Dual Zone Setting For Best MPG

[SnowStorm]

Exactly how does the dual zone heat system work?  I want to figure out the most efficient setting when no one else is in the car and I'm using recirculate.  Should the passenger side be turned down low or does that mix outside air to get the lower temperature?  Have driven the car a lot more this winter and when in town, there is precious little engine heat available.  One post showed that there are stepper motors controlling doors - one for each side.  Anybody know what air flows they switch between?  Outside cold, outside through heater core, inside recirculate, inside through heater core or what?  And is any of the temperature control done by changing the water flow though the core?  (I suppose you could ask the same type questions for A/C but not this time of year!)

[wab]

Exactly how does the dual zone heat system work?  I want to figure out the most efficient setting when no one else is in the car and I'm using recirculate.  Should the passenger side be turned down low or does that mix outside air to get the lower temperature?  Have driven the car a lot more this winter and when in town, there is precious little engine heat available.  One post showed that there are stepper motors controlling doors - one for each side.  Anybody know what air flows they switch between?  Outside cold, outside through heater core, inside recirculate, inside through heater core or what?  And is any of the temperature control done by changing the water flow though the core?  (I suppose you could ask the same type questions for A/C but not this time of year!)

 

"dual zone" one of my favorite subjects, but for a very different reason than yours.

 

I would think that setting the passenger thermostat as low as it will go will = the lowest amount of ICE heat used.

 

The main reason we bought the SEL was so we could set the thermostatS and forget them :doh: ,

[scottwood2]

 

"dual zone" one of my favorite subjects, but for a very different reason than yours.

 

I would think that setting the passenger thermostat as low as it will go will = the lowest amount of ICE heat used.

 

The main reason we bought the SEL was so we could set the thermostatS and forget them :doh: ,

Is the thermostat different on the SEL?

[wab]

 

"dual zone" one of my favorite subjects, but for a very different reason than yours.

 

I would think that setting the passenger thermostat as low as it will go will = the lowest amount of ICE heat used.

 

The main reason we bought the SEL was so we could set the thermostatS and forget them :doh: ,

 

 

Is the thermostat different on the SEL?

 

Maybe the 200, 201 and 202 packages have changed?

I think I remember the 2013 200 and 201's having 1 knob used to adjust the temperature.

 

We have 2 thermostats that HAVE TO BE adjusted EVERTIME the car is started.

Maybe I need to look up Fords definition of "AUTO DUAL ZONE".

 

But back on topic.

Any thoughts on the most efficient passenger heat setting?

 

[scottwood2]

Maybe the 200, 201 and 202 packages have changed?

I think I remember the 2013 200 and 201's having 1 knob used to adjust the temperature.

 

We have 2 thermostats that HAVE TO BE adjusted EVERTIME the car is started.

Maybe I need to look up Fords definition of "AUTO DUAL ZONE".

 

But back on topic.

Any thoughts on the most efficient passenger heat setting?

 

Everything I looked at had dual zone controls standard.

 

I have not played around with shutting down one zone or shutting off vents.  It might help but the biggest thing that seems to help me is to just not use the climate control at all.  I love the seat heaters.  After driving about 4 - 6 miles the engine temperature is up to where the ICE will not come on just because of the call for heat.  Then I turn on the heat and leave it on. 

 

I still have to turn in on a little during this starting run just to defog the windows.  I clear them off a little and shut it back down. 

 

Hope that helps

[SnowStorm]

Have a 2013 SE 200A with dual temp controls.  Heated seats are are great but, specifically, I'm trying to figure out how to get the most recirc heat to the driver - floor vents primarilly - so no control of individual vents.  How does the car make "cold" air on passenger side and "hot" air on driver side?  I don't want to bring in a bunch of outside air when trying to conserve heat.

[drdiesel1]

Setup the system to run in manual mode with the AC OFF.

 

I run my temp setting @ 76°F when I'm looking for heat VS MPG's.

I run the fan on low and have it set to push air on the floor and out the vents.

