Hi,

I'm a complete noob, first truck, first motor vehicle! 2012 F-150! Loving it so far, but have a question. Mine didn't come with a manual or anything, and I've tried to find it, but I can't read it on any of my devices from the pdf I found online. Anyway, can I not run the a/c or even the fan without starting the engine? I could've sworn that I can run at least the fan in my mom's car without cranking it up, but can't seem to figure out how to in my truck.

Main reason why because when I'm pumping gas or running into the gas station or something, I need it running for my dog or little bro who ride around with me. Thanks!!!

PS, sorry for being a total noob! I wanna be a responsible truck owner!

 

No you can't. The A/C compressor (the part that makes the air cold) is driven by a belt that only turns when the engine is running. The fan will come on if you turn the key to the run position but it will blow ambient air since the compressor is not engaged.

 

Why not just leave the truck running while you go in the store? Sometimes I'll even leave my cars and trucks running while I fill up.

 

Very bad idea to leave a vehicle running while refueling. Often illegal.

There is no vehicle that runs the A/C without the engine running, although you can leave the key on Accessory and run the fan. The air will turn warm, how quickly depends on the ambient temperature.

The manuals are in fact online and are normal PDFs. I can view them on a PC, on my Android tablet, and on my Android phone. There is no reason you can't view a PDF on a device that views PDFs. Here is the page for the manual and other literature that came with your 2012: https://owner.ford.com/tools/account...-150&year=2012

One thing. You mention leaving your dog or little brother in the vehicle while you go into the gas station. Please take great care in leaving your "little bro" in your vehicle ESPECIALLY if you leave the keys in it. Depending on his age, you also should be concerned about his safety.

And thank you for wanting to be a responsible truck owner!

 

Congrats on your first vehicle!

I think you've already received the answer you're looking for, but IMO, I would just roll the windows down a bit and not leave the keys in it unattended. Too many a-hole thieves in this world.

 

Leaving a small child in a car is a specific crime in 19 states, should be in all of them. Neglect or even manslaughter charges could also come up. Recommend you choose a different practice.

 

This is a joke right?

 

You could also smoke while filling up and thin out the heard.

 

Yep I'll leave them running if I need to. Not a single valid reason to shut it off. There's never been a reported case where a running engine while pumping gas has ended up in disaster. This cultural habit or safety rule was created when people didn't know any better, and it stuck. Kind of like swimming after eating a meal would cause cramps that could lead to drowning.

Smoking while pumping also isn't dangerous, although I don't smoke. Drop a cigarette in a can of gas and the cig goes out, no boom.

 

I'll stay out of the debate re leaving passengers in a running vehicle and I personally wouldn't refuel any of my vehicles with the engine running.

That being said in my experience if you turn off the engine while running the AC but leave the fan running you can get a small amount of cool air out of the vents for a very short period of time. Probably not enough to make a difference in most cases.

Also I'm not convinced that this is a very smart thing to do. I doubt typical vehicles were designed to be operated this way.