Auto climate doesn't seem to work

[Tommy McRae]

I'm brand new to the forum so if this question is answered in another thread, I apologize.

When in auto, I can turn the temperature all the way up and I can't tell a difference in the fan noise or amount of air pushing out. It is also only coming from the floor vents. I can feel hot air coming from the floor vents but it doesn't seem to increase when turned up hi and it doesn't blow through the main cabin vents at all. Going the other direction to cold, it seems to work fine. And when I select the fan speed or choose a vent or vents (back to manual), the heat works fine. Anyone else experience this?

Thanks,

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[EOD-JTRubi]

One thing with the auto that took me months to realize is that it wont kick on until the engine is warmed up (This includes fan speed). For me this can take 30+ minutes around DC on cold day.

 

[WXman]

Sounds normal to me. On Auto for heat it'll use the foot and defrost vents because that's most effective. On cool it'll use panel vents because that's most effective. Auto mode also rarely cranks the fan speed up unless there's a HUGE difference between outside temp and cabin temp, and the engine has to be at full operating temp. So yeah, it'll behave a lot differently than controlling it manually. It's programmed to gently increase your comfort, not blow your hat off.

 

[hjdca]

It looks like "auto" also turns the A/C compressor on whenever it feels it needs to...., but, it does not light up the A/C switch on the dash. Can anyone confirm that "auto" does in fact turn on and off the A/C compressor without the A/C light on in the dash ? Thanks in advance.

 

[e36racer]

It looks like "auto" also turns the A/C compressor on whenever it feels it needs to...., but, it does not light up the A/C switch on the dash. Can anyone confirm that "auto" does in fact turn on and off the A/C compressor without the A/C light on in the dash ? Thanks in advance.

Yes, "auto" does use the AC as needed but DOES NOT light up the AC switch.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'm brand new to the forum so if this question is answered in another thread, I apologize.

When in auto, I can turn the temperature all the way up and I can't tell a difference in the fan noise or amount of air pushing out. It is also only coming from the floor vents. I can feel hot air coming from the floor vents but it doesn't seem to increase when turned up hi and it doesn't blow through the main cabin vents at all. Going the other direction to cold, it seems to work fine. And when I select the fan speed or choose a vent or vents (back to manual), the heat works fine. Anyone else experience this?

Thanks,

"Auto" is smarter than people - it's configured to warm up to the temp chosen in the most efficient means or way while not making you feel cold or feel a chill. My wife for example gets in, starts her Jeep, cranks the fan up on high and freezes my face off until the engine starts to warm up. Drives me nuts as she thinks she's warming things up faster. WRONG.
She's only keeping the heater core cooled off and making us feel cold and miserable for 10 minutes until things start to warm up (depending on outside temp)
Auto takes into account the current temps, engine temp, the temp you have chosen, say you chose 70 on the screen, and calculates the best way to get there the quickest while not making you feel cold or uncomfortable in the meantime.
I keep trying to convince my wife it's got it all figured out - I think I'm finally winning - she no longer cranks the fan up high when she hops in my JT.

If you are old school, then go ahead and freeze body parts off until the engine coolant warms - crank that fan up high, blast the air in your face, but in reality, it will take longer to warm the cabin up and you'll feel cold in the meantime. ;-)

 

[Jeepnoob34]

"Auto" is smarter than people - it's configured to warm up to the temp chosen in the most efficient means or way while not making you feel cold or feel a chill. My wife for example gets in, starts her Jeep, cranks the fan up on high and freezes my face off until the engine starts to warm up. Drives me nuts as she thinks she's warming things up faster. WRONG.
She's only keeping the heater core cooled off and making us feel cold and miserable for 10 minutes until things start to warm up (depending on outside temp)
Auto takes into account the current temps, engine temp, the temp you have chosen, say you chose 70 on the screen, and calculates the best way to get there the quickest while not making you feel cold or uncomfortable in the meantime.
I keep trying to convince my wife it's got it all figured out - I think I'm finally winning - she no longer cranks the fan up high when she hops in my JT.

If you are old school, then go ahead and freeze body parts off until the engine coolant warms - crank that fan up high, blast the air in your face, but in reality, it will take longer to warm the cabin up and you'll feel cold in the meantime. ;-)

My wife does the same thing. Cranks the heat temp to 90 and blasts it. I freeze my butt off until the engine warms up. Once it’s warm, my face gets melted by the 90 degree air. I set mine to Auto 72-74 in the winter and never touch it again.

 

[Insert_Clever_Name_Here]

That is how the auto is supposed to work.

