[FoRealz]

Hey all,

Curious if anyone else is willing to test this in their Ascent as well. I'd certainly appreciate it!

The other day, I decided to take a instant read thermometer to confirm my suspicions.

The results were:

Fresh air coming through the vents is around 10-13 degrees warmer than the outside air resulting in a warm/heat-like feeling in the cabin. This is a little frustrating as I like to have fresh air coming into the vehicle and don't always want the windows down.


My previous post:
Ram air
I've noticed somewhat warmer air coming through the vents when the temperature controls are off. Think 73 outside, but 78 degree air hitting your face and hands...

I usually leave it on fresh air versus recirculate. I've played around with this extensively, I can turn on the HVAC and turn it to recirculate and then shut it off. That seems to help or closing the vents completely.

I also noticed this tonight in the footwell area on the driver's side around my knees. It just felt warmer despite the HVAC system being off and the windows being open and a cool 73 degrees outside. So the air outside felt great and cool, yet my legs and feet felt oddly warm. I reached down and could feel warmth on my arms as well.

Comparing this to my Tacoma, I could leave that on fresh and as long as the thermostat was set to cool, the air from the outside pretty much matched what came through the vents.



Some similar experiences with other vehicles mentioning a blend door:

https://www.stingrayforums.com/foru...667-fresh-air-vent-always-seems-blow-hot.html

https://www.hyundai-forums.com/lf-2...ing-warm-air-always-when-ac-heater-off-2.html

 

[packduckrock1]

I noticed this this morning as well. About 60 degrees outside. I had the climate control off and all the windows closed. I noticed warm air blowing from the vents (didn't have a way to measure the temp).

 

[JVL009]

Same here. I've noticed warm air coming from the vents as well (and for some reason, the area between steering wheel and the panel. I'm feeling warm heat in that region).

I find myself using the AC more often because of the warm heat through the vents. I will add this to the list of items to look at when I have my 1st maintenance check.

 

[barrydancer]

Noticed this this morning. Not a fan of it. The whole point of me turning the climate control off is I DON'T want air blowing on me.

 

[bdash]

I have noticed the same thing too. Hot air coming through the vents when the vent system is turned off.

 

[SunnyD_Ascent]

I'm getting the same results.
I had no thermometer but display said it was 60F outside and turned off both AC and re-circulation and vent air were definitely warmer.

 

[pilot1226]

In another thread, @Jason pointed out that there's an electric-based heater to "help" the cabin get up to temperature when the engine is still warming up itself.

I'm curious if the thermostat is set to your last specified temperature regardless, meaning even if you turn the vents off, it still is "Set" to the last known temperature.

Try turning it down to LO and see if that does anything, and THEN turn the climate off.

 

[norway]

The engine compartment is more insulated from the bottom (reflective tray under a lot of the engine) than I've seen on many other cars. I imagine the heat trapped in their by the engine and intercooler could easily raise the outside air temperature up as it passes through the vents.

 

[SaffronRouge]

In another thread, @Jason pointed out that there's an electric-based heater to "help" the cabin get up to temperature when the engine is still warming up itself.

I'm curious if the thermostat is set to your last specified temperature regardless, meaning even if you turn the vents off, it still is "Set" to the last known temperature.

Try turning it down to LO and see if that does anything, and THEN turn the climate off.

My old Toyota, that I am switching from, did this. Often, in the fall, I would turn the heater all the way to HOT and then turn it off and it provided me with the perfect amount of heat. Likewise, in the spring, I would turn the system on, all the way to COLD, then off and the perfect amount of fresh air. It is not a huge amount of air flow, but it is some. I believe that the temp you set it on controls how much hot engine air is mixed in. If you select recirculated air, rather than outside air, you should not have any air flow when your system is off.

 

[FoRealz]

In another thread, @Jason pointed out that there's an electric-based heater to "help" the cabin get up to temperature when the engine is still warming up itself.

I'm curious if the thermostat is set to your last specified temperature regardless, meaning even if you turn the vents off, it still is "Set" to the last known temperature.

Try turning it down to LO and see if that does anything, and THEN turn the climate off.

Yeah, unfortunately the pic doesn't really show that I had it on. I tried LO as well as 60 despite it being cooler outside.

 

[ShadyT]

In another thread, @Jason pointed out that there's an electric-based heater to "help" the cabin get up to temperature when the engine is still warming up itself.

I'm curious if the thermostat is set to your last specified temperature regardless, meaning even if you turn the vents off, it still is "Set" to the last known temperature.

Try turning it down to LO and see if that does anything, and THEN turn the climate off.

This. I was also getting warm air during cool weather so I turned on the auto climate control, lowered the temperature, and then turned it off. Fresh air then started coming in cooler for me.

 

[Nottingham]

I find myself using the AC more often because of the warm heat through the vents.

 

[packduckrock1]

My old Toyota, that I am switching from, did this. Often, in the fall, I would turn the heater all the way to HOT and then turn it off and it provided me with the perfect amount of heat. Likewise, in the spring, I would turn the system on, all the way to COLD, then off and the perfect amount of fresh air. It is not a huge amount of air flow, but it is some. I believe that the temp you set it on controls how much hot engine air is mixed in. If you select recirculated air, rather than outside air, you should not have any air flow when your system is off.

This worked for me, i tried the recirculated air yesterday and did not feel any air coming from the vents when the climate control was turned off.

 

[RCoaster]

Sounds like to me that the mix doors stay in their positions when the system is turned off.

 

[xydadx3]

I’ve seen a lot of people saying they’ve had warm air coming in, but what were the climate settings when it was turned off?
It’s been too hot here in VA to even turn the AC off without the windows open so I haven’t noticed it myself.
So if you treat the thermostat as if it adds no heat when on LO to adding significant heat when on HI and that setting along with recirc/outside air setting stays in effect when the system is off, would the results make sense? Or is it still pumping warm air when on recirc and LO when it’s turned off?

 

[JVL009]

I find myself using the AC more often because of the warm heat through the vents.

Same.

 

[JVL009]

So...anyone know if this can be fixed?

Hate that the cabin is always feeling warm from warm heat coming from the vents (even when the system if off).

I always either need to have the windows open or have the AC on (hate that the car is so loud with the AC on lol).

 

[rockthebeef]

I'm sensitive to temperature fluctuations. I had a truck back in 2002 that blew warm air with the AC off so I had to leave the it on at all times. I do not notice this at all on the Ascent. It's been getting less hot around here so when I commute in the morning it's finally below 70F. If I have my temp set to 70F on these mornings, it'll blow warm air until I set the temp a little lower.

 

[QuietOne]

I also have a Ford F-250. Same thing, I get warm air with the A/C and Heater turned off. If I turn the A/C on for just long enough to get cold air out of the vents then turn it off the air coming in is now about the same as the outside air and stays that way unless I am stopped at idle for a long time (think construction delays, not just at a stop light).

 

[John G]

What the original poster described is something that I noticed with our 2012 Outback. Even with the heater/cooler turned off I'd notice that either warm air or cool air would come through the vents, depending upon the settings when the car was turned off. As others have mentioned, if unwanted warm air was coming through I would turn on the AC for a bit, then turn it off. And if unwanted cool air was coming in, I'd turn the heat on for a bit and then turn it off.
With our 2019 Ascent Premium, I'm noticing that I'm having to do all this less than with our 2012 Outback.