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| I have been driving the same route the past week and was a bit curious as to why my gas mileage varied rather inconsistently when I came across the following. My AC was on even though the AC indicator on the navigation screen said it was off. The LCD temperature setting display said I was in the 'auto' mode verses 'fully auto' mode. After playing around with the various climate controls I found out the following on my vehicle. If the climate control is off (hard button) and I proceed to turn on the fan (soft button) via the navigation screen the AC is turned on. This AC (soft button) shows the AC to be off and the temperature LCD shows the climate control to be in the 'auto' mode. In my mind I may have been driving with the AC on without knowing it. I plan to call my dealer tomorrow. Has anyone else noticed this? |
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Yeah...It's confusing as heck. I believe the AC On/Off is the opposite of 'common sense'....mine anyway. When you see A/C ON it means it's really OFF and if you want it ON you need to press it. Of course it then displays A/C OFF while it's really ON. Go figure. I guess this is a "button question"...like want A/C "ON"?...*press here*. We were trying to figure this thing out while blasting toward San Francisco last weekend. The A/C option is only displayed when you're in AUTO. In FULL AUTO...it has a mind of it's own and runs according to your set temp and the rear Passenger control panel does not operate. However, in AUTO the rear controls do operate. From our car trip...all I remember is one setting creates "yelling" from the backseat...and the other setting acts as a "mute" button :). I am still not 100% sure how to get outside air...other than roll down the window. Or, I suppose you could turn off the temp control and use the fan...
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| I've noticed if turn off the climate control using the "off" button, air is still freely flowing from the vents. This is outside air. Now, if you turn on "Recirculation", the outside air is blocked and no air enters. Overall, I think the climate control in the mdx has a long improvement path to follow. One of my biggest problems is it always just jumps into super-heavy_powerful full fan speed when you set a temperature higher/lower than the outside temperature. I think it should do it gradually, not with immediate full power. Should the user need immediate full power, there should be a button for 'Max A/C or heat' like the Ford Expl has! Maybe I like that feature from my ford and that's why I'm biased this climate control on the mdx! |
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I found just putting it on full auto and setting the temp keeps me the most comfy. However, I did notice the vent air when the system is shut off which is most unintuitive. As to the back seat issues, no complaints from the dog when he is in the cargo area.
Dmor,
I am surprised that the full auto doesn't produce the same temp (comfort) in the middle seat as up front. Acura has been tauting their HVAC system design as being so sophisticated. Do you need to talk to Acura customer service on this one or family counselling?:D:D |
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| I have found that if I leave it on Full Auto, the system is fully auto as it should be. If I touch the fan speed, it will indicate auto and I will control only the fan speed leaving the A/C and Mode (where air comes out)still in auto mode. If I touch the A/C button, I now have taken maunal control of A/C on/off function and the same goes for Mode button. If there isn't an indicator on the NAVI screen, that portion of the control is in auto mode. Not sure if I made any sense explaining this. |
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quote:
Originally posted by remery
[B
Dmor,
I am surprised that the full auto doesn't produce the same temp (comfort) in the middle seat as up front. Acura has been tauting their HVAC system design as being so sophisticated. Do you need to talk to Acura customer service on this one or family counselling?:D:D [/B]
Actually FULL AUTO does keep things in an even keel throughout the "chariot"...but you can't use the rear seat controls and this produces weird 'squawking" noises from the rear chambers. :)
As far as OUTSIDE AIR...if I could just figure out a way to let all that buffetting "wind noise" inside the vehicle as opposed to running around the outside windshield seal...I'd have the "outside air" issue licked! :D:D
I AM correct about the "opposite effect" of the AC/ON and OFF buttons...right? :confused: |
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quote:
Originally posted by remery
I am surprised that the full auto doesn't produce the same temp (comfort) in the middle seat as up front. Acura has been tauting their HVAC system design as being so sophisticated.
It's sophisticated alright... so much so, nobody understand how to use it.
My wife has been in the 2nd row with the baby and I had it on full auto, which she didn't like because the blower was too high. Once she had control, she found it to be fine. Of course, that requires you take it off full auto. |
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| Yes, the climate control to me is confusing. It would be helpful if there is a FAQ of all climate possiblities (I think Touring = Base in terms of climate functionailities). BTW, what is the difference between a "hard" and "soft" button. |
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quote:
Originally posted by ajlee7
BTW, what is the difference between a "hard" and "soft" button.
Those of us w/o Nav have hard buttons on the trip computers. Nav systems have soft buttons on the Nav screen. |
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mm... as usual, my non-owner's questions... :) is there an option FULL MANUAL? i dont want the computer to make the 'climate control' decissions for me - well call me old-fasioned - yeah right, this comes after seating for 15-20 hours infront of one!...
about the A/C being ON without any notice, it must be working very quit if you cannot sense the difference or you must be listening to the music very loud! :) |
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quote:
Originally posted by ajlee7
Y BTW, what is the difference between a "hard" and "soft" button.
