2008 Fit Sport, with around 112,000 miles on the clock. What would cause the A/C compressor to cycle on and off (as if you were running the A/C) when it's not supposed to be on?

Yesterday, I was driving through some really heavy rain and wind (remnants of that big hurricane as it rolled through New England), and noticed that the compressor was cycling on and off, even when I wasn't using the defroster (or A/C) -- I tried every conceivable position of the controls to see if I could affect its behavior. It appeared to be doing it intermittently -- for awhile, it would be cycling on and off as if you were running the A/C or defroster, and then no.

I parked in a garage for the day, went to work, and when it was dry last night (the storm was long gone by evening), predictably, it was not doing it!

Is there a switch, control, or other component that tends to wear out, get corroded, or otherwise get tired at about this age, and cause the behavior I observed?

Thanks,

Urbie

 

Update: the behavior has not returned since last Thursday -- but it's been dry since then. We'll see what happens next time it rains (naturally, they're forecasting a mostly dry week, here in New England).....

 

If you have it set to front windshield defrost, or feet + front windshield defrost it will cycle the ac compressor on and off regardless of the position of the ac button.