Easy question....Is it normal for the AC light to be on whenever the climate control is on ie: whether it's for heat or cooling in the auto mode??

 

yes

 

Yes; AC on is the default setting for auto mode, but the manual suggest turning it off if you don't need it.
for example, if you want to maintain a temp in the cabin above the outside temp - set your desired temp, turn on auto, and then turn the AC off.

 

Seems like an odd way to set it up....I thought that they had the AC on to produce conditioned air, hot or cold to de-humidify the air for better interior defrost,etc.????

 

I wonder if there's a way to set the car to default with AC off in auto mode?

 

damn it i came on to search for the same thing. I can't wait for Artificial Intelligence b/c then my life will be more convenient for the two months before machines take over the world!

 

Yep, the auto climate control seems to run the AC (compressor) all of the time to dehumidify the air, regardless of heating or cooling. Just hit the AC button to turn it off and the auto climate will turn off in the process. You can still select a temperature, but it seems like it will only adjust the hot/cold vent and use whatever manual settings you have for AC on/off, fresh-air/recirculate, and fan speed.