Soft Button = screen
Hard Button = buttons on TOP or around screen...you know...those buttons we used to use back when mortal man had true control of things. :)
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| Thanks all for clarifying the difference between soft and hard buttons. Now if I can figure the climate system out then I'll be set! |
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| With the base (non-nav) climate system, it seems that you can get very close to "full manual" if that's what you want. You can: (i) independently of the "system" determine if A/C should be on or off; (ii) contol where the air comes from -- outside or recirc; (iii) control where the air goes -- mode; (iv) control the temperature. As for the "full blast" feature of the system, I have found that when there is a large change to be made (such as getting into a hot car which needs to be cooled down, or vice versa) the fan really kick in for a few minutes until the temperature is adjusted. Then it cuts back to a quieter operation. The owners' manual explains that the algorithm is designed to accomplish the temperature change as quickly as possible. I agree that a choice in the matter ("max" or "normal") would be nice. All in all, though, I have gotten used to the Full Auto system and rather like it. |
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quote:
Originally posted by DMor
[BI AM correct about the "opposite effect" of the AC/ON and OFF buttons...right? :confused: [/B]
Just went to Acura Owner Link and brought up the online manual. According to it, your system is not doing what it is supposed to. Another curious thing, is it states that the system should not be turned off or the air will get stale. The is counter to what I and skspgh have observed unless doing this puts the system into some type of phantom recirculation mode. Again, this is why I just leave it in auto and adjust the temp up or down as needed. |
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My original question...
When in AUTO...(not to be confused with FULL AUTO where this option is not avail.)...and the Nav screen reads AC/ON this actually means the AC is OFF and it is giving me the option to override the setting by turning it ON, correct? As in, if I touch the screen when it says AC/ON...I will turn it ON. If I touch the screen when it says AC OFF...I will turn it OFF. Is this correct?
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quote:
Originally posted by DMor
My original question...
When in AUTO...(not to be confused with FULL AUTO where this option is not avail.)...and the Nav screen reads AC/ON this actually means the AC is OFF and it is giving me the option to override the setting by turning it ON, correct? As in, if I touch the screen when it says AC/ON...I will turn it ON. If I touch the screen when it says AC OFF...I will turn it OFF. Is this correct?
I don't believe that's correct, DMor. It indicates the CURRENT STATUS as opposed to the function, as I recall.
When you press the ACOn/ACOff indicator on the screen, you should easily be able to hear the compressor engaging or disengaging to confirm that it's the current AC status on-screen, just like the MODE and FAN indicators show the current status.
Hope that's clear as mud. |
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| Anyone else notice that the Recirc is not available in Full Auto? |
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quote:
Originally posted by DMor
My original question...
When in AUTO...(not to be confused with FULL AUTO where this option is not avail.)...and the Nav screen reads AC/ON this actually means the AC is OFF and it is giving me the option to override the setting by turning it ON, correct? As in, if I touch the screen when it says AC/ON...I will turn it ON. If I touch the screen when it says AC OFF...I will turn it OFF. Is this correct?
Here's how I see it - let's say the system is in "full auto". For some reason (say X - increased fan speed, pressed re-circ, defrost, whatever) I put the system into Auto. Now, the system is full auto for everything except the atrribute I just pressed X. Similarly, if I press A/C (navi button) and it show's A/C off - I have noticed that it means the A/C is not OFF.
How do I support his logic? Well, let's say I'm in FULL AUTO and I'm cooling the car, for that, we're going to assume the A/C is on! If you now press the A/C (navi) button ONCE, it's displays A/C OFF. That means, it just switched off the A/C. Implying - the button dispalys the current state, not the opposite.
But now I'm going to have to go home, boil in my hot car at the end of the day, and try the two options! |
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quote:
Originally posted by TheWorm
quote:
Originally posted by DMor
My original question...
When in AUTO...(not to be confused with FULL AUTO where this option is not avail.)...and the Nav screen reads AC/ON this actually means the AC is OFF and it is giving me the option to override the setting by turning it ON, correct? As in, if I touch the screen when it says AC/ON...I will turn it ON. If I touch the screen when it says AC OFF...I will turn it OFF. Is this correct?
I don't believe that's correct, DMor. It indicates the CURRENT STATUS as opposed to the function, as I recall.
When you press the ACOn/ACOff indicator on the screen, you should easily be able to hear the compressor engaging or disengaging to confirm that it's the current AC status on-screen, just like the MODE and FAN indicators show the current status.
Hope that's clear as mud.