 

[TennesseePA]

It looks like "auto" also turns the A/C compressor on whenever it feels it needs to...., but, it does not light up the A/C switch on the dash. Can anyone confirm that "auto" does in fact turn on and off the A/C compressor without the A/C light on in the dash ? Thanks in advance.

The AC compressor is also used when in defrost mode. If you just blow warm air on a cold windshield you will get fog so the compressor runs to dehumidify the air blown on the windshield and reduce the condensate.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My wife does the same thing. Cranks the heat temp to 90 and blasts it. I freeze my butt off until the engine warms up. Once it’s warm, my face gets melted by the 90 degree air. I set mine to Auto 72-74 in the winter and never touch it again.

Yup - for the whole time I owned my 2011 Silverado I left it in auto mode and only switched when I needed defrost which wasn't all that often, but then I switched it back again. Same in the summer - set the temp, put it in auto and left it.
Then I got this JT and set the temp and hit the auto button. It does a truly good job.
>>>>>>>
Almost any system runs the AC compressor to dehumidify the air to deFOG the windshield.
This has been the case since the 1980s folks!
This is NOT new! I have troubleshooting books and guides from the 1980s (I was an auto tech and worked on HVAC in the old days) and one of the things was to ensure the compressor ran when in defrost mode - because you also used defrost to DEFOG in spring and fall, not just melt frost but to dissipate fog.
AND the AC light would NOT kick on because you were not in AC mode!
This is NORMAL and has been for over 30 years.

In short -
It is and has been normal for decades for the AC compressor to operate when in defrost because it is also deFOG mode The AC system takes the humidity out of the air as the air is blown over the evaporator, it dries the air to take the fog and moisture off the inside of the windshield because as you breathe you expel hot humid air and you fog up the glass.
The AC light does not and should not come on. This is 100% normal. GM, Ford, AMC, Chrysler and others used it and have since at least sometime in the 80s.

 

[rafaelsmith]

So far AUTO mode in my JTR seems to do what it is suppose to do. That said, Ive only had my JT for a week and live in Florida so have yet to see how well it does when its 95+ deg outside.

 

[brancky3]

When in auto, I can turn the temperature all the way up and I can't tell a difference in the fan noise or amount of air pushing out. It is also only coming from the floor vents. I can feel hot air coming from the floor vents but it doesn't seem to increase when turned up hi and it doesn't blow through the main cabin vents at all.

Heat rises. There's no point in blowing hot air out of the main cabin vents to warm the cabin as it is much more effective to use the floor vents. That being said, if I have the top down or doors off and it's a little chilly out I will aim the main cabin vents on my hands and take it off auto, because it is much more effective to heat a person that way.

 

[Insert_Clever_Name_Here]

Mine does a great job keeping the desired temp (usually 65-68). What has thrown my passengers off is when it gets a little warm and it puts cold air out to regulate. I think the natural design of the jeep dash has the air vents being so close to passengers they really feel it and it freaks people out.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Heat rises. There's no point in blowing hot air out of the main cabin vents to warm the cabin as it is much more effective to use the floor vents. That being said, if I have the top down or doors off and it's a little chilly out I will aim the main cabin vents on my hands and take it off auto, because it is much more effective to heat a person that way.

Absolutely! Warm the hands and arms, take the night air chill off. Makes sense. But you aren't trying to maintain a cabin temp - but how you feel in the night air with things opened up.
Can't wait to visit Florida and visit my son and his family down there.

 

[danielspivey]

I'm brand new to the forum so if this question is answered in another thread, I apologize.

When in auto, I can turn the temperature all the way up and I can't tell a difference in the fan noise or amount of air pushing out. It is also only coming from the floor vents. I can feel hot air coming from the floor vents but it doesn't seem to increase when turned up hi and it doesn't blow through the main cabin vents at all. Going the other direction to cold, it seems to work fine. And when I select the fan speed or choose a vent or vents (back to manual), the heat works fine. Anyone else experience this?

Thanks,

This has been widely discussed, the auto climate control sucks in the JT. Also, there is no literature or documented correspondence from Jeep of how the HVAC in “manual” mode works, there is only assumptions from members on here. Evidentially both modes are some form of auto.

I’ve just settled that it’s a shitty system that you CANT control, and no one truly knows what the engineers were thinking when they designed it. It may be okay in the mild climate regions, but when you have extreme hot or cold temperatures the system is difficult to get what you want out of it.

For the record, with all my other new vehicles that I have had with auto climate control in, i have been easily to get what I want out the system. The JT? Nope.

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