PiP A/C Guide

I have my climate control temperature set to LO (if I need it for heat, I'll adjust as needed, but always back to LO before I turn the car off). I turn on the system by hitting the Fan button (usually one or two bars is sufficient). The AC doesnt turn on by default for me either. I turn it on and off as needed. By not using the AUTO setting, it keeps it on the vent setting I selected before. I think it also maintains the outside/recirc setting I had it on before as well.

 

+1
I do the same works great!

 

The Auto does what the engineers think is best for you and fuel economy. There's a reason for everything but suffice it to say blowing cold air in your face at full speed is not desired. Ignore the Auto button. Press up on the fan speed when you want to turn on HVAC. Press AC when you need it. You'll find you have full control. Like Tracksyde, I always set mine to LO before I shut off the car.

 

Since my technophobe wife drives our PiP a lot, I tend to leave it on AUTO. It was a showstopper point when we got it that she could just drive it like any other car and not have to deal with any of that techie stuff. It took her a while to figure out the touch door lock/unlock technique and how to start it given that there was no mechanical key.

OTOH, her ability to handle a classroom full of high-schoolers coming from difficult situations absolutely blew me away.

 

i do the manual stuff as most above, never use auto.

 

i definitely see some of those things, perhaps your climate exaccerbates it, i'm not sure. i've never used the filter button, but i have seen the fresh/inside vent switch on it's own. and maybe when it's hot, the direction switches to face only. it's definitely a mystery, but i haven't studied the manual, that's a mystery in itself!

 

Ignore the filter button as well. I can't list all the buttons for you to ignore. The car remembers your previous settings. If you had vents open with AC aimed at your legs, then it will open when you press it again. Hence, I always put temp to LO before I shut off the car. Using your analogy, you're the kid messing with the HVAC presets and unfortunately causing frustration for yourself.

Sorry, I sound mean. I don't mean to. Toyota designed a lousy system with a high learning curve. I agree with you. But you certainly can tell it to do what you want it to do.

 

I don't really think itis that bad.
First, I never use auto (more later). I leave the temp at LO and I turn it on by bumping the fan speed up to where I want it. The airflow stays the same as my last setting. If I want the AC on, which is rare, then I press the AC toggle. If I'm going to be in the car for an extended time with the AC on, then after it cools off I will adjust the temp. How much simpler could it be than this?

Auto. I really don't see why anyone would want this. The car can't know how hot (or cold) you are. It can know how hot or cold the inside and outside air temp is. But it takes just a couple of button presses to set the system to what I want, for me...and auto doesn't know if I am feeling hot or cold or very hot or very cold, it doesn't know if I just worked out and am ready to break into a sweat soon or not, nor if I am wearing a jacket (and am perfectly comfortable even though the temp is cold), nor if the sun is shining on me or not. So why is it easier than just manually setting what I want? </rant>

Mike

 

I am completely on the other side. I just set the temperature, press the AUTO button, and flush "set climate controls" from my "get in the car and go" routine. I just let it sort out which ducts to use, fresh air vs. recirculate, heat vs. cool. And there is no way that my non-techie wife is going to fool around with all those buttons.

But to each their own. That is why there is an AUTO button you can turn on or off.

 

Perhaps something is wrong with your Prius if it does this. It doesn't on mine. It is completely predictable. You can either complain about it and hope Toyota fixes it or you can learn to use it.

 

I can read the frustration in your voice and I have no wish to provoke you. I was in your shoes at my second month of ownership. I sat at red lights and played with the HVAC settings until I understood its behavior. That's how I learned.

I found you can make it do a semi auto temperature setting with the right combination of button presses. This means I can have it not blow cold air full speed in my face at full speed, use AC, leave vents open and stay at the same temperature. (Press Auto, then press up or down on fan speed). I don't know all the permutations of settings that people want but I've learned by feel the settings I need.

 

The filter feature appears to be designed to filter the cabin air to remove dust and pollen (pg. 362). If you can accept that, then the logic to switch it to recirculate and to shut off after a period of time makes sense.

 

Hence, this is why when you activate this "mode" it automatically switches to recirc.

Think of the filter button as activating a "remove the stink mode." It shuts off the outside air and quickly filters the inside air then lowers the fan speed after some preprogrammed amount of air flowing by the filter. Is it really that useful? For me, no...I use it a couple of times per year, such as when driving by the cattle on I-5.

Mike

 

I leave mine on Auto with A/C on and adjust the temperature up/down to get the desired amount of air-flow on my face. I know that if I have a lot of air-flow on my face, I'll get a lot of cold air. Generally if I don't want cold-air on my face, it means it's cold out (or in the car) and I want heat, or at least no air flow. I just up the temp and things are good. Just because the A/C button is lit doesn't necessarily mean that the compressor is running. The car is smart enough in Auto mode to run the A/C compressor only as necessary.

I have found that the car automatically turns on recirc mode when the A/C is on when it is very hot, both outside and inside the car. After things have cooled off enough inside, recirc turns off. I usually just open the windows while driving to flush the hot air out, and then put them back up. Once I do this, recirc has turned itself off.

 

When you turn on the A/C, the system goes to recirc first because it's the most efficient way to cool the interior off, thus saving you fuel.