I just spoke to my Acura service rep. When you press the "soft" button labelled "A/C ON" it will turn the A/C on and vice versa. Not very intuitive. |
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quote:
Originally posted by skspgh
Here's how I see it - let's say the system is in "full auto". For some reason (say X - increased fan speed, pressed re-circ, defrost, whatever) I put the system into Auto. Now, the system is full auto for everything except the atrribute I just pressed X. Similarly, if I press A/C (navi button) and it show's A/C off - I have noticed that it means the A/C is not OFF.
How do I support his logic? Well, let's say I'm in FULL AUTO and I'm cooling the car, for that, we're going to assume the A/C is on! If you now press the A/C (navi) button ONCE, it's displays A/C OFF. That means, it just switched off the A/C. Implying - the button dispalys the current state, not the opposite.
But now I'm going to have to go home, boil in my hot car at the end of the day, and try the two options!
This is my exact question/confusion. I was trying to turn the AC OFF and couldn't do it, even though it SAID OFF it was still ON. Reason we were monkeying with it was in an effort to gauge our gas mileage on a trip. Then we decided that it might be OFF but was still pumping cold air from the compressor since the outside air was not warm enough to give us a good enough comparison...but if it WAS...it sure pumped for a long time on OFF! I will try to figure this thing out on a warmer day. Manual is little help. Report your findings! :) |
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skspgh,
that is how the automatic climate control worked on our RX300 (I have assumed that our MDX behaves the same way).
When in Full Auto mode, if you adjust one of the control settings, THAT CONTROL ONLY (e.g. fan speed) is now in manual mode and the system drops to auto mode (meaning that it will automatically adjust the REMAINING controls (AC, vent control etc.) to reach the desired temp setting (and internal dehumidification). If you manually overide ALL of the controls, it now drops out of auto and is in *full* manual mode. |
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forgot to mention. That mean that when in Full Auto, or Auto mode, an AC 'on' indicator doesn't necessarily mean that the AC is on, (which it could be) but that it is also 'ready and waiting' depending on the temp setting.
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| For those without Navi (so, no "soft button") I am convinced that the A/C button works just the opposite. When the screen reads "A/C Off" it is. And when it read "A/C On" it is. |
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| WOW! I only have a Master's degree... are there any PHD's out there??? |
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I have the Navi..
When I turn A/C to off (using the soft keys - it says A/C off), it goes off. HOWEVER, the fan still continues to work and bring in outside air. Which I would think would be what you would want. So you can still cool the car (ONLY if the outside air is cooler) but more slowly.
When I turn A/C on (display says A/C on), then the A/C begins to run, conditioning the air entering the car making it cool.
I hope this helps...perhaps the differences we have been seeing are ocuring between the Navi and non-Navi systems. Just a thought..
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quote:
Originally posted by DMor
My original question...
When in AUTO...(not to be confused with FULL AUTO where this option is not avail.)...and the Nav screen reads AC/ON this actually means the AC is OFF and it is giving me the option to override the setting by turning it ON, correct? As in, if I touch the screen when it says AC/ON...I will turn it ON. If I touch the screen when it says AC OFF...I will turn it OFF. Is this correct?
I joined this thread too late in the evening to figure all this out, but it's clear that Acura took their cue from Microsoft:
How do you shut down the computer? Hit the Start button, of course! |
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AC On/Off
I believe that when you have the system on Full Auto, it will have the AC on/off depending on whether you want the temperature higher or lower. It also has the system in defrost mode which will keep the compressor on all the time. This will explain why some have reported that the air is still cold when the AC is specifically turned off.
Try the following experiment:
1. Put the system in Full Auto
2. The press the MODE button
You will see that the system believes that it is in defrost mode. So to manually vent air from the outside with no AC or defrost on, you have to play with both the AC button and the MODE button. Otherwise, you the compressor will always be on and your mileage will suffer.
I am not sure if this is by design or if its just the way my MDX seems to work.
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I took some time to better understand some of my observations when I was driving and found the AC to be on when I thought it was off. Here are my findings. The following assumes Nav System.
The problem I originally perceived was that in the "auto" mode in a certain sequence, the AC was on even though the AC indicator on the soft key indicated the AC was off. I was not totally corect in my observations. Here's what I found out.
If your climate control is off and you push the fan button, the AC will come on. You will note that the AC button indicator is not displayed nor is the mode indicator. You can push the mode button to select different options but the AC is still on. However, once you press the AC button the indicator displays "AC off". At this point the AC turns off. To me this is not logical. I would have thought by pushing the fan button the AC would be off. This means if your climate control is off and you want to turn it on with the AC off it is a two step process. Not a big deal, but certainly more complicated then is necessary. Finally, if the climate control is off and you press the AC button the AC indicator displays "AC on" and indeed the AC is on. It should be noted the display above the soft keys are status indicators and are not the state the function would be if the button is pushed.
