I understand that when directing vent air to the windshield, the A/C is automatically engaged in order to dehumidify the air. This happens regardless of whether the A/C button is pressed.

Is there any way to avoid the automatic A/C when directing vent air at the windshield? When I have air venting in from the outside, it's typically devoid of the moisture from human breathing, and it should be enough to defog the interior of the windshield. I do not like having the A/C on sometimes because it's just darn cold. And I don't want to set the temperature away from the extreme blue end because I don't like the smell of the heater. Having the A/C on also cools the windsheild, which causes fog and condensation on the outside, especially on humid or wet days, or when entering a humid building like a garage or car wash. This is the kind of thing that should be left to the driver.

 

There's a thread on here somewhere, it involves cutting a wire behind the dash. I'm that if you search you can find it.

 

One linkey:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...-selected.html

Did this on my GE8. Basically, as I recall, you pull off the smallish square panel below the radio and heater controls and above the bin behind the console cupholders under the dash (pulling down from the far side of the panel, the side nearest the firewall, with some sort of a hooklike implement), and unplug the most accessible wire from the mode knob assembly. There are two connectors with wires; one to turn the A/C on when defrost is selected, and one for the backlighting for the control. The actual mode selection is mechanical. Overall a simple modification, and easy enough to undo should you change your mind for whatever reason.

 

I'm going to try a less invasive "soft" process first. I found it at ► DIY: Turn Off Automatic A/C Turn-On - Honda-Tech. From that page, I synthesized the following steps.

•turn car off & heat/vent knobs fully CCW
-turn temp knob to full blue
-turn fan knob to off
•hold down air recirc button & a/c button
-keep both buttons depressed and start car
-keep both buttons depressed for 7 seconds
•ac light should blink

I am confused by the step to press recirc, as that control is a lever rather than a button on my 2013 Fit in Canada. Like the picture at http://blog.waikem.com/wp-content/up...5-1024x682.jpg. I found an older procedure posted at https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...c-defrost.html. This is what I synthesized, without signifcant changes:

•turn car ON
•Turn heat/vent knobs fully CCW
-temp knob to full blue
-fan knob to off
-vent output to face only
•turn key OFF
•hold down a/c button
-keeping a/c pressed, turn key to ON
-hold down a/c button for 7 seconds
•release AC button and start the car

I'll try the 2nd one first.

 

Neither procedures worked (for the 1st procedure, I only pressed the A/C because, as mentioned, the recirc control is not a button). However, there were a few things I was uncertain about.

The A/C button is a two-state button, so you press once to put it into its depressed (on) state, and press again to raise it its un-depressed state (off). It wasn't clear to me whether keeping the A/C button pressed meant (i) physically maintaining the button at the bottom of its mechanical travel or (ii) simply keeping it in its depressed state (on) state -- the latter means physically letting the button go immediately after pressing it from its off state. I tried both methods.

Likewise, releasing the button could mean (i) letting the button go from the bottom of its mechanical travel or, (ii) if it is in the on-state with no finger pressing it, pressing again to put it in the off-state.

Finally, I assumed that the key "on" position is the position immediately before the position for cranking the engine, and the "off" position was the position immediately before the "lock" for removing the key. Hoping this is the right interpretation.

Can anyone shed some light on these ambiguities?

If not, then I will have to follow the wire removal procedure provided by DrewE. Here is FitStir's diagram:


Can anyone be specific about where the plug is in the diagram that needs to be removed?

P.S. Really frustrated that Honda didn't see it "Fit" to make the procedure available in the owner's manual. It's quite draconian to flout the user controls and decide how the enviromental systems will operate without any knowledge of the circumstances the drivers will operate under.

Afternote:
Here is a diagram from from an older thread at https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...lutions-3.html


It's a little different from the one above, but it's clearer about the plug to remove. I hope things haven't changed in 8 years.

Can anyone point to diagrams to remove the cover and access this thing?

 

I visited the Honda service centre to inquire with the technicians about the official procedure to disable the automatic A/C. The head technician was not aware of any such procedure, and the service advisor looked up a technician's knowledgebase for such a procedure. I was peering over his shoulder. Nothing came up in browsing the HVAC area, and various searches for A/C, disable, etc., did not reveal anything relevant. I'm going to mull over this idea of pulling the plug. If I end up doing it, I hope it is not too different from the diagrams above.

 

It's been many years since I did this mod, but iirc, that plug is behind the ac switch? or in that general area.
Here's a link to the original diy, but the op edited his post and moved that info... https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...c-defrost.html

Also the above pic is from MY GE8, so for many of you GE8 owners it might not look the same because I have the OEM Navi which is why my AUX input is there.... and wow that pic is super old, cause since then I moved my Aux power to the center, installed the JDM cig lighter in that left slot, and added the 2012 center light... lol... oh and changed to the JDM center console with the coin holder.

