How The Dual-Zone Climate Control Works

[c_hunter]

Hmmm, maybe. I'll check tomorrow. However, I am pretty sure it is not in auto mode. It does not say auto and I turn it onby using the flow control button.

 

Mark

 

 

The only true manual mode is obtained after you have overridden all the possible settings. In between full auto (when AUTO is lit) and full manual, you're in a sem-auto transitional state that can be frustrating. The AUTO indicator will not be lit, but some of the settings are still on auto. Maybe that's what you're noticing.

 

Craig

[CrakuhBlack]

If this was already mentioned or asked in this thread sorry. I don't have time to read the whole thing since I'm on my way to the folks' house. Anyway, is there a way to get pure outside air flowing in? Even when the system is in "manual mode" and set at the lowest temp, I still get warm air blowing in. It reminds me of my friends stupid Mustang GT where you ALWAYS get heat...even in the summer or when you have the fan turned off.

[specinvstr]

The only true manual mode is obtained after you have overridden all the possible settings. In between full auto (when AUTO is lit) and full manual, you're in a sem-auto transitional state that can be frustrating. The AUTO indicator will not be lit, but some of the settings are still on auto. Maybe that's what you're noticing.

 

Craig

 

That must be it. I'll give it another shot. Thanks for the tip Craig...

[ilh]

If this was already mentioned or asked in this thread sorry. I don't have time to read the whole thing since I'm on my way to the folks' house. Anyway, is there a way to get pure outside air flowing in? Even when the system is in "manual mode" and set at the lowest temp, I still get warm air blowing in. It reminds me of my friends stupid Mustang GT where you ALWAYS get heat...even in the summer or when you have the fan turned off.

AUTO

both temps to 65

vent selection the way you want

recirc off

OFF

[cpokay]

Great thread, Craig, I read the whole thing -- VERY useful. My car is new, my first auto climate control system, and I was worried about my gas mileage with the "A/C" light on (and presumably the A/C running the entire time I was running my auto climate setting), but it sounds like in winter time, it will be rarely running, and shouldn't affect my MPGs significantly.

 

Chris

[riverrat]

Up just to add my thanks for this very useful thread.

 

I just built a document consisting of Craig's initial writeup and selected additional tips from the thread that I will print up and put in the car with the owner's manual.

[frank ward]

Does anyoe else have a problem with the heater set- up? Specifically with the mode control set to FEET ONLY and the temp selector anywhere from, say, 75 to 85, I get barely a whisp of warm air at my feet whilst I get almost a blast of hot air in my face. My WRX (traded in on the LGT) had the same problem. For the record my 04 S2000 does not have this problem - in fact it has the best heater/ac system I've ever encountered in over 50 years of driving - and this is not entirely due to the miniscule interior volume 'cause it's almost as good with the top down. Aside from the above complaint I love the LGT. Even though it's an auto, that box is SO versatile, to the point where the car's almost as much fun as the S. And that's saying a lot!

[caramall2]

All - Anyone wish you could set the heat (even on manual) to say, 60? I get in my car all the time with a jacket in the winter and just want a little heat. Unfortunately, whether manual or automatic, there's no "just a tiny bit of heat" setting--I start cooking even with it on 66 an low fan. At 65, as you know, there is NO heat, it's just blowing cold air.

 

Kind of frustrates me when my 95 honda wagon has easy heat controls and I even have a radio that plays MP3s and has an ipod jack Of course, it's the driving performance and AWD that pulls people to the LGT, not the creature comforts in most cases...

[riverrat]

I just read about this mod to the ACC system on Foresters that is alledged to greatly improve its performance, by improving airflow across the sensor that measures cabin temperature.

 

Those who have installed it say it reduces the tendency of the system to overcompensate heat- too hot, then too cold, then back to too hot, etc. Aside from the non-intuitive interface issues, I have noticed that the system does have a hard time maintaining an even temperature.