I went to the dealer to ask if the problem I noted above was a design flaw or a problem with the climate control. He agreed with my observations and said they are all this way. However, I believe he was a bit more confused after I left.
Here is my brief general desciption of the climate control. The climate control has essentially three modes:
1) OFF - This shuts down climate system completely. This condition occurs when the "off" button below the "auto" button is pushed. In this mode there is air flow that is apparent assuming the vehicle is moving. You can shut down air flow completely by pushing the recirculation button.
2) Full Auto - In this mode the climate control system automatically attempts to reach the temperature you dialed in by regulating AC, heating, and blower speed. You can overide any the full auto mode by pushing the AC, fan, mode soft buttons. The LCD indicator will indicate "auto" mode when this is done.
3) Auto - In this mode you can control whether the AC is on or off (I assume that this means the compressor is turning on or off ) thereby affecting gas mileage. Heat and AC (assuming it is on) seek to attain the temperature you dialed in. If the AC is not on, the lowest temperature that can be attained is the outside ambient temperature. In auto mode you can control fan speed and ducting of the air.
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Thanks Abdiver...it is confusing. In addition the system deciphers the temp of the outside air and depending on the accuracy, you might be running air and you might not. This was our question while going to San Francisco from San Diego, as it seemed like the compressor was constantly ON even though the (evening) outside temp was in the 50's. In the AUTO state...the A/C does read ON even though it might really be OFF, since the nav screen does not remove the 'visual' AC/ON when the compressor is really OFF under these circumstances. Thus...we were trying to turn it off and it seems like it might be getting colder? AND...this might have been accurate based on the fact we were probably heating the outside air. In this scenario...the AC still reads ON when instead the heat is ON. Hence the confusion. Also, you rely on the accuracy of the internal temp settings and temperature controls ability to judge the outside air temp. In former posts, there was some discrepancy about the accuracy of vehicle's outside air temperature reading.
Most of this fiddling was in a attempt to participate in "Ghost's" mileage survey...but after learning about this, the survey would be greatly affected by the individual temp settings...outside air temp, terrain and other factors. I know Ghost's post was intended to be more informational than an exact science. Still...for grins...this is what we got with the compressor and us in a semi-state of confusion :) :)
275 miles 22.1 MPG 68.7MPH (Avg. 80-85 freeway at night with only one or two stops & Radar gizmo ON :)
227 miles 19.8 MPG 43.1MPH (combo..S.F. driving and rush hour freeway)
15.1 MPG 21.8 MPH (normal blasting around town) |
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Can you believe this post? We are spending two pages of posts just to figure out how to adequately turn of the A/C and just basically put on the vent. Amongst my absolute least favorite things about my MDX is the pathetic climate control system. It takes about 5 button pushes to simply put on the normal "vent" a la simple cars of yore. Perhaps that new Infinity Q45 voice activated thing understands "vent, light fan" , better than the MDX's "better learn how to type a novel to put on the vent" logic is concerned. Take a look at the new RSX, they figured it out in there, at least. I guess we MDX'ers have nothing better to do than push buttons to turn off the a/c, select a vent location, and then a fan speed. The market research obviously didn't cover the "we make it simple" like the Honda of yesteryear.
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It got up close to 90 today (or sure felt like it) here in Austin and the humidity was also pretty high, so I had a good chance to play with the A/C controls. On my non-Nav Touring model, when you take it out of Full Auto and the computer displays A/C Off - it means that the A/C is ON. The indicator indicates the function of the button and not the status of the unit itself. This seems a little counter-intuitive given that the other displays (vent and fan speed) show the current status of the given option.
I also noticed something peculiar. After parking in bright sunlight, I set the Full Auto temp down to about 63 and the re-circ button lit up. I think that's another "feature" of the system to increase the airflow coming out of the vents.
One last thing I've noticed is that turning on manual control for the rear unit has no effect on Full Auto mode. I've been doing this since I noticed the posting about being able to increase the gas milage by turning off the unit. I'm usually the only one in the vehicle, so I don't really need to run the rear unit anyway - that is until it starts hitting 100+ here in Texas.
