A TikTok user accused hybrid and electric cars of having weaker air conditioning systems than other cars. Lauren (@lauren_h2) posted a viral clip that’s accrued over 150,000 views in which she laments melting in the Florida heat.
The reason? Her hybrid Honda’s A/C system wasn’t blowing out cold air while her car was in park. She shared her unhappiness with this issue in a text overlay of her video.
In it, she writes, “‘Get an electric car’ ‘get a hybrid.’ Why does my hybrid not blow cold air when in park. This is Florida, and I am in direct sunlight.”
She begins her clip by staring deadpan into the camera, her hair blowing from the air from her vehicle’s vents. Lauren then flips the camera around to show her car’s dash, then back to her unhappy, non-air-conditioned face.
“I’m SWEATING,” she writes in a caption for her video.
@lauren_h2 im SWEATING 😅
♬ original sound – †
A Honda problem?
Several commenters who replied to her video stated that this wasn’t necessarily a problem with electric or hybrid vehicles. Instead, they attributed the poor air conditioning system to a fault with Honda’s manufacturing process.
One person broke it down as such: “This is not a hybrid thing…just a honda thing. They have freon leaks, get it checked out at the dealership. There is probably a tsb out for this,” they penned.
Someone else echoed that they, too, have this issue with their Honda Civic. However, they didn’t mention whether it was a hybrid vehicle. “This makes sense bc I have an 06 civic that works perfectly but if you stop for a bit the ac just doesn’t hit the same the rest of the drive,” they said.
Another claimed Honda’s decision to use “new freon” in its vehicles is what causes this problem.
However, some folks seemed to agree with Lauren’s claim that this is an issue with hybrid vehicles. “My Prius did this too,” they wrote.
How EV A/C systems work
Other commenters argued that electric and hybrid vehicles would be less prone to air conditioning malfunctions. As this person wrote, “EVs do better with AC parked bc the compressor isn’t tied to engine RPM, fun fact. I’m sure some hybrids can run the compressor separately too, tho admittedly haven’t looked into it.”
FJC, a company specializing in car air conditioning components/service, writes that EV/HEV AC units are indeed different. The company pens that “most automotive A/C systems…are powered by an internal combustion engine.” This isn’t the case for EV/HEV systems, however. FJ writes, “Air conditioning systems in electric and hybrid vehicles use high voltage electricity to power the compressor.”
The company went on to recommend different types of coolants and refrigerants for these systems. “They require a special POE (Polyolester) oil which is non-conductive. This oil coats the electric motor windings and protects against electrical leakage.”
If someone does put PAG oil in the car, this could “cause electric shock and system damage.” This could mean that if the car’s engine isn’t actively running, no power is provided to the AC system.
Idle trouble
It seems other folks have complained about their Honda vehicles not blowing cold air while idling, either. Folks on this Drive Accord forum post tried troubleshooting one user’s issue. One commenter assumed the problem could’ve been electrical in nature, as engine RPMs seemed to power the system while driving.
To make matters more confusing, this Honda CRV driver said they had the opposite problem. Their car’s air conditioning system only worked while they were idling.
Lauren replaces her cabin filter
@lauren_h2 Replying to @ghost ♬ original sound – lauren
One user who responded to Lauren’s video stated that her problem might’ve been solved with a simple cabin filter swap. “If your air re-circulator is pressed on, you may need to recharge your freon.” Another bit of advice they had: “or replace your cabin air filter.”
In a follow-up video, Lauren records herself swapping out her car’s cabin air filter. She’s shocked at how easy the procedure was while expressing disbelief in how much some shops charge.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Honda via email and Lauren via TikTok comment.
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