poor climate control behavior

[lkkms2]

Don't forget, if you use ECO mode the heating takes much longer to warm up. Drive in "D" to get the heating going faster, the back to ECO if you are comfortable with the heating.

 

[planet4ever]

No, I don't use the "auto" (except preheating uses auto by default) but when I am driving if I push the auto button everything comes on including the A/C so that is why I don't bother with the auto.

Well, A/C IS heat when the temperature is set above ambient. No A/C = no heat. Use auto.

I had an epiphany a few days ago. "Air conditioning" literally means changing the air in some way. It could mean dehumidifying ... or humidifying. It could mean removing odors ... or adding odors! And, yes, it could mean cooling ... or heating.

I think it may be a local US distortion to take A/C as meaning only cooling. My guess is that the Japanese equivalent does not carry the same connotation. So that button that says A/C and has the little light? Japanese logic would say that light should be on if the cooling OR heating system is active. As Bill suggests, every time we angrily punch that button because we don't want cold air, we are turning off the heater.

At least, that's my current theory.

Ray

 

[mpm3710]

No, I don't use the "auto" (except preheating uses auto by default) but when I am driving if I push the auto button everything comes on including the A/C so that is why I don't bother with the auto.

Well, A/C IS heat when the temperature is set above ambient. No A/C = no heat. Use auto.

I had an epiphany a few days ago. "Air conditioning" literally means changing the air in some way. It could mean dehumidifying ... or humidifying. It could mean removing odors ... or adding odors! And, yes, it could mean cooling ... or heating.

I think it may be a local US distortion to take A/C as meaning only cooling. My guess is that the Japanese equivalent does not carry the same connotation. So that button that says A/C and has the little light? Japanese logic would say that light should be on if the cooling OR heating system is active. As Bill suggests, every time we angrily punch that button because we don't want cold air, we are turning off the heater.

At least, that's my current theory.

Ray

I think your epiphany and Bill are correct. I turned on the climate control by using the "Auto" and it was getting warm even in Eco mode. Then I decided to turn off the A/C and it eventually started blowing cold air. I got frustrated and just turned the climate off and froze on the way to my destination. Then when starting the car back up going home I turned on the Auto and didn't turn off the A/C and it stayed warm all the way home. Who would of thunk it! You are conditioning the air whether it be cold or hot. Duh! But you are right I think we associated air conditioning as to be cold temperature. When we think of warm temperature we think heater. My old car had a dial with just blue on one end and red on the other, the dial itself was the air conditioning mechanism and you direct it to the blue end for cold or to the red end for heat. The fan was a separate button. That too was a Japanese car (Honda)

 

[Navin]

I like the old fashioned red and blue dial too. All the digital stuff automatically switching from circulate to fresh air when I change modes bugs me too. We have a 2002 Altima with the red and blue dial, a button to press when you want recirculation and a button to press for AC (cold). It works great. It's been so long since I drove it I'm trying to remember the controls! I like simpler better on the climate control.

 

[davewill]

I think it may be a local US distortion to take A/C as meaning only cooling. My guess is that the Japanese equivalent does not carry the same connotation. So that button that says A/C and has the little light? Japanese logic would say that light should be on if the cooling OR heating system is active. As Bill suggests, every time we angrily punch that button because we don't want cold air, we are turning off the heater. ...

That's exactly how my Honda used to work. I was disappointed when turning of the AC button didn't keep the heater from coming on.

 

[TEG]

And I thought my climate control system seemed wacky just because I have old firmware...

If it is true that the AC button is required for heat to work it just seems wrong to me.
The AC button should just control if the AC compressor is engaged or not.

The AC compressor cools air and also dehumidifies it. Assuming that the heater can make more heat than the AC removes, then on a cold, yet humid day, one might want to run the AC function at the same time as the heat function to get warm, but drier air.
This is basically what the defroster is supposed to do, but sometimes you want that same sort of dried & warmed air blowing on you.
On a cold, but dry day, one would just want heat with no AC, since it will heat better and not waste energy needlessly running the AC compressor.

This situation reminders me of the GOM/DTE where we have brilliant engineers still speculating trying to figure out how it actually works. (At least we recently got that a bit better understood, but only after learning from the source.)
Like the way the casual non-technical user of the car can find the DTE/GOM confusing and misleading, the same can be said for the climate controls. Even to the point of total frustration like "the car has a mind of its' own and does whatever it wants with the temp regardless of how I try to set the control." I think the combo of delayed heat (I wish they just used a dry wire element, not pumped fluid), energy conservation logic, and then some slight peculiarity with the control button functions all add together to produce a messy user experience.