:b |
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>>I also noticed something peculiar. After parking in bright sunlight, I set the Full Auto temp down to about 63 and the re-circ button lit up. I think that's another "feature" of the system to increase the airflow coming out of the vents. <<
Actually, it is supposed to work that way. Within certain conditions (i.e. maintaining internal humidity below the uncomfortable level) you should achieve maximum cooling by re-circulating the internal air that had already been cooled and de-humidified)
In a related note, the auto AC is regulated by both tempurature and internal humidity. That is why the AC may be on when it would appear that the 'outside' air shouldn't need further cooling (outside temp lower than temp setting)
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Thanks for all the posts and I think I know how my non-Nav climate control works. The climate control is too sophistatcated for me and I need to get used to it at varying outside temperatures. To me, I find it more intuitive if I am able to to the non-Auto choices (or Manual mode):
AC either on or off (then I know if my AC compressor is on or off)
Heat auto on based on Temp setting
Blower either 1-4 speeds
Temparture = 63F -90F
Based on the response, I can do it. |
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quote:
Originally posted by brobison
...On my non-Nav Touring model, when you take it out of Full Auto and the computer displays A/C Off - it means that the A/C is ON. The indicator indicates the function of the button and not the status of the unit itself. This seems a little counter-intuitive given that the other displays (vent and fan speed) show the current status of the given option.:b
I worked with it over the weekend also, and would swear it was working in as an intuitive system:
Trip Reads A/C Off - compressor is off, fan blowing outside air
Trip Reads A/C On - compressor is on, all other functions the same
I'm starting to become PO'ed. I'm in Miami and the weekend was rather pleasant, perhaps that contributed negatively to my testing. I'll have to go with what you've provided. Thanks! |
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I'm totally confused too. I usually turn it off when my sunroof is open, but today I was driving down the road with it off and I had air blowing out of it. My husband and I had a hard time trying to find vent when there is no vent button. I'm still trying to figure all that out too. I just noticed this in the last few days now that it's getting warmer and cooler out. Our weather here can't make up it's mind if it wants to be hot or cold. Hopefully with me playing with it more I'll figure it out. I don't dare get the owner's manual out and look. That's a man thing.
lmeans :D
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No DMOR!
When you are in "FUll AUTO" Mode and then you go to the Navi Screen, you'll notice it says nothing. This means the A/C can go on/off automatically to adjust the temperature as needed by the computer. If you hit "AC OFF" on the Navi, you'll notice that you are now in AUTO not FULL AUTO. This means the A/C is "OFF".
I think some of you are confused (either that or I am). The Automatic Climate system works great and I love it! I only needed the A/C a couple of times so far this year (it hit 90 here last week, but of course it's back into the 60's now). If the A/C is either "on" or "off" on the Navi Screen then you have "overidden" FULL AUTO. FULL AUTO means that the climate control system can either turn on the A/C or Heat as is needed.. |
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Manual settings...
One more thing. For manual settings, you use either the buttons on the dash or the Navi Scrren. I can't remember without running down to the garage, but I believe you set the "fresh" or "recirculating" on the Navi screen as well as fan speed. The minute you touch these buttons, you are no longer in FULL AUTO. It's self explanatory and not "tricky" as some have described.
(I guess I have more time during my commute to play with my buttons..) |
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Imeans
Even if the climate control is off you will get air flow through the vents when the vehicle is moving. If you do not want any air flow, push the recirculate air button when the climate control is off. I have not tried this personally but this is a common way to stop air flow because you are recirculating air within the cabin and the fan is off hence no air flow. Looking in the users manual probably will not help as the only reference is something about always having the fan on to remove stale air if my memory serves me correctly.
dancall
The tricky part I think is putting the climate control into the vent mode (no AC) from the climate off setting. When the climate control off and you push fan on the NAV screen. Your AC may be on (depending on the temperature setting) and you may not know it. |
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After research...here's what I've found...sorry, it's long.
FULL AUTO: System takes complete control of A/C and HEAT... all vents...fan speed...rear air flow...and uses outside air. Change any of these and you are demoted to "AUTO". The only thing you can change and still remain in FULL AUTO are the temperature arrows, rear defroster, and RR A/C Manual button . In addition, if you press the RR A/C Manual button, it will not take you out of FULL AUTO...but, other than displaying the green light, it is not operational. In order for the RR A/C Manual button to function...you must be in AUTO...not to be confused with FULL AUTO. Got it? :)
Next thing: The VENT
If you turn the system OFF...you will receive outside air. However, the MODE switch will default to the defrost and lower air and you might not THINK you are getting any outside air because the upper vents are not ON by default. It takes freeway....or over 40 mph speeds to feel any measurable air flow. So, you may need to hit MODE and adjust the desired vents OR...hit FAN and adjust forced air speed. HOWEVER...if you adjust the FAN...it will automatically put the system in AUTO. If you see NOTHING over the A/C display...you ARE running your AIR CONDITIONING...so you have to tap it to OFF. **I believe this is what has caused most of the confusion.** In order to override the A/C...you must see the "OFF" and only THEN are you in full VENT...(providing the recirculation button is not lit) and you may need the fan to get any measurable air from the vents. It is a little tricky to avoid running the A/C and the main reason you might want to avoid A/C is for better gas mileage, I suppose.
So:
A/C (Blank)=potentially ON and this is where most of us are confused :confused:
A/C "ON" = ON
A/C "OFF"= OFF
Heat is constant...can't turn off and regulated by temp and/or rear unit setting.
