upper 80's F) and very muggy the past couple of days. The AC has been used several times. Today we had a lot of rain and I started the car with the AC off but the fan turned on with fresh air and coming out of the air vents directed at the front window. After a few minutes there was condensation on the outside of the window. At times the air felt cold, but at other times it just felt like slightly cool and I couldn't tell if it was the AC running or just cooler air being blown into a car with two people inside. If I push the button once the light comes on and then off when I push it again. I'm driving at highway speeds and don't notice any change in engine noise, not that I remember ever hearing any with this car when the AC engages.

The condensation thing puzzles me. Sure, if I have the AC running and the humidity outside is very high I might expect condensation where the AC cools the glass, but the AC light is off. It's just outside air blowing on the glass so I wouldn't expect a drastic temperature change. The air does feel cold but maybe if I am sitting in a muggy car then any moving air will feel cooler.

I don't know how to diagnose this. Is this a quirk of the air system in a Fit, or under conditions of very high humidity? We have an extended warranty on this car but I'd rather not drive 15 miles to the dealership and sit there twiddling my fingers all day just to have them tell me there doesn't appear to be anything wrong.

 

Doesn't matter that the A/C light is off. If you have the vents directed toward the windshield, that automatically turns on the A/C, and the A/C light will not display because you haven't pushed the button.

It's my understanding that any car equipped with A/C does the same thing. It's to help direct less humid air at the windshield and hopefully let you see better.

 

Thank you bargainguy. My only other car ownership experience is an '81 Corolla where the AC only turns on when you press the AC button. Once you told me about this I was able to modify my search terms and find other Fit references to this:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...without-c.html

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...frost-mod.html

Incidentally, it was two nights ago when leaving Milwaukee that I first noticed this, so you'll know the conditions.

 

I take " the vents directed toward the windshield" means you're using the front windshield defroster? Dunno, just an assumption on my part,,,,and virtually car anymore turns on the ac compressor automatically when set to windshield defrost

 

Yes, although if you want to disable this feature, it is possible.
I did it with my 07 Focus years ago, and doing this on the Fit isn't much more difficult.

 

Yes, knob all the way to the right defrost setting. As I said earlier, I jumped about 30 years in car technology so I am used to having to do all the defrost combinations myself (vent + AC + heat). I like the air on the windshield. It directs cool air upwards and provides for general cooling better than a directed vent. I mostly need defrost here in winter when the air is very dry anyway so I don't need the extra AC drying capability. The other day the condensation I was seeing was on the outside of the window anyway and I kept on having to turn on the wipers to clear it.