The Best, Least-Known Tips & Tricks

[LeftieBiker]

Bump.

[LeftieBiker]

Bump. See the first post in this topic for the Tips & Tricks.

[LeftieBiker]

Bump. Read the first post for the T&Ts.

[pyromancy5]

Question about the floor only defogging mode. My 2014 SL allows me to have both window vent and floor vents open, and it does not indicate the AC is on (like it does with the defogging button).

Is AC actually on when I use this mode???

[LeftieBiker]

Question about the floor only defogging mode. My 2014 SL allows me to have both window vent and floor vents open, and it does not indicate the AC is on (like it does with the defogging button).

Is AC actually on when I use this mode???

If I understand you correctly, you have to switch the A/C on and off as desired. It doesn't come on automatically as with Defrost.

[pyromancy5]

Question about the floor only defogging mode. My 2014 SL allows me to have both window vent and floor vents open, and it does not indicate the AC is on (like it does with the defogging button).

Is AC actually on when I use this mode???

If I understand you correctly, you have to switch the A/C on and off as desired. It doesn't come on automatically as with Defrost.

Gotcha, thanks!

[LeftieBiker]

I find that having the mode in Floor only with recirculate and the A/C on is surprisingly effective in keeping the windshield clear in damp weather. You can also add heat if it's chilly, but then energy consumption shoots up.

[BuckMkII]

* Partial Recirculate Mode. The Leaf has a barely-documented feature that is actually very helpful in Winter, especially when combined with the next Trick after this. With the ventilation set to one of the modes that allows Recirculation (any of the non-defrost modes), and with Recirculate mode on, press and hold the Recirculate button until the light above it starts to flash, then quickly release it. The light will flash twice, then go out, making it look like the car is in Fresh Air mode. In fact, if done correctly (and it may take a little practice, to avoid re-engaging full Recirculate) the ventilation system is now taking in roughly 1/3 fresh air, and recirculating the other 2/3. This mode does two things: it reduces the amount of external smog getting sucked into the car, and it increases the efficiency of the heater in cold weather, because most of the air doesn't have to be heated from outside ambient. It is also called "Auto Recirculate" (not to be confused with Auto Climate Control).

The closest I see to this in the manual (2013 version) is this:

Automatic air intake control:
To set the automatic control mode, push and hold the (intake air control) button. The indicator light will blink twice and the inside/outside circu- lation will then be controlled automatically. When in automatic mode, the indictor light will come on when inside air recirculation is active.

This seems to imply that the recirculation light will sometimes come on again (when? why?) but I have tried this several times recently and after the blinking, I never see the recirculation light come back on. Do you ever see it cycle on and off?

Second question: is this "mode" persistent after you cycle the car on and off, or does it have to be reset every time the car boots up?

I honestly can't tell if this trick is working for me at all...How do you tell?

[LeftieBiker]

If the light flashes twice and then stays off, you're in the right mode. It doesn't, AFAIK, persist after the car shuts off, but I'm not certain. If you hold the button too long you get normal Recirculate, with the light on. I think the other reference is to what happens when you press the Recirculate button again.

[BuckMkII]

That is what I'm seeing on the control button. I just can't tell yet if it makes any difference vs. the normal fresh air setting. Either the effect is subtle or I don't know how to measure it.