Now...at the SAME TIME...if you are in AUTO (NOT FULL AUTO) and the car is set at, ex. 73 degrees...the guy in the back can TURN ON THE HEATER with their control provided the RR A/C Manual button is depressed. Thus...you can operate in two zones...Siberia in the front and the Tropics in the back. Fortunately, this button does not automatically reset after the ignition is turned off. So, it won't remember the heat setting from the evening before. However, if you get in the car and hit the RR A/C Manual switch by accident...it will operate at the last passenger's settings and you could wind up heating your own cooled air...vice versa.
Realistically, you cannot tell if the HEAT or A/C are used on those 'inbetween days' where there is not major change in your internal temp setting and the outside air unless the A/C specifically reads "OFF". Since there is no specific Heat indicator...the temp setting is the best measurement...but I you would actually HEAT the outside air if your temp setting was higher than the air entering the vehicle.
Next question...Since FULL AUTO constantly cools/heats outside air, isn't this less energy efficient than heating/cooling recirculated air? Obviously this would cause gas mileage to vary...correct? How do you suppose they determined the MPG in their tests? With Full Auto/Auto or Vent w/o Air???
((Another discovery: When in vent...Auto...AC/OFF...if I raise the temp to 78-80 and above...something strange happens and the system changes vents or something...or maybe it goes into auto defrost mode? I don't really care because I'll never operate it at that temp...but it must be some kind of temp override.))
As Worm says...I hope it's clear as mud :D |
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Our '94 Chrysler Concorde was the first vehicle we owned that had an Automatic Climate Control System. Since we'd never owned one before I couldn'y really compare it to anything. However we thought it worked great and now consider an Auto Climate Control System a must have/can't live w/o feature. We traded the Concorde in for a '99 Ford Expy. Compared to the Concorde the Expy was much inferior. With the Concorde for the most part we always left it in Full Auto and only adjusted the Temp. With the Expy we had to fiddle with it more to get comfy. Much more manual manipulation of the system in the Expy.
I am happy to say the MDX is the best Climate Control System of the bunch. We have rarely taken it out of Full Auto. Left in Full Auto mode the system keeps us very comfy! |
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Don't know why you would want to do it, but there is one way, even in full auto, to control whether the hear or a/c are on (or off). If you press the "down" arrow to its lowest setting, the A/c will run constantly, and there will be no heat. Conversely, if you press the "up" arrow to its highest setting, the heat will run constantly, and there will be no a/c. This is in the manaul.
Also, any time you select "defrost," the a/c will come on and "recirc" will go off. Everything returns to its pre-existing state when you de-select defrost. |
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DMor
Good discussion of the climate control system. However, I have to disagree with your findings regarding ventilation when the climate control is off. My MDX most definitely has air flowing from the vents when I 'm doing freeway speeds. Since the climate system is off and not having the service manual which I just ordered, I am assuming this is outside air due to pressure differences. I going to check again once I get the car away from the wife, but I am almost certain there is air flowing fromthe vents. |
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quote:
Originally posted by abdiver
DMor
Good discussion of the climate control system. However, I have to disagree with your findings regarding ventilation when the climate control is off. My MDX most definitely has air flowing from the vents when I 'm doing freeway speeds. Since the climate system is off and not having the service manual which I just ordered, I am assuming this is outside air due to pressure differences. I going to check again once I get the car away from the wife, but I am almost certain there is air flowing fromthe vents.
Abdiver,
You are absolutely right about the outside vent and I revised my post. However...note that the minute you touch most any button after turning the system off...it will go back to AUTO and you could run be running the air without realizing it. Another variable is once you turn the car off...it defaults back again.
Anyway...the reason we were trying to keep the system off is because we were trying to maximize our gas mileage on a trip and the outside air was colder than the inside temp. |
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| I agree with Dmor's assessment of the system. It was over 100 degrees here yesterday so I had ample opportunity to experiment. I had begun to wonder why the recirc would appear on recently. Now I know. And it stays on just long enough to get cool and returns to non-recirc. |
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DMor,
Yes I agree. That's the reason I started this thread originally. I was not sure if this was an "undocumented feature" or there was a problem with my Climate Control. What I do now is always have the indicator above the AC soft button displayed. This will tell you whether the AC is on or off while in the Auto mode.
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Abdiver,
I agree 100%. Knowledge is power. When my gas-conserving husband is driving and wants it in VENT. I will make sure that the message above the A/C is BLANK and the temp is 73. Now I suppose he'll always wonder why the Vent in my car is consistently cooler than the one in his car? ;);) Baby it's cold outside!! |
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And just to make sure we all have it right... I recently got into a fight with my son who was back in the 3rd row seat. He insisted he was suffocating, so since the 2nd row blower didn't seem to do him any good I switched to using the top and floor vents...so I thought. Much whining later I figured out the following:
The 2nd rear seating area either blows from the top OR blows from the bottom. It cannot do both.
