Automatic Climate Control question

[CHICO2003]

Am I missing something or is my car just retarded?

Whenever I hit the 'auto' button it turns on the AC and usually switches to defrost or defrost/low WTF? I've got the temp on pretty high too! Hell, I even tested it on like 90 and it still turned the damn AC on!

Obviously there's something wrong with it... right?

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

No same happens to mine...

Am I missing something or is my car just retarded?

Whenever I hit the 'auto' button it turns on the AC and usually switches to defrost or defrost/low WTF? I've got the temp on pretty high too! Hell, I even tested it on like 90 and it still turned the damn AC on!

Obviously there's something wrong with it... right?

The sensors in the car trigger the airflow guages based on humidity and ambient air temp. My car will eventually switch to the front/low vents once it's happy. This also depends on where you live. Outside temp solar radiation on windshield (heat) etc. affects the way the climate system behaves. There are way too many variables to figure what it will do. As long as it keeps the interior temp at the temp you set it really doesn't matter how it manipulates the vents/airflow. Relax.

 

[gtlaw]

Am I missing something or is my car just retarded?

Whenever I hit the 'auto' button it turns on the AC and usually switches to defrost or defrost/low WTF? I've got the temp on pretty high too! Hell, I even tested it on like 90 and it still turned the damn AC on!

Obviously there's something wrong with it... right?

yeah I hate that stupid climate control so damn bad. the POS always reverts back to defrost I would love to have normal mechanical sliders or knobs

 

[CHICO2003]

The sensors in the car trigger the airflow guages based on humidity and ambient air temp. My car will eventually switch to the front/low vents once it's happy. This also depends on where you live. Outside temp solar radiation on windshield (heat) etc. affects the way the climate system behaves. There are way too many variables to figure what it will do. As long as it keeps the interior temp at the temp you set it really doesn't matter how it manipulates the vents/airflow. Relax.

LOL I'm not so sure. I mean, I drove it for about 20 minutes in this sub-zero weather of ours and the AC was on the entire time. On defrost no less!! I eventually couldn't take it anymore and turned it off. I've been in plenty of cars with automatic climate control systems and none of them behave like this. It should be quite simple really. If it's colder in the cabin than you set it on the dial then the heat should come on until the necessary temperature is reached. If it's warmer... the AC should come on.

 

[Rotus8]

The AC light doesn't mean the AC is actually running, it is just enabled. It only runs when needed.

 

[dkswim]

it always turns on the ac to either cool or remove moisture

 

[chief_wiggum]

The AC light doesn't mean the AC is actually running, it is just enabled. It only runs when needed.

What he said.

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

LOL I'm not so sure. I mean, I drove it for about 20 minutes in this sub-zero weather of ours and the AC was on the entire time. On defrost no less!! I eventually couldn't take it anymore and turned it off. I've been in plenty of cars with automatic climate control systems and none of them behave like this. It should be quite simple really. If it's colder in the cabin than you set it on the dial then the heat should come on until the necessary temperature is reached. If it's warmer... the AC should come on.

The AC always comes on to aid in defrosting. Interior space, the way the interior is arranged, the output capacity of the system all have some bearing on how it will bahave. Maybe it does have an issue but the bottom line is whether it actually attains and retains the temp you set. Not sure what other cars you have with Climate control. FYI, mine usually stays with the defrost/low settign for quite a while before it redirects to the main vents.

Realize to that the system maybe tuned to pull any heat that is generated by the sun hitting the windshield. If there is bright sunlight then it could be directing cold air to the glass area and heating it via convection.

 

[squidmotion]

the A/C acts as a de-humidifier... this also works to clear the windows...

i actually like the climate control in the car.. i also like the ability to turn it off when needed... one more nice extra that you pay more for on most cars...

 

[parkerfe]

Every car I have ever owned with climate control always enables the a/c. How else could it maintain the interior temp up and down as needed?

 

[vdawg2344]

I use the "Auto" mode all the time. It NEVER lets the windows fog up and when you first get in it will wait until the car is warmer until it starts blowing so you do not get cold air blowing at you. IMO it works better than any other car with auto climate control that I have been in.

