ECO mode will reduce the fan speed by one bar on the display compared to other modes, most, if not all of the time. If I am doing a short trip like running my daughter to school, I just use 1 bar of manual fan speed mixed between the feet and windshield to keep the windshield clear. Auto is really nice for any distance driving as it maintains the temp without having to manually fiddle with the controls. I don't run Auto on the really short trips, as in under 5 miles, as it sucks the heat from the ICE, preventing it from reaching the more efficient modes as quickly as it otherwise would.
According to my scanguage ... my fan turns on when the ICE coolant is at roughly 103-105 degrees. With my easy drive on level ground ... this is about .5 - .8 miles driven ... which is extremely fast. I never understood the misunderstanding and inability to use climate control. Dial in a temp, and the car does whatever it needs to to maintain that temp. Mine works PERFECTLY and I never touch it once it's set at a given temperature. Set the temp, and FORGET IT ... you'll be amazed at how consistant and comfortable it is ... and also at how well it works. There's no difference in how the climate control works between POWER mode and NORMAL mode ... at least there isn't in my car ... I don't use ECO at all. Not worth a MPG or two to drive a dog slow car. When I first got the Prius I was absolutely OBSESSED with MPG's ... now I just drive it and get 48 ... good enough for me. REV
Running with AUTO, the temp set to 74 or 75 and the AC on.....seems to prevent the windows from fogging up better than without the AC button on.
I believe I read on this site that the Prius has a hygrometer so it performs humidity control along with temperature control, but of course that is limited without the A/C on so it has access to that option. Remember that just because the A/C button has been pressed and the light is on, it does NOT mean the A/C is actually on. The Prius will use the A/C only as necessary.
Why can't I set the mode button to direct air to the defrosters and floor at the same time? Every other car I've owned supports this mode.
You can, simple select that mode with the MODE button. And as the others pointed out, if you select the mode after selecting AUTO, it will still be in Auto Mode as far as the fan is concerned (Semi Auto). Pretty cool, er warm.
My mode button only switches between floor or dash vents. When the defrost button is pushed, mode cycles among floor, dash, and blank. Maybe setting the defrost button on and setting mode to floor will do what I want, but the display never shows more than one arrow on the mode indicator.
Are you pressing the MODE button multiple times? Each time it is pressed it cycles through different settings. For floor and defrost I have to hit my MODE button multiple times to get what I want.
I just checked mine by pressing Auto first, then the Mode button multiple times and I get four different options.
Hmm, my mode button NEVER shows a defrost setting or any setting with more than one arrow showing - only dash vent, floor, or nothing. I guess it's something for the dealer to look at during the 5K service in a few weeks.
Gee, do I feel stupid. Since the weather has gotten cold (and I started trying to change the HVAC mode) I've only driven the car in the dark to and from work. Little did I know that I was hitting the filter button instead of the mode button. Doh! Yes, it works fine if I hit the right button.