If you are in front and hit the combined mode, the 3rd row seat doesn't get any air flow from the floor. It defaults to the top blower in the 2nd row. To get the 2nd/3rd row floor air to flow, you have to hit the floor vent only mode.
Of course, I have no idea if even the air just from the 3rd row is worth making everyone in the car suffer from lack of front air flow anyways. I'm sure he would have found something out to whine about anyways...
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DMOR,
Where we live in the SF bay area, we don't really need the AC that much. So we switch to auto mode AND hit the AC button until it shows "AC OFF". It is definitely off because hotter air starts coming out of the vents. |
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Yep, heat is a constant feature. If your temp is set at 72 and the outside (evening) air is 68...IF your AIR is OFF...HEAT will come out of the vents and heat the inside of the car to 72.
So, you see why your SET TEMP can be important since it can both COOL DOWN the cabin, depending on set temp, and HEAT UP the cabin, again, depending on set temp. You cannot turn off the heat function...you can only turn down the TEMP.
Getting true VENT air is turning down the temp to well below the outside air temp and turning off the AC. :) |
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Dmor,
I wasn't clear enough. Outside temp was 80. Set temperature was 74. Full Auto mode. Cold air coming out of vents.
Hit AC button. Display showed "AC off". Now in Auto mode. Hot air started coming out of the vents.
My wife verified the above and she's never wrong. By the way, if a husband is by himself in the middle of the forest, is he still wrong?
I have a Base, no NAV. Perhaps it's different if you have the NAV system.
I think this whole thread is hilarious. If Acura ever read this, then they'd realize some reprogramming is in order. |
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Hi All,
Here is from the manual. Leave everything alone, and have the Full Auto Mode up after setting the temperature. Climate control will do whatever needed to bring the inside temperature to the desired level. This includes fan speed, AC or heat, and mode (where the airflow goes). Once you override an element on the display, then that element is turned off or fixed, Full Auto will become Auto. That means the rest of the elements are still in auto except the one you override on the display. If you use the buttons above the display the behavior of full climate control or not is based upon which button you toggle on/off. The OFF is no Climate control. Auto means Full Auto until you override on the display. RR A/C will change Full Auto to Auto and allow Rear to control the A/C or heat, and fan speed by the rear. Recirculating button also puts the climate control to Auto, not Full Auto, since Full Auto will sense foul air from outside and close the vent (effectively recirculating the air). The same is true when leaving on Full Control, on a hot day, when you start the car, Full Climate control will switch to recirculating for a while before going to venting mode.
Hope that will help. |
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| I think DMor asked this during this post, but I could not find the answer. It seems to me that it would be less strain on the A/C to cool recirculated air than fresh air, especially on a hot day. Is this the case? |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark
I think DMor asked this during this post, but I could not find the answer. It seems to me that it would be less strain on the A/C to cool recirculated air than fresh air, especially on a hot day. Is this the case?
Typically yes, it is more efficient to 're-cool' the interior air than to 'cool' the outside air. As a matter of fact, that is what the MAX/AC button does on older cars (those w/o an auto-temp function). It doesn't affect the AC compressor or fan speed etc, it simply switches to re-circ mode. One exception is that when you have heavy fogging inside the vehicle, do not use recirc. It is easier to de-humidify the outside air than the inside air and your windows clear much more quickly (don't worry, the MDX hvac will take care of this for you :) ) |
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quote:
Originally posted by donsev
One exception is that when you have heavy fogging inside the vehicle, do not use recirc. It is easier to de-humidify the outside air than the inside air and your windows clear much more quickly (don't worry, the MDX hvac will take care of this for you :) )
Donsev,
Why is that? Shouldn't it be easier to "dry" re-circulated air, rather than constantly "drying" new air? |
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quote:
Originally posted by AtlantaMDX
quote:
Originally posted by donsev
One exception is that when you have heavy fogging inside the vehicle, do not use recirc. It is easier to de-humidify the outside air than the inside air and your windows clear much more quickly (don't worry, the MDX hvac will take care of this for you :) )
Donsev,
Why is that? Shouldn't it be easier to "dry" re-circulated air, rather than constantly "drying" new air?
A combination of temp and humidity. For the condensation to occur on the inside of the window ('fogging'), the inside temp must be higher than the outside temp. All other things equal, this means that the outside air is holding less moisture (dryer). Compound that with the amount of moisture that we expel while breathing, and it can make it very difficult for an AC to dehumidify the inside while on recirc. Easier to simply pull in the cooler, drier air to begin with (unless your adept at holding your breath for loooong periods of time :) |
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quote:
Originally posted by donsev
quote:
Originally posted by AtlantaMDX
quote:
Originally posted by donsev
One exception is that when you have heavy fogging inside the vehicle, do not use recirc. It is easier to de-humidify the outside air than the inside air and your windows clear much more quickly (don't worry, the MDX hvac will take care of this for you :) )
Donsev,
Why is that? Shouldn't it be easier to "dry" re-circulated air, rather than constantly "drying" new air?
