An MPG tip for your car: Use defrost sparingly. [View all]

[Eleanors38]

The "defrost" setting on your car works well to quickly defrost your windshield by "reverse cycling" your A.C. compressor to provide warm dry air to clear condensation, but leaving it on (either for defrost or heat) means you are giving up 2-4 mpg because you are using the A.C.

Try using the "vent" settings, adjusting the heat as necessary, after the windshield is clear. This employs only the fan and the heater core, not the A.C. Check your owner's manual to see how your settings work. If unsure, open the hood of your running engine while the heat or defrosy is on and see if your A.C. is cycling on -- a pulley clutch will be click & start spinning, stop, then resume. This means you are using the compre$$or!

Another wasteful, polluting and unnecessary practice: Letting your car idle to warm up. God! this is awful. Start your car, put it into gear, and start driving slowly without revving. Use your A.C. defrost at this time, then go to vent. Your car will warm up faster & use less gas, & suffer less wear. And you won't pollute as much. Damned urban legend was dead by the 1950s. I've driven cars 50+ yrs old immediately after starting on cold days without problems.