 

I would be very curious to know if the mod is as straightforward to install in an Outback or Legacy as it is in a Forester:

 

http://www.geocities.com/samiam_68/SubaruCCS/SSC_Fix.htm

[mach_six]

I would find out where the sensor is. If it's the same place I don't see why it would be more difficult. Seems to me if buy the pre-made kit seems pretty straightforward unless you want to build it from scratch.

[caramall2]

I just read about this mod to the ACC system on Foresters that is alledged to greatly improve its performance, by improving airflow across the sensor that measures cabin temperature.

 

Those who have installed it say it reduces the tendency of the system to overcompensate heat- too hot, then too cold, then back to too hot, etc. Aside from the non-intuitive interface issues, I have noticed that the system does have a hard time maintaining an even temperature.

 

I would be very curious to know if the mod is as straightforward to install in an Outback or Legacy as it is in a Forester:

 

http://www.geocities.com/samiam_68/SubaruCCS/SSC_Fix.htm

 

 

The Legacy definitely could use this in my opinion. It blows only hot on anything above 65 (at least in mine) for the first 15 or 20 minutes until the sensor "warms up". I emailed Sam personally and he just tried to install one on a new Legacy. Unfortunately the sensor is very hard to get at in the new Legacys. I think he finally stopped at some point but may try again.

 

Boy, we really need this in my opinion. I drive all the time 15-20 spurts with a jacket on, etc, and roast or freeze as I flop back and forth between 65 & 66 on the dial. I long for my 95 honda with plain old manual controls.

[oog61]

The Legacy definitely could use this in my opinion. It blows only hot on anything above 65 (at least in mine) for the first 15 or 20 minutes until the sensor "warms up". I emailed Sam personally and he just tried to install one on a new Legacy. Unfortunately the sensor is very hard to get at in the new Legacys. I think he finally stopped at some point but may try again.

 

Boy, we really need this in my opinion. I drive all the time 15-20 spurts with a jacket on, etc, and roast or freeze as I flop back and forth between 65 & 66 on the dial. I long for my 95 honda with plain old manual controls.

 

 

I have the exact same problem in my Spec.B and it didn't make any sense until I read through this thread. Regardless of the outside temp or what settings I use on the climate control, it gets VERY warm inside but then gradually it cools off over a half hour or so. The cooling occurs much more quickly if I'm driving on the highway. That would make sense because the higher speed forces more air circulation in the cabin if the vents are open, and hence the sensor will receive more of the heated air and react accordingly. If the Venturi design of the temperature sensor is what's causing this, and it sure sounds plausible, SOA really ought to offer some kind of fix for the problem. What is the protocol for getting issues like this to them?

 

I'd like to know if there is anyone out there driving an 05 or 06 Legacy in colder climate who is NOT having a problem with excessive heat in the first minutes after starting up with a cool or cold cabin.

[pflo]

i just noticed this on my first long road trip

the cabin is definitely cooler at hwy speeds for the same temp setting than when the system first gets going eg. around town

the solution for me was to turn the temp setting up on the highway

[deim]

One thing which drives me crazy in LGT'06 DUAL climat control - the need to turn both knobs - drivers and passengers to set the SAME temperature!

 

On my previous cars with dual control there always was "Dual" button, by pushing it you turn off dual and driver's temperature automatically sets on passenger's side also.

[kleggo]

craig wrote

"Note that you can invoke a no-fan vent mode by starting from OFF, and then pushing the mode button to select face or bi-level ventilation. In this vent mode, the temperature display will not show and the temperature will remain at the previously set level (before OFF was pushed). So if you want a totally ambient vent, the procedure would be to set the dial to 65 (no heat), press OFF, and then press mode to select vent. Pretty complicated, eh? ACC systems don't have simple direct controls for something like this, unfortunately."

___________________________________________________________________

 

your entire post was very informative and well written, but the above was the nugget i ahd been searching for.

 

Thank you

 

Craig F.

[schwinn]

I don't mind the auto mode at all, really... it generally works well, particularly when it's cold outside. However, I usually go to partial-auto by disabling the A/C completely in the winter (unless I need defogging, of course).