A combination of temp and humidity. For the condensation to occur on the inside of the window ('fogging'), the inside temp must be higher than the outside temp. All other things equal, this means that the outside air is holding less moisture (dryer). Compound that with the amount of moisture that we expel while breathing, and it can make it very difficult for an AC to dehumidify the inside while on recirc. Easier to simply pull in the cooler, drier air to begin with (unless your adept at holding your breath for loooong periods of time :)
Donsev,
I handn't considered the input of moist air from the occupants.
Thanks, |
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| iceman1331 |
[QUOTE]Originally posted by DMor
[
Next question...Since FULL AUTO constantly cools/heats outside air, isn't this less energy efficient than heating/cooling recirculated air? Obviously this would cause gas mileage to vary...correct? How do you suppose they determined the MPG in their tests? With Full Auto/Auto or Vent w/o Air??? [QUOTE]
I have the 03 X for about a month now. Recently I have discovered that my A/C may not work as good as when it is brand new. It seems that now it does not come on quickly enough and weaker than before.
For the 03 owners, please verify that when FULL AUTO is used, the recirculation button is automatically set to on (orange light on). When I tried to set the recirculation button off, the system goes to AUTO by itself.
Other thing I have noticed is the disappearance of the puddle of water associated with A/C condensation, and you can see it on the floor. This may be an indication that the A/C is not working as it should be.
I am thinking about having the dealer to take a look.
Any comments are greatly appreciated.
:rolleyes: |
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| yzthumper |
| Would you guys listen to yourselves??? This is the most rediculous system I have ever heard of. Acura should be shot for putting such a complex system in any vehicle. Three dials is the only way to go...fan speed, temp, and outlet. 2 buttons, one for A/C and one for recir. All the car mags rant about this too and none of the car manuf. are listening. You have to have a friggin PHD in thermodynamics to use the M'er F'er. |
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| dbauchat |
It's a good thing that none of us in the group based our MDX buying decision on the climate system controls. After owning my MDX for a year, I've got to say this is really the only design feature that is totally sub-par. (Note: I think we all like our vehicles so much that we have a hard time taking Acura to task for poor design. )
This is simply the worst set of controls I have ever seen on an automatic climate system. My wifes' Mercury Sable has a far superior & intuitive set of controls on its' automatic climate control system. The gyrations required to simply "vent" fresh air into the MDX on a spring day are ridiculous.
Granted, the MDX heating & cooling system is very effective once you finally decipher the moronic controls. But, whoever designed this system needs to go back to button and knob school and learn the meaning of the words simple, intuitive, and effective!
Sorry for ranting, but Acura ought to redesign this mess and offer free upgrades to all the owners. |
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| tonsaphun |
| Does anyone have the same problem? Or is it me? Everytime I turn on the heater.....why does the A/C comes on? I then would have to turn it off. Can anyone tell me why would they set the car up like that? I live in the Northeast and don't have the need for the A/C at this time. |
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| andreseng |
| The air conditioner removes moisture from the air. So instead of having foggy windows........ |
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| phins2rt |
hey tons,
Do you have everything on full auto (temp/fan)? If so, I believe the system defaults to having the defroster on (which automatically turns on the ac). I just leave the temp at 71 and put the fan output to my feet. Works for me!:D |
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| tonsaphun |
| I think so........to think about it. I do touch the auto button. So what should I do? Just use the mode button? I hate to hear the engine make that noise whenever the A/C goes on. I feel like it's running the engine more harder than it needs to. You know what I mean? |
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| phins2rt |
| yep I just use the mode botton. If you want it to direct to the windshield as well, you can select that, then turn off the air. The next time you start up, the air should not come on. Hope that helps. |
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| JeffK |
Here is what I do:
I set the temperature and put it on full auto. Then I press the switch to turn off the AC.
If the temperature goes above 65 and I want AC, or the windows fog, I press the bottom which turns on the AC.
Once the windows defog, I once again press the button to turn off the AC.
Ditto once temperature reaches the level I am comfortable with.
I am a little bit fanatic, but turning off the AC when it is not necessary, saves gas mileage.
I know, I know, it is a $36,000 car and I should not care about 1 or 2 mpg less, (certainly I can afford it) but that is just the way I am! (I Even accelerate moderately which drives my wife crazy!)
Each tankful, I try to get the best mileage possible.
BTW, do you "Old Timers" remember the "Mobil Gas Economy Runs?" Each time I drive I relive my youth!
JeffK |
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