Read over the original DIY I linked, I'm sure there's still enough info scattered throughout that thread to help you with the DIY... that along with my pic, it's a quick (a few minutes) DIY. One of the easiest I've done.

 

Here... try this thread... looks more detailed w/pics.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...frost-mod.html

 

Thanks for that, FitStir. The link did in fact give me a bit more awareness of the problem and solution. It warns me to expect some difficulty finding the plug without disassembling something. I'll take a look under the dash to see what is visible without any disassembly. I don't welcome the prospect of disassembly, but may do it anyway. It just won't be a short term to-do.

By the way, here in Canada, the 2013 Fit comes in 3 variations: DX, LX, and Sports. The LX (my car) is the middle tier, coming with arm rest, FOB, cruise control, and probably a few odds and sods. Google says that the Fit is called the Jazz in some countries, but I haven't yet found what Fit model the GE8 corresponds to.

 

There's an easy solution to this, that won't cost you a cent. Turn the selection knob to floor/defrost. Yes, at this position the AC will cut in. Turn it back part way towards floor, until you hear a soft click in the knob. You're still on floor/Defrost, but midway between that setting and floor, the AC will not run.

I've done this myself sometimes. Yes, it works.

 

Wow, that's great. Thanks for that, 2010FitInSK. I'll definitely give it a try.

Truth be told, there is no way to avoid the heater all the time. That's the only reason why I don't want defrost, because I then have to heat it in order to avoid hypothermia, and the heatered air causes me to cough. Avoiding AC while defogging the windshield just means I use the heater less. The times I *have* to use AC, however, is when I am on recirculate (say, in a dusty environment) and I need to squeeze out the moisture from my breathing. Also, come winter, there will be no getting around the heater. Bleah. I've started to use a puffer, and that helps a bit, but I hate having to do that. Why can't they make cars with heaters that don't do that "thing" to the air.

P.S. With the knob between floor and floor/defog, only a portion of the air is directed at the window. It might mean doubling up on the fan speed for sufficient defogging. I shall experiiment Thanks again.

 

TommyMadison—have you tried replacing the cabin air filter? The heater setting should not make the air significantly more dusty or otherwise different than other settings; it's just sending the air around the heater core (which is always "engaged" on the Fit, so it's warm when the engine has warmed up) rather than bypassing it. Any residual dust or whatever on the core should be dislodged and cleared out by running the fan on high with the heat on for a bit. You needn't sit in the car while doing that, of course; from the sounds of things, you probably wouldn't want to.

If there's any strong odor or whatever, you have something wrong—perhaps a critter expired by the heater core or some such. I likely don't have equally as sensitive lungs and nose as you (though I do get hayfever occasionally) but I cannot tell any difference on my car between heated and unheated air other than the temperature.

(Unhooking the wire that turns the A/C on automatically for the defroster really isn't as intimidating as you may think....)

 

DrewE,

It's not the cabin filter, I had the same problem with the previous low end car (97 Tercel). And I had a similar problem with this Fit even when it was new, one year ago. Also, a compromised cabin filter would not explain the problem only presents itself when using the heater. In previous inquiries online, there was the suggestion that it was the heater resistor. My mechanic, however, says modern cars don't have the same kind of resistor, and that it's just a sensor on a circuit board. To me, there is no clear line between a big honking resistor and a sensor....circuit boards *can* contain a resistor, regardless of whether it is a big honking coil or a chip-like thingy, or anything in between. My own suspicion is that it might be oxide on the heater core (e.g., aluminium oxide, if it's made of aluminium) being heated. Perhaps something is sublimating.

I might look for clearer diagrams and explanations for accessing the auto-AC wire at some point.

2012FitInSK,

I experimented and found that when the knob is between the defog/floor and the all-floor, the windows fog up. So either there is not enough air directed to the glass when the knob is in that position or the fogging problem is so severe that it's hopeless without the AC's dehumidification. Thanks for the idea, anyway.

 

Can this be done to the GD Fit as well?

 

It must be dryer in Saskatchewan, because I don't usually find that. I'm told that in the postion I mentioned, air is still directed 50% to the floor, and 50% defrost, just as if it was on floor/defrost. There *are* times, though, when that's not enough, and, yes, I do have to use full defrost.

I usually don't worry about running the A/C on defrost. Then again, right now I've got the heater on, anyway, so once the car warms up a bit, the colder air from the A/C isn't a bother. When it is, we just close the outboard dash vents (they blow air all the time). Have you tried that?