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Best vent setting (when not using AC)?

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by darkgiant, Aug 15, 2021.

  1. darkgiant

    darkgiant Member

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    A silly question but curious: what vent setting do folks use when the AC/heater is off. I ask as for over 10 years of owning different Prius's, I have noticed my cars tend to develop the windshield interior film/haze/glare pretty fast (within two to three weeks of cleaning), whereas cars driven by family members do not. I suspect it's likely due to defaulting to the windshield vent setting all the time (even when using the heater in the winter). I assume using that vent setting obviously pushes air to the windshield leading to a faster buildup of the film/haze/glare on the interior side of the windshield.

    I am thinking of defaulting to the foot setting (when the AC and/or heater is off), but I am curious what vent setting people usually default to.
     
    #1 darkgiant, Aug 15, 2021
  2. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Whatever the design default is when the system is OFF.
     
    #2 sam spade 2, Aug 15, 2021
  3. burrito

    burrito Active Member

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    Personally, when it's off I turn on the recirculate function, so there is no air at all.

    The haze is often attributed to offgassing from the plastic in the dashboard and elsewhere in the interior. I'm not sure if this has actually been proven or disproven by anyone.
     
    #3 burrito, Aug 15, 2021
  4. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    I would think any off-gassing is a done deal for a 2013 Prius, or any car for that matter.
     
    #4 RRxing, Aug 15, 2021
  5. burrito

    burrito Active Member

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    I agree. The offgassing people say the plastic is getting old and breaking down, giving off other gasses.

    I haven't come across anyone who has tested the residue to see what it is, though.
     
    #5 burrito, Aug 15, 2021
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i can't imagine what else would be leaving a residue on the windshield
     
    #6 bisco, Aug 15, 2021
  7. darkgiant

    darkgiant Member

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    The plastics off-gassing idea is very likely what leads to the film/haze/glare, however, we have a Ford Escape Hybrid which doesn't seem to have this issue (though, no idea if we default the vent to the windshield setting). It is over ten years old too. I do "polish" my interior with Aerospace 303, so perhaps that is the culprit (though, it's supposed to improve plastic off-gassing according to detailers)...
     
    #7 darkgiant, Aug 15, 2021
  8. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    For safety reasons, there still IS some air flow, just not enough that you notice.
    Probably from the floor vents.
     
    #8 sam spade 2, Aug 16, 2021
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Off-topic, but I really wish one of the vent modes was windshield only, not just windshield/heat. I apprecieate if you hit the front defog button that's what you get, but that seems a special case, rip-roaring with auto-AC, not one of the regular modes.

    And, I'd crawl across broken glass if it'd get me a Prius with ergonomic, eyes-free manual heat/vent controls, but I'll leave that for another discussion, lol.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Aug 16, 2021
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