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Anybody know how to keep the recycle air on?


zalusky
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I hate breathing outside air given how much rush hour traffic I drive in. Yet it seems the HVAC seems to to turn of the recycle button. I know defrost turns it off but it seems like I have to manually turn it on everytime I start the car. My other cars did not do this.

My Passat requires recycle air be turned on everytime the car is started. I always thought it was a safety issue to ventilate the car on start.

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All of my recent "electrically controlled" cars have defaulted to outside air every time the car is restarted.  By electronically controlled, I mean where the setting is not a physical switch or toggle, but instead just something that is controlled by the computer when you hit a touch-screen or a button.

 

Only cars with an actual switch or toggle would stay in recycled air. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The owner's manual says: "Prolonged use of recirculated air may cause the windows to fog up" and "To reduce humidity build-up inside your vehicle, do not drive with the system switched off or with recirculated air always switched on."  This is under "Climate Control"/"Hints on controlling the interior climate."  I assume this is why Ford decided to make it a manual switch.

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I agree about a basic "vent" mode. It is annoying in the hybrid, but more so in the Energi because running the HVAC cuts 3 or 4 miles of EV range. This is less so if the air is turned down low and the heat is turned off, so the electric heater doesn't draw current. I don't usually run the system in EV unless the windows start to fog, but this is not a good option.

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Turn the Temp selector below 60, and it goes to Lo. Make sure the AC is off, recirc is off, and you're getting unheated outside air. That's the 'vent' mode you are looking for.

Except for if I direct air to the windshield. That seems to always turn on the compressor and usually the ICE.

 

I found though that keeping the feet or face on at the same time will reduce the frequency of the compressor kicking in for the defog.

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Turn the Temp selector below 60, and it goes to Lo. Make sure the AC is off, recirc is off, and you're getting unheated outside air. That's the 'vent' mode you are looking for.

But the fan stays on - and the lowest fan setting is still pretty high...

 

Vent mode is with no fan, the air is pushed into the vehicle via just the pressure when the car is in motion.

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Damn, the recycle setting shuts off *quick*. What the heck is the time limit, 5 minutes? Maybe 10 minutes tops?

 

This is really annoying.

 

I have never seen a vehicle where the recycle setting auto shuts off *while in use*.

 

My Passat does that after 15 minutes, always thought it was a diesel thing.

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Can't you take it off Auto mode, and then press the arrow-to-the-face button?

 

Still runs the fan.

 

There is no way to turn the fan off.

 

Vent mode is where the system is just opened to the outside air, and the only thing moving the air is the motion of the vehicle.

 

Some cars have it, some cars don't. Some have it but its a secret way to turn it on. I had a Jeep Liberty that didn't have it but the fan control was a dial. I took out the dial, took it apart and figured out how to make an "off" setting. There was a 1,2 and 3. I added a zero, using a dremel tool and some silicone. :)

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Cars are not sealed tight enough that we would pass out or die... Otherwise people would die when sitting in parked cars.

 

No, vent mode allows the airflow from driving to push air. At 70mph it can be as strong as having the fan on. Around town it is just enough fresh air to prevent window fogging... :)

 

Older cars had actual vents that would open, often in the floorboard or side panel behind the firewall.

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Cars are not sealed tight enough that we would pass out or die... Otherwise people would die when sitting in parked cars.

 

No, vent mode allows the airflow from driving to push air. At 70mph it can be as strong as having the fan on. Around town it is just enough fresh air to prevent window fogging... :)

 

Older cars had actual vents that would open, often in the floorboard or side panel behind the firewall.

 

Don't forget those vent side windows. :)

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  • 8 months later...

Cars are not sealed tight enough that we would pass out or die... Otherwise people would die when sitting in parked cars.

 

No, vent mode allows the airflow from driving to push air. At 70mph it can be as strong as having the fan on. Around town it is just enough fresh air to prevent window fogging... :)

 

Older cars had actual vents that would open, often in the floorboard or side panel behind the firewall.

 

I stumbled on to this thread looking for a solution to a true "vent" for my C-max hybrid ... I read this post and started laughing!  My first car was a 1974 Plymouth Duster, at the firewall beneath the dash on both sides of the vehicle, were black boxes with doors and little lever locks on them.  When you opened the door, that was the fresh air vent.  The geniuses at Chrysler / Plymouth made it literally a vent too - no filters, no screens - bugs would find their way into the vehicle through those little trap doors!  Oh how I wish for a modern version of those vents now ...

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All of my recent "electrically controlled" cars have defaulted to outside air every time the car is restarted.  By electronically controlled, I mean where the setting is not a physical switch or toggle, but instead just something that is controlled by the computer when you hit a touch-screen or a button.

 

Only cars with an actual switch or toggle would stay in recycled air. 

Wonder if the factory doesn't want owners breathing interior cabin air for long periods in case there are fumes being emitted from the vents in the back for the battery pack? Just a thought? ;)  

Edited by mtb9153
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I stumbled on to this thread looking for a solution to a true "vent" for my C-max hybrid ... I read this post and started laughing!  My first car was a 1974 Plymouth Duster, at the firewall beneath the dash on both sides of the vehicle, were black boxes with doors and little lever locks on them.  When you opened the door, that was the fresh air vent.  The geniuses at Chrysler / Plymouth made it literally a vent too - no filters, no screens - bugs would find their way into the vehicle through those little trap doors!  Oh how I wish for a modern version of those vents now ...

Yes I remember this happening on my 1971 Datsun 240Z.  It had those vents too for bringing in outside air, when I had the blower running all kinds of stuff would blow inside and I could hear as small debris was blowing in through the fan.  It was mostly stuff which had fallen into the louvered vents in the cowl at the base of the windshield like leaves, little sticks, dust or sand while driving and fell into the vents at the low pressure area at the base of the windshield.  The vent was located behind the dashboard and sitting right on top of the transmission bump which put the vents about even with my right knee.  Really wild early 70's design.  Oh and sometimes rain would come in as well which wasn't good.

Edited by mtb9153
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Back to the original question, mine stays in Recirc as long as I keep it on auto and select Recirc.   

 

On our summer road trip vacation, I kept it in Recirc for the entire day while traveling out of Texas on I-10;  four occupants, temp set to 74F and CC set to 80mph. :shift:  We stopped for either bio-breaks, meals, and/or fuel about every 3 hours.  :waiting:

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Turn the Temp selector below 60, and it goes to Lo. Make sure the AC is off, recirc is off, and you're getting unheated outside air. That's the 'vent' mode you are looking for.

If you set your temp selector below the outside air temp with the AC off and recycle air off, I believe you get outside air only.  The fan speed can then be controlled with the fan speed buttons.

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  • 2 months later...

I find that my air recirculation mode when pushed ON will kick off on it's own.  Suddenly I start smelling someone's cigarette in front of me and its because it switched off it's own.  Drives me nuts I hate it!  I'm allergic to smoke, exhaust fumes and all pollen and dust, which is why I rarely drive with recirculate off and I never drive with the windows open.

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