687Jim

Starts up as internal only. Setting it to Auto, it just stays there. Same with the outside setting. Is there a way to reset the climate control settings?

Thanks.

Mike728

The system starts on inside/recirculate mode when the outside temp is above some pre determined temp. I think 70 something. You have to manually change it to outside, if you want that. No way to change this behavior.

687Jim

Mike728,

Thanks for the response. What you describe is what is happening however the last 3 ESs I have had started up as you describe and then, after the interior was cooled down, would shift to outside air. Also, if you encountered bad outside air, the system would shift back to recirculate. My new ES doesn't do anything except stay on recirculate or Auto. Nothing ever changes from the original setting when from when you start the car.

lesz

You have, I think, come across my pet peeve with regard to the design and ergonomics of the ES. As Mike said, With the AC on, the climate control system defaults to the recirculate mode whenever the outside temperature is above the low 70s, and, even though you can manually change it to the fresh air setting, each time you start the car, it will return to the default recirculate mode.

The reason for doing it this way likely is that doing so allows Lexus to achieve a marginally higher EPA fuel economy rating. When fuel economy ratings are determined, the fuel economy is measured with dynamometer testing, and, in that method of testing, using the recirculate mode will result in slightly higher mpg. In many real world driving conditions, however, the recirculate mode will actually cause lower mpg. For example, if the car has been sitting in the sun on a hot day, the temperature in the cabin can rise to 130 degrees or higher. When the car is started, recirculating that 130 degree air will cause the AC compressor to have to work longer/harder to cool down the cabin than it would have to work if outside air, which, even on a very hot day would be much cooler, was being brought into the cabin. Further, I've found that, if the recirculate mode is used continuously, the air quality in the cabin quickly becomes somewhat "stale". So, I've gotten into the habit, after each re-start of the car, of manually switching to the fresh air mode.

With the way that Lexus has designed the system to default to the recirculate mode each time that the car is started, they have, in essence, turned an automatic climate control system into a semi-automatic climate control system.

Another related issue is the lack of a dedicated AC button on the dashboard. There are many times when I would prefer to have the AC off, and it is rather cumbersome to have to go through the menus to turn the AC compressor off. One of the personalized settings does allow you to use the fresh air/recirculate button to turn the compressor on and off, but, if you choose to do so, when you are using the AC, it can only be operated in the recirculate mode, and it can't even manually be switched to the fresh air mode.

UKEE

Highly disappointed there is no AC button on the ES350. Even the Avalon has one still. Not sure what Lexus was thinking in eliminating that button. Need AC button along with recirculate or fresh air mode buttons.

sanyata

I just got my ES so I haven't tried it yet but according to the owners manual you can register your personal air conditioning settings to your electronic key. I don't know if you have to use the button to open or lock the doors versus just using your hand when in close proximity to make it function. In the few times I've driven the car I've fiddled with the recirculating and auto settings trying to have it remain on fresh outside air while in auto setting only to be frustrated and thinking how lame it was. I've also read that the ECO mode takes over the AC settings as well. Again, I haven't verified if it switches to recirculate but it wouldn't surprise me. Otherwise I'm happy with the AC as it can blast ice cold air.

lesz

Since the default setting is to always use recirculate mode whenever the outside temperature is above the low 70s, I doubt that registering personal air conditioning settings is going to do anything to change the default away from staying in recirculate mode when the outside temperature is above the low 70s. I believe that the only thing that is "registered" to the specific electronic key is the temperature setting.

My experience has been that, regardless of whether you are in ECO mode, Normal Mode, or Sport mode, the climate control system still defaults to recirculate with every vehicle re-start when the AC is on and the outside temperature is above the same level in the low 70s.

I do have to admit that all of this is just a good example of a first world problem, but I still do find it to be annoying.

jollick

This week it was in the 80's going to work and 90's coming home. I usually leave my air intake set to Auto. I looked at the air setting and it varied between recirculate and outside all on its own during my 35 minute commute..

lesz

Is that on your 2013 or your 2015? On my 2013, I have never seen it run in fresh air mode with the AC on and the outside temperature above the low 70s. If that was with your 2015, I would wonder if Lexus made a change in how the system is programmed with the 2015 model year. If it is with your 2013, I can't imagine why yours would be running differently from mine, especially because, in similar threads, others have consistently reported that their AC system operated identically to the way mine does.

mcomer

Be aware that using Drive Mode "Eco" changes the A/C in sometimes unpredictable ways.

lesz

Even though I've gotten into the habit of manually changing to the fresh air mode, this morning I decided to do an experiment to confirm the accuracy of my observations about how the system works. I had about a 30 mile drive. The outside temperature was about 78 degrees. I was not driving in ECO mode, and I set the fresh air/recirculate button to "auto". During the entire 30 mile trip, the climate control system remained in the recirculate mode. In previous driving, I've observed that, when the outside temperature is above the low 70s and the AC is turned on, it will stay in recirculate mode regardless of whether I'm using ECO mode, Normal mode, or Sport mode.

I also double checked what the manual says. On page 304 of the separate manual for the navigation system (for the 2013 ES), which includes items related to the climate control system, it says that, when the outside temperature is about 75 degrees or higher, the system will default to the recirculate mode, which is exactly what mine does. It also says that, if it has defaulted to the recirculate mode and you want to use the fresh air mode, you can manually change it to the fresh air mode. That is exactly how my system works regardless of whether I'm driving in the ECO mode, Normal mode, or Sport mode.

jollick

I was in my 2013 ES300h and driving in Normal Mode. I will be driving my 2015 ES350 today and keep an eye on it.

sanyata

I pulled my car out of the garage yesterday and it was around 80. It didn't default to recirculate and remained on fresh air setting. Maybe it's because I didn't lock it? Regardless, it is annoying to even have to think about something like this in a new car.

lesz

If your ES is a 2016, I would be curious as to what you might find if you checked your manual to see what it says about the fresh air/recirculate control. For the 2013 ES, it is explained in the auxiliary manual for the navigation system on page 304, and that is where it confirms that the default is recirculate if the outside temperature is around 75 or higher. I would guess it would be in a similar location in your manuals.

If yours is not defaulting to recirculate, I wonder if Lexus made a change in how the system operates with the 2016 ES. It seems like making such a change would be a very simple software change. I know that there are a fair number of people who have said that they don't like the system defaulting to recirculate, and there are also a good number of people who have complained about stale air quality and who have found that the solution has been to get into the habit of manually switching to the fresh air mode.

I wouldn't even mind if the default for the auto setting was recirculate, but what I don't like is that, even if you manually switch to fresh air, that manual setting only holds until the next time you shut down the car and re-start it.

lesz

If wonder if the programming for the system in the ES300h is the same as it is for the ES350.

I also wonder if the software was the same for all vehicles produced in the 2013 model year. I know that there was likely at least one software change to the climate control system during that model year because, with the settings for vehicle customization, the manual shows 3 settings that can be changed for the climate control system, but my ES only has 2 settings that can be changed.