1996 Ford Thunderbird Owner's Manual - Page 83

To cool your car quickly in warm weather, turn the SELECT knob to MAX A/C and turn the FAN knob to AUTO. As the vehicle interior cools down, the discharge air temperature and fan speed will automatically and gradually be changed to maintain the set temperature with airflow from the instrument panel registers. If the interior of your vehicle is very warm, drive for the first few minutes with the windows open. This will force the hot, stale air out and allow the air conditioning to work faster. To cool your vehicle with outside air, turn the SELECT knob to A/C and turn the FAN knob to AUTO or to a fixed speed setting as you desire. Cooling your vehicle in this manner provides a quieter system operation, but it will not cool as efficiently and is not as fuel efficient as MAX A/C which uses recirculated air. To ventilate your vehicle with outside air, turn the SELECT knob to PANEL and the FAN knob to AUTO. The fan will remain off until the engine is warm enough to provide heat. However, if the interior temperature is above the set temperature, the fan will turn on immediately. Temperature may be set as desired and FAN speed can be selected. A/C compressor override The A/C compressor can be disengaged for more economical driving. This can be done by turning the SELECT knob to PANEL. The A/C compressor is automatically engaged by the control in MAX A/C, NORM A/C, FLOOR & DEF, and DEFROST positions if the outside temperature is above 45˚F (7˚C). 80