NoiseFree

This is my first post as actually a ES-350 owner! Just drove my car home less than an hour ago.

I have a problem already which I'm hoping someone here can help me with.

My absolute favourite feature on my previous car ('96 Camry) was the recirculate air mode. It was activated manually, by sliding a lever over to the side. One side, recirculated air, the other side 'fresh air' from the outside.

95% of the time, either in the city or on the highway, I would have it on recirculate air mode. I absolutely loved it!

So I'm driving home from the dealer in my ES-350 and hit the 'Recirculated air mode' switch. The green light turns on and everything's fine.
That is, for two or three minutes. Then it automatically switches to 'Outside air mode'.

On my 30 minute drive home I kept hitting the 'Recirculate air mode' switch every few minutes after it would switch to 'Outside air'. That's ridiculous!

Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong?

I checked the manual (pg. 164) but it was of no help.
It just says pressing the Recirculate/AUTO/Outside air button switches between these three modes.

Thanks in advance!

Ric

tnedator

I've had the same problem in my wife's ES350. Not sure how to make the recirc setting stick. Would be nice if there is a trick to doing it.

LexBob2

Our recirc setting always stays on. I don't recall where I have the settings, but you might check it out to see if you need to turn off the AUTO setting to make it work that way. In essence, put into a Manual mode, if possible.

osokuko

Welcome to CL. Ok try this. Push the fan button to off – the auto green light next to the fan button will go off and the green auto light between the outside air and recirculation will go off too. Now go to “Climate” and touch the fan speed you want (like being in manual mode) Maybe turn off the AC too. Now push the recirculation on the front panel until only the recirculation green light turns on. That should do it. I have never tried this myself but did go down and sit in my car to work the controls. Basically make sure both autos are off on the front panel and do your fan setting in “climate”. Also the outside air and recirculation air “Auto” is controlled by a smog sensor that’s why it keeps changing to inside or outside air. I think the temp settings by the clock will be on also in a manual mode like this.

willard

Most modern day automotive climate control systems will NOT remain in recirculate mode for more than a few minutes absent the A/C being on, operational.

Human metabolism, breathing, perspiring, etc, introduces a lot of extra moisture into the CLOSED cabin atmosphere. Absent any flow-through capability the RH, relative humidity, of the cabin atmosphere would quickly climb to the point wherein the windows and windshield would likely begin to fog over, especially if the outside climate is cold enough to chill the windshield due to rapidly impinging COLD airflow.

Cycling humid air through the A/C cooling evaporator will dehumidify that airflow provided conditions allow.

NoiseFree

Hey Bob this is very good to hear!
If you can do it in your car then there should be no reason I can't in mine.

I would have called the dealer but by the time I got home they were closed and they won't be open until Monday now.

I didn't see any AUTO light on when I kept hitting the recirc switch.

Argentum

If you still like your Automatic A/C, but hate it when it switches between "fresh" air and recirculate mode, you have one solution: Have it changed via the Lexus Personalized Settings. This way, you have direct control of whether the A/C switches or not.

I've never enjoyed the automatic A/C feature in any car, regardless of make/model; but that's just me, I've realized.

NoiseFree

Thanks for your welcome Osokuko!
I will try out your suggestions tomorrow.
But as I mentioned to Bob I didn't see any green lights on for AUTO (either one) when I was pressing the recirc switch.

As far as turning off AC, that wouldn't make sense. I drove my '96 Camry happily for 10+ years with A/C on and the re-circ. activated.
Moving up to a Lexus shouldn't change this right?

You mentioned going to "climate" a couple of times to adjust fan speed, I but can't see it in my manual. Maybe the U.S. 350's are different from the CAN ones?

Are you referring to the fan setting that is directly below the Recirc/AUTO/Outside air switch?

Thanks again!

willard

There are now several LPS/C-best options in this area.

1. Indefinitely DISABLE A/C simply by turning it off one time. Will not operate again, indefinitely, until YOU trun it back on.
2. Unlink the A/C from operating automatically in defrost/defog/demist mode.
3. Prevent the system from automatically switching out of heating mode, footwell air flow, to "cooling" mode, dash air flow, once the cabin temperature is raised to within a few degrees of your setpoint.

There are two advantages to #3, one obvious and one virtaully invisble. Dry and coolish airflow to your face and upper body can be discomforting should the human comfort equation tilt toward the need for radiant heating, which, of course, is not often available if the heater has/is being used to RAISE the cabin temperature.

With the system in "cooling" mode there is ABSOLUTELY no warming airflow to the interior surface of the windshield to keep that surface, hopefully, well above the dewpoint of the cabin atmosphere. That can prove to be HAZARDOUS.

Newer models will automatically increase the blower speed in defrost/defog/demist mode.

Now all that's left to do is to radically increase the heating level of the airflow to the interior surface of the windshield upon activation of defrost/defog/demist mode and then the implementation I recommended in 1993 will be complete.

At this pace maybe by 2010.

NoiseFree

Thanks for this tip Argentum.
I've only had my car now for just over 24 hrs. but I can already see many problems starting to surface.

I miss my '96 Camry!

I can't believe that Lexus treats its customers like little babies!
OK Johnny, when you grow older you'll be able learn all about the LPS's.
But until then, you'll just have to keep relying on more knowledgeable, responsible people to take care of those things.
It's not that we don't trust you Johnny, it's just that... oh never mind, you wouldn't understand anyways.

OK now back to the basics...
Why is my glove compartment smaller than my Camry's was?
Why is the between seat compartment smaller than my Camry's was?
Why is my vision so obstructed when I'm backing up (small back window and puffed out rear panels)?

End of rant for this post...

LexBob2

Sounds like buyer's remorse!!

Enjoy your new car. You made a good choice...

NoiseFree

Hey Bob, thanks for the encouragement!

I must admit that there were external influences that guided my purchase of my ES-350. Of course I also knew that it was only a matter of time before my reliable Camry would start to let me down. But it was solid like a rock.
No issues at all.

I hope things will settle down quickly with my Lexus once I get used to it.

Is there a breaking in period?
I test drove two or three other ES-350's and they were very quiet (engine).
When I test drove mine (part of my buying agreement) the engine was humming (noticeably noisier than the others I drove). We went on the highway and then back to the dealer's lot. As we were coming back the engine settled down.

Today on a cold start it was again louder than what I had heard before.
Will it 'break in'?
I realize too that I'm now dealing with around 100 more horses than I had in my Camry.

Ric

osokuko

This morning I tired the info I gave in my last post and it worked on my car. So I'm thinking maybe we don't have the same stuff in our cars. my car is the UL if that means anything But i do have the NAV setup so my "climate button" is to the left of the screen top button. I think Lexus may not offer the Nav where you are. So I'm at odds using the other system. Anyway I sure there is a way.

RobF350

I think if you have the car on defrost it will use fresh air only

I have another car with auto climate and when I use defrost it automatically sucks in fresh air, cant leave it on re-circ.

as far as the glove box and back window go- thats the breaks man!
and a cold engine is a little noiser- might be the converters warming up or some jazz like that.

BTW- im the opposite- would rather fresh air then re-circ, how did you keep your windows clear always running in recirc?

NoiseFree

Thanks for trying it.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed too that there is a way. I just can't see them not allowing this.
I don't have the Nav system in my car (they do offer it here though).
I don't have a climate button to the left, or anywhere.