 

However, one little quirk that I have noticed now that it's warmer outside. The interior will be warmer than 70, with the dials set at 70. Outside is around 50. In this partial-auto mode, the controller is so dumb that it thinks to turn on the A/C and recirc mode. Except, that the A/C has been disabled (hence partial auto)... so the car sits there, fans blasting, under recirc... when it could just leave it on vent and cool the car down with the cooler outside air.

 

Now that has to be a bug in the system programming... and pretty glaring one at that!

 

Yeah, I know, I can put it to vent mode myself (and make it another step "more partial-auto"... but the point is, I shouldn't have to. It should know the A/C is off, so it should just default to pulling in outside (presumably cooler) air. Ideally, it should check the outside temperature (or check the temp of the air its blowing) and decide from there... but it doesn't. Pretty lame, if you ask me.

[emorphien]

just read this, very good

[Audioi]

Cant believe that this thread is still active so I will add my 2 cents. First of all Great post and well written but why does my other car seem to Do It Right?

And the last 5 or 6 ATC cars I have had seemed to do a better job at keeping me comfortable?

You did a wonderful job sticking up for the Subaru System and I am sure everybody here appreciates it, just dont get in a lesser cost Sonata with ATC:icon_mrgr

[caramall2]

Biggest problem as noted earlier is the temp sensor is deep in the dash and it takes forever to get warmed up properly (like 20 minutes). Thus, if it's cooler out and you want to heat up the car, it just blows non-stop hot air (even at 66) for 15-20 minutes, or cold air (if set at 65).

 

Other aggravations...no way to lock the dual controls together...if you turn system off and on it resets to its "crazy" setting rather than what you turned it off at.

 

Really would take my 95 honda manual controls over this (except the rare time I have 2 people in the car with different heat preferences).

[Audioi]

The guy that did the fix in the Forrester has it right by sucking the air into the sensor. I built a box like his only to find there is no room in the Legacy for the box. Back to the drawing board.

[caramall2]

You did this on a 2005? Any pics or can you describe what's behind the little vent openings by the driver's right knee? (Heard that's where the sensor is.) My idea is to blow air into that vent/slots.

[Audioi]

Mine is a 07 Ltd.

Ther is very little room back there and even less to get your fingers in.

Basically you have the intake connected to a white pipe that leads into the HVAC.

I am working on a small device to plug in behind the sensor that will force air slowly into the tube. Primarily a fan induction.

Thats after I finish the audio system.

[caramall2]

Any pics? So, if I blew air into that little vent by the driver's right knee, would that help possibly?

 

Also, any electrical whizzes that could change a resistor or something so that 66 degrees would really be more like 60 degrees? I never turn the heat above 69 or so, even when on a long drive after the sensor warms up. The whole system is way too hot.

[lgt_nube]

the controller is so dumb that it thinks to turn on the A/C and recirc mode.

That fresh air/recirc control is one thing I want to be in control of, so I habitually set it to fresh air after I start the engine the first time of the day. AC is another thing I manually set off in the (not hot) mornings.

[oog61]

Any pics? So, if I blew air into that little vent by the driver's right knee, would that help possibly?

 

 

My heater was running hot too but I stumbled on to something that took care of the problem, and it is real simple. Instead of setting the Mode to where the heat is only coming from the lower vents or the upper and lower vents, set it to where it's coming out of the lower vents plus the defrost vents. When you set it to that mode, the A/C light will come on but you can just hit the A/C button to turn it off. I have not had a problem with getting cooked since I started doing this. Now, the 70 degree setting is quite comfy, where before if I had it at 66, it was very warm and I needed to crack at least one window or the sunroof.

 

Many people have also complained about running the defroster in the summer, since it wants to blow warm air and quickly heats up the interior when that is the last thing you want. If you use the same mode setting as above (lower vents plus defrost vents), but leave the A/C light on, you will find that it defrosts with much cooler air.