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Climate Control Malfuncion?

F

fratus

GUEST
I just got my 2002 AV about two weeks ago and I'm loving it. However, I'm finding a few things with it which I'm not too happy with. My AV has the convenience package which changes the AC/Heating to an automatic climate control system. Last week the morning temperature was in the 50s so I decided to pump some heat to get my feet warm. To my surprise, there was NO heat!!!

I read the owners manual thinking there is some trick to getting some heat, but there was nothing special about it. Just set the temperature dial, set the fan to auto or manual, set the vents to auto or a particular vent, and wait for the heat. NOT. No matter what temperature setting I chose, from 69 - 81, not heat. The air ranged from slightly cool, to cool. The only way to get some heat was to jam the temperature dial to the max temperature and then I got some heat. I noticed that this position had a click which seemed like a temperature override.

Coincidently, this happend as I was driving the truck to the dealership for other issues, like midgate leaking. They checked it out and said that it was working according to specifications. I have a Ford Taurus with an automatic control system and it works like I thought it should. It controls the temperature but when you you ask for warmer or cooler temperatures, the air temperature also changes accordingly. In other words, I get hot air when I ask for it!!!!

Has anyone observed this behavior? All I can think of is that the sensor is in the dash board and it's affected by the sunlight. It thinks the cab is at the proper temperature hence it no need for warmer air. By the way, I get a similar behavior with the A/C as well. I cannot change the air temperature or slow the fan speed down unless I set the temperature dial to 78. Again, my Tuarus maintains a 70 degree temperature confortably and I don't have to set the dial to 78 to shut it down.

I'm going in for round two. Hopefully they tested first thing in the morning rather than later in the day.

 
Suggest you search for this topic....it has been addressed before......

There may be some tips and help in the older thread.

Good Lcuk...
 
Do you remember where or what to search for? I can't seem to find any threads on this topic. Maybe I'n not using the right search string!? I'm new to CAFNC, so some help from the old timers will go a long way.
 
One tip, is to be patient. Set the fan and mode controls on auto, and set the temperature to where you want it (probably about mid range) and leave it while you take a drive. When I do this, here's what I see happen:

It's hot outside: Start the truck, and the fan comes on high while the A/C starts. It takes a few seconds before you feel the cold air. It will run this way for a few minutes as things start to cool down. As the temperature starts to drop, the fan speed will slowly start to drop. When it has fully cooled down, the fan speed will be relatively low. The fan speed will then adjust automatically as needed. The sun comes out, it will speed up, sun behind a cloud it will slow down.

It's cold outside: Start the truck, and the fan comes on low so it doesn't blow a lot of cold air around. It takes a few minutes for the engine to heat up and the heater core to start putting out heat. As the engine heats up, the fan speed will start to speed up. When the engine is fully warmed up, the fan speed will be quite high. As the cab of the truck warms up, the fan speed will slow down again. At this point, it will automatically control the fan speed as needed.

In my case, I usually keep the temp at the 12:00 position year round. I rarely have to adjust the temperature dial outside of the 10:00 to 2:00 positions, and almost never do I need to set it to either extreme. I generally keep the other two controls on auto.

About the only time I adjust the fan speed is when the auto control has it fast, and I'm on the speaker cell phone and want it quiet. The only time I adjust the mode control is in the winter when I need a little extra defogging on the windhsield.

It takes a little to get used to it, and it takes the system a few minutes to stabilize the temperature. One thing I've noticed is that it can be a little cranky if you play with the controls too much. It works best if you put it on auto, set the temp, and leave it alone.

Take a drive, leave it on auto, and see what it does. It should settle down and make you comfortable. If it doesn't do something like what I described, then something might not be right and you need to make another trip to the dealer.

When it works, it works very well. I had this same system in my old Blazer. When it came time to get the Av, I had to have the convenience package just so I could have those climate controls. I like them that much.

Hope this helps.
 
Here it is

Under CONFUSED COMFORT CONTROLS.......Play with the search set the end days to 300....search the appropriate sections, Use the word thingy too..

good Luck and hope this helps.
 
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