Maybe Phil has it all figured out and has a solution. As much as I like Phil and appreciate him running a useful business, I wish Nissan got this stuff right from the start so we didn't have to support an aftermarket modification program. It would be nice if Phil could just add fancy "bells and whistles", and not find so many little things that need "fixing."

 

[mpm3710]

And I thought my climate control system seemed wacky just because I have old firmware...

(I wish they just used a dry wire element, not pumped fluid)


I agree with that statement. In fact, I thought that is what was equipped for the Leaf for heating until I found out later. But a dry wire element makes more since and it is instantaneous warmth. I do not understand your Acronym GOM/DTE. Can you elongate that for me?

 

[mpm3710]

My problem is that my heater does not stay on, it starts blowing cold air usually after 5 minutes or so on most occasions. Well after brainstorming with everyone here on this climate control subject, it was suggested that I just use "Auto" and not manually fuss with the buttons and just set the temperature where I want it and leave it alone. I did that and the first day trying it out seemed to be fine and I had heat the whole time during my errand run. However, yesterday it did as it most always does, I did not touch anything and just had the Auto on and within 10 minutes of fine warm air, it starts blowing cold air. Last night the outside temperature was 27 degrees and my teeth were chattering by the time I pulled into my driveway. I am so frustrated with this situation. It has gotten to the point that I will have to have a hat and mittens and a very warm coat and a blanket to throw around my legs in the car always. I am even thinking of buying a pair of long johns, that is how cold it gets in my car. I keep the the climate control off when it starts misbehaving and only turn it on intermittently to defrost the windshield because having the fan on literally freezes me to numbness. Just shoot me!

 

[smkettner]

Display the energy screen to observe when the heat turns off.

 

[EVDRIVER]

The AC button does not need to be on for heat.

 

[evnow]

However, yesterday it did as it most always does, I did not touch anything and just had the Auto on and within 10 minutes of fine warm air, it starts blowing cold air. Last night the outside temperature was 27 degrees and my teeth were chattering by the time I pulled into my driveway.

Not normal behaviour. Take it to the dealer.

 

[thankyouOB]

My problem is that my heater does not stay on, it starts blowing cold air usually after 5 minutes or so on most occasions. Well after brainstorming with everyone here on this climate control subject, it was suggested that I just use "Auto" and not manually fuss with the buttons and just set the temperature where I want it and leave it alone. I did that and the first day trying it out seemed to be fine and I had heat the whole time during my errand run. However, yesterday it did as it most always does, I did not touch anything and just had the Auto on and within 10 minutes of fine warm air, it starts blowing cold air. Last night the outside temperature was 27 degrees and my teeth were chattering by the time I pulled into my driveway. I am so frustrated with this situation. It has gotten to the point that I will have to have a hat and mittens and a very warm coat and a blanket to throw around my legs in the car always. I am even thinking of buying a pair of long johns, that is how cold it gets in my car. I keep the the climate control off when it starts misbehaving and only turn it on intermittently to defrost the windshield because having the fan on literally freezes me to numbness. Just shoot me!

I see the same thing. it works, and then another time -- doing the same thing; using auto set at 80 -- it doesnt work.
very annoying.

 

[91040]

I do not understand your Acronym GOM/DTE. Can you elongate that for me?

The display of range on the dash.
GOM = Guess-o-meter
DTE = Distance to Empty

 

[TEG]

I do not understand your Acronym GOM/DTE. Can you elongate that for me?

Guess-O-Meter / Distance-To-Empty... The miles / km range indicator next to the SOC "State-Of-Charge" bars.
My point was that it is similarly loathed, dissected, debated, and ridiculed as being erratic and unpredictable.
How long it takes to get heat, how much you will get, and how long it will last seems to follow a similar path of befuddlement.

I am sure that Nissan is well aware of these concerns and will make improvements with the next model update.
Meanwhile we may find that Phil has a way to reprogram/rewire things to make existing models a little more user friendly.

(Edit: I see 91040 answered too.)

 

[planet4ever]

Just in case those two answers weren't clear enough, both GOM and DTE are acronyms that refer to the same thing - that big number on the right side of the dash directly below the silly "gas pump" with an electric plug where you would expect it to have a nozzle. We made up the "Guessometer" term here on this board, probably some time last spring. We have very recently (last Saturday) learned that Nissan engineers refer to it as the "Distance To Empty" gauge.

Perhaps now we will fall into the mode of calling it a GOM when we sneer at it (as we frequently do) and a DTE on those rare occasions when we have something nice to say about it.

Ray

 

[mpm3710]

Display the energy screen to observe when the heat turns off.

I watched the energy screen when this happens and it shows no energy being used then it bumps up past 1.5 for a few minutes then back down to no energy being used. However one time I checked it when the cold air was blowing it stayed on 1.3 to 1.5 most of the time.