The A/C like everyone has said is for removing moisture, it senses it from the interior temp sensor most likely. With it on it doesn't even feel like it bogs down the car, so it doesn't bother me. Even though, when I have to race someone, I turn it off. It's more of a psychological thing than anything!

 

[dkswim]

the one thing i dont like is how it pulls the fan speed i like having something blowing on me (woo woo)

 

[mo08ms3]

I don't use it because it never acts the way I think it should. Probably my fault though because I do not have the patience and do not give it time to let it do its thing.

 

[RUMBLEFISH]

Sometimes I wonder if people even understand how cars work based on some comments on this thread. All auto climate systems run the ac compressor year round period. They will cycle on and off depending on demand and thats the way it is.

What I do is turn off auto climate then use the fan nob and turn it up. I also shut off the ac button then just dial up the heat knob. During the winter I push the vent/floor button and the ac compressor never comes on. Now if you do push any other button ie floor,defrost,floor/defrost you can hear the compressor kick on. That thing is wasting gas and nothing more once the car is warmed up. But you do need to run it atleast one a week during the winter for a few hours to keep it lubed up. Oh yea that baby likes the lube.(upbum)

 

[Texaco]

Not a fanboy....but I love the automatic system. +10 or +100, it does its thing with clear windows and no hot or cold spots. I have three settings, 68, 69, or 70 degress. Best auto system I have ever driven, wtg Mazda.....(butthump)

 

[6262MS3]

Yeah, I never run the climate control in auto. It just doesn't do what I want it to, so I always run it manually. Also, the temp control is so incremental it takes dozens of turns to go from full heat to a more moderate temp. I hate to hijack but I need to find a way to retrofit a regular intermittent wiper control in place of the useless P.O.S auto-detect, which can't detect light rain or snow on it's most sensitive setting, then when things are hitting the windshield hard enough to be detected you pretty much need the full/slow setting anyway. 9 times out of 10 I have to manually hit the single wipe every 15 seconds to see, since waiting for auto to do it's thing would result in crashy-death. I hate when technology makes things worse.

 

[parkerfe]

Yeah, I never run the climate control in auto. It just doesn't do what I want it to, so I always run it manually. Also, the temp control is so incremental it takes dozens of turns to go from full heat to a more moderate temp. I hate to hijack but I need to find a way to retrofit a regular intermittent wiper control in place of the useless P.O.S auto-detect, which can't detect light rain or snow on it's most sensitive setting, then when things are hitting the windshield hard enough to be detected you pretty much need the full/slow setting anyway. 9 times out of 10 I have to manually hit the single wipe every 15 seconds to see, since waiting for auto to do it's thing would result in crashy-death. I hate when technology makes things worse.

If you do not activate Auto, it is not climate control...it is a heater. defroster and a/c...

 

[LukeP]

When defrost is on, so is the AC. Whether the light is on or not. Been this way on modern cars since AC started coming standard. Check almost any owner's manual - if you turn on defrost, the AC stealthily kicks in to remove moisture. You have no control over your AC at that point.

I believe the MS3 owner's manual outright tells you this as well.

 

[smakdown61]

When defrost is on, so is the AC. Whether the light is on or not. Been this way on modern cars since AC started coming standard. Check almost any owner's manual - if you turn on defrost, the AC stealthily kicks in to remove moisture. You have no control over your AC at that point.

I believe the MS3 owner's manual outright tells you this as well.

I believed this at first as well. However, the other day I sat with the vent setting on "defrost and floor" for a good 10 min WITHOUT the A/C light on and the compressor never came on. The second I pressed the auto button it kicked in.

 

[meicalnissyen]

Am I missing something or is my car just retarded?

Whenever I hit the 'auto' button it turns on the AC and usually switches to defrost or defrost/low WTF? I've got the temp on pretty high too! Hell, I even tested it on like 90 and it still turned the damn AC on!

Obviously there's something wrong with it... right?

Resistance is Futile