AC turning on with auto hvac setting

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2016 CX-9 GT AWD
I notice when I turn on the automatic climate control setting, the AC indicator turns on and I have to press the AC button to turn it off. For reference, the temperatures have been around 20-40 Fahrenheit and the auto setting was set to around 65-68 F. Any reason the AC is turning on? I haven't felt cold air but wondering why it turns on
 
I notice when I turn on the automatic climate control setting, the AC indicator turns on and I have to press the AC button to turn it off. For reference, the temperatures have been around 20-40 Fahrenheit and the auto setting was set to around 65-68 F. Any reason the AC is turning on? I haven't felt cold air but wondering why it turns on
An automatic climate control works by keeping your car the temperature you choose. So if you set it to 76 the heat turns on until it reaches 76, but sometimes it might warm up to a higher temp so the a.c. works to bring the temp back down to the 76 that you requested. Is not continuously running, just when needed. Much like using a thermostat in your house, even though your house doesn't use the a.c., it does what it needs to in order to maintain the temperature you choose
 
The A/C is not just for COLD air in the summer, but also to DRY the air in the winter. If any of your vents turned on are anything with a mix of floor or a mix of defrost, the A/C is utilized to dehumidify the air.
 
right, but for instance this morning it was 30 degrees out. i turned my automatic climate control on which was set to 68 and the AC indicator was on, I had to press it off. I don't notice any cold air coming out for the most part but I wonder why it's indicating the AC is on.

edit: thanks mazdadude that might explain it
 
Also I believe that ac light is on in auto regardless of whether it’s actually using the compressor or not.
 
Also I believe that ac light is on in auto regardless of whether it’s actually using the compressor or not.
Yes, I was just about to add this, the light comes on when climate control is activated, meaning the system is included in the climate control, not that it's necessarily active
 
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