This is called bi-level mode and it's the most comfortable for me, but I never

have passengers 95% of the time. No matter what you do, the coolant element

will activate with the heater on.

 

I've noticed even in EV later with the ICE running,

the system is using that heating element based on my battery numbers.

I use it to supercharge my battery when descending large hills and can get my battery

number up around 38 miles before the ICE will come on as a brake. I drive an NRG.

[SnowStorm]

The non-NRG cars, as I understand(?), only use heat from the ICE - no electric heater element.  I just want to make sure I'm not bringing in cold air if I try to dump all the heat on the driver.

[drdiesel1]

The non-NRG cars, as I understand(?), only use heat from the ICE - no electric heater element.  I just want to make sure I'm not bringing in cold air if I try to dump all the heat on the driver.

The HVAC case has temperature doors inside. When you set it to cooler the doors allow fresh air to enter

into the system. When you set it to warmer temps, it allows the air to flow though the heater core.

IMO, run both zones at the same temp. Yes, the hybrids do not have the heter element.

[SnowStorm]

IMO, run both zones at the same temp.

I expect you are right.  This post seems to indicate that splitting the temperature settings might cause the recirc door to bring in outside air to get the colder temp.  I know this question is a small detail but I would still like to see a flow diagram if anybody finds one - or other specifics of how it all works under various modes.

[scottwood2]

This make sense.  When my other half is in the car, the temp setting can be much lower than mine and it feels like there is a window open in the car sometimes even though my setting has not changed.  

[plus 3 golfer]

IMO, why not simply close the passenger vents (that can be closed) and use the mono temperature mode for conditioning.  In that way perhaps more heated air would be directed to the driver side and there should be no "individual" blending of air by the passenger or driver side temperature door actuators.  

 

But isn't the "real" issue of efficiency, the heating of the cabin when the coolant is not up to a certain temperature such that the auxiliary climate control (electric resistance heating) is used in the coolant loop?  I doubt much will be gained in efficiency until the coolant temperature reaches the point where the resistance elements are not needed to heat the coolant to the heater core.   There is a diverter valve in the coolant loop that recirculates coolant in a closed loop through the cabin coolant heater / pump and heater core until the coolant circulating through ICE reaches a certain temperature. At that time the diverter valve allows the normal ICE coolant circuit to the heater core and resistance heating of the coolant should cease.

 

Of course we all know ways to get ICE up to operating temperature faster which should decrease the time resistance heating of the coolant is necessary.

Edited February 10, 2015 by Plus 3 Golfer

[SnowStorm]

Primarily using floor vents so can't close passenger side.  Again, I don't have an NRG so there is no resistance heater element, right?

[scottwood2]

IMO, why not simply close the passenger vents (that can be closed) and use the mono temperature mode for conditioning.  In that way perhaps more heated air would be directed to the driver side and there should be no "individual" blending of air by the passenger or driver side temperature door actuators.  

 

But isn't the "real" issue of efficiency, the heating of the cabin when the coolant is not up to a certain temperature such that the auxiliary climate control (electric resistance heating) is used in the coolant loop?  I doubt much will be gained in efficiency until the coolant temperature reaches the point where the resistance elements are not needed to heat the coolant to the heater core.   There is a diverter valve in the coolant loop that recirculates coolant in a closed loop through the cabin coolant heater / pump and heater core until the coolant circulating through ICE reaches a certain temperature. At that time the diverter valve allows the normal ICE coolant circuit to the heater core and resistance heating of the coolant should cease.

 

Of course we all know ways to get ICE up to operating temperature faster which should decrease the time resistance heating of the coolant is necessary.

This is on the standard Hybrid or the NRG? 

[plus 3 golfer]

Primarily using floor vents so can't close passenger side.  Again, I don't have an NRG so there is no resistance heater element, right?

I thought both have the auxiliary coolant circuit. But after looking at the service manual only the NRG has it.  :)

[markd]

I just keep mine set at 70 on auto, you can still turn the passenger side up or down. Turning the passenger side down won't help, the drivers side will just compensate for the temp change.