Maintain your air con
IF you’re driving around this winter without steamed-up windows and windscreen, you’ve probably got the air conditioning to thank for clear visibility. The air con system dries the incoming air, so there’s simply no moisture to stick to the glass, and any moisture already on the glass is absorbed into the dry air and carried away.
Freelander 1 drivers may struggle because these models have notoriously poor interior air flow and depend heavily on a healthy air conditioning system for safe vision in damp weather. Series models don’t mist up because all glass is automatically demisted by incoming drafts.
Whichever air-conditioned Land Rover we drive, it’s important to keep using the air con during winter, at least some of the time, even if the windows stay clear without it. Using the air con won’t make the vehicle interior cool because the manual heating system is capable of overriding it and, if climate control is fitted, the vehicle will automatically mix chilled and hot air to keep the cab temperature at whatever level of warmth we dial in.
The reason for using the air con, even when it seems unnecessary, is simply to keep it in good operational order. The refrigerant inside the system carries oil which helps lubricate internal parts of the compressor and valves, and circulation helps keep the vital O-seals supple to prevent refrigerant leaking out. Running the system for a few minutes each week will do the trick, and it will also help prevent bacterial growth in the air ducts, which can produce flu-like symptoms in addition to causing an unpleasant smell. If that’s already happened, products are available to kill the bacteria.
The air con system won’t run if the refrigerant pressure is low, so if your Landy already has a refrigerant leak, don’t ignore it until the warm weather returns
– it needs fixing now so the system can be run and kept in good order.
The big safety issue in winter is keeping a clear screen, especially for when we turn to head towards the low winter sun when every speck of dirt and moisture will conspire to blind us. We can reduce this by regularly cleaning the inside of the screen, because moisture steaming up the glass doesn’t so much adhere to the glass itself, rather to the film of dirt that covers it. Remove the dirt, and the moisture has little to stick to.
Keeping the air con lubricated, the air ducts healthy and the screen clean, will ensure optimum visibility through winter, and will reduce future air con maintenance bills.