Heat + Recirculate off = best thing ever
 

Not sure if this is common knowledge, but this was my first car and I just made this discovery lol.

Since I've had the car (over a year now) I always ran heat with recirculation on cause I figured its better for the car and I warm up faster.

But wow, after realizing that the heat works off the engine coolant, and outside air is obviously drier, I switched recirculation off and its the best freaking thing ever.

Not a single issue with fogging windows. Ever. Whoa.

Am I dumb for realizing this a whole year after driving?

You should run the heater with the air-con on. The air-con dehumidifies the air.
Not dumb, you have to learn sometime.

Yea I used to do that. I think the BRZ Limited turns AC on automatically when you turn on front defogger.

But the way I see it, wouldnt just using outside air be more efficient/effective? Manual also states the dehumidifying function might not work properly when its under 32F outside.

They all turn on the ac when on defrost. That is what some think is the idle dip when the compressor turns on. Have always used outside air so don't know if maybe turned off on recirculate though.

The FR-S (and probably the BRZ too) actually won't let you turn on recirculate when you have it set to defrost. If you hit the button it just goes right back off. Or maybe I'm thinking of the A/C? I know one of them will just kick off if you hit the button while the knob is on Defrost.

No, you're right. Most cars are like that for the defrost setting.

Full defrost will also turn the A/C on automatically.

I use this most of the time as well. It's okay if you're just learning this, means you're getting to know the fine things about your car.

Yes, you are. :D

I learned how to do it by copying what my mom's lexus does when defog is on...:bonk:

When I was a kid they had this weird habbit where they would turn ac to full blast to get rid of the fogs....& turn the inside of the car into frozen tundra.:cry: I guess that's how you would do it in Asia..... But not at North America! >___>

I unplug the AC compressor every winter, and my windows defrost plenty quickly. I also don't have any idle dip because of this "mod". I drive with it on defrost all the time, never using the at-me vent settings because being blasted with air is annoying, to me.

Before someone says "but by unplugging the compressor, you're not using it all winter and something bad might happen to it", allow me to say, "what about all of the people that park their cars all winter"?

#totalled

:D

Hate recirc, I quickly feel like the air gets stale and it makes me gag.

My parents both started driving around with the fans off and I can't go a block before I crack the window for some fresh air.

Has anyone else noticed that OPs name is Panda but his avatar is quite obviously not a panda but some lesser bear?

Same here. I used recirc a few times and almost puked.

Maybe I just smell bad. :(

Lmao. I never have that bad of a reaction to recirculated air. But thats probably cause I'm used to crappy city air and sitting in an office most of my day :\

shhh