lsher

I owned a 2008 ES350 before I purchased a new 2013 ES350. I feel that the air conditioner in the 2013 does not blow as cold as the 2008 by a lot. Can anyone else tell me their experiences?

Dave Mac

I had both a 2007 and a 2013 and while both were good I think the 2013 is clearly cooler. You might have your dealer check yours.

Dave Mac

bootman

Are you in ECO mode?

lesz

The AC on my 2013 ES350 works at least as well as does the AC on my GX and at least as well as did the the AC on the 2006 ES that I previously owned.

I find that our perception of how cold the air outputted from the AC feels is greatly influenced by how we have the dash vents directing the cold air. If I have those vents pointed so that they are blowing air directly on bare skin, the air feels so cold that I have to set the system to 77 or 78 degrees to feel comfortable. If those vents are not blowing air directly on bare skin, a lower setting feels comfortable.

Home HVAC technicians and auto mechanics check the operation of AC systems by using thermometers with an extended probe/temperature sensor that can be positioned into a duct/vent. The temperature of the air produced by an auto AC system (when the compressor is operating) will vary some depending on ambient air temperature, but it should be somewhere around 48 degrees. Perhaps, you can buy or borrow one of those thermometers, and you can give your system a quick check by seeing the temperature of the air that the system is putting out.

I drive my ES350 in ECO mode almost 100% of the time, and, while I know that AC output is supposed to be adjusted depending on the driving mode, I don't see any drop off in AC performance at all in ECO mode.

ElliotB

I live in South Florida and when its hot, its really hot. I can definitely feel a difference with ECO mode to the other modes with regards to the a/c. I feel the A/C in the 300h is superior to that of my 2011 ES 350.

lesz

I had another thought to add to my post above.

Is your concern about how well the AC keeps the cabin cool or about how quickly it cools down the cabin when you first start the vehicle on a hot day? If your concern is about how long it takes the car to cool down, I have a suggestion. In what I think was misguided design by Lexus, they chose to have the system default to recirculate air every time you start up the vehicle when the temperature is above 75 degrees. Theoretically, recirculating cooler air should make the system more efficient than it would be if it were mixing in fresh air. However, the reality is that, on a hot day and, especially, if the car has been sitting in the sun, recirculating the air in the vehicle, which might be 120 degrees or higher on a hot day when you first start up the vehicle, makes the system take much longer to cool down the vehicle than it would take if the system was bringing in fresh air, which, even on a very hot day, is going to be substantially cooler than the air in the vehicle when it is first started. I find that the vehicle cools down much faster if I manually switch the system to the fresh air mode. Unfortunately, I need to switch to fresh air mode every time I start the vehicle (and the temperature is above 75) because, again, Lexus has chosen to have the system default to recirculate mode every time the vehicle is started and the temperature is above 75 degrees.

lesz

I think that the differences in how the AC functions depending on driving mode are much different on the ES350 than the way they are on the ES300h, and the OP has an ES 350.

Before I bought my ES350, I did thorough test drives with both the ES350 and the ES300h, and they happened to be on a day when the temperature here was around 100 degrees. With the ES300h, there was a clear difference in AC performance when the vehicle was in ECO mode. With the ES350, any differences were quite imperceptible.

SLH

I live in South Florida. When it is hot, here, it is really very hot and humid. This car seems to cool down more quickly than my previous 2008 Camry Hybrid ever did. Both are red with tan leather interior, so the difference is not due to color.

For this one, I did buy the remote start feature. When I have to park in the sun on a hot day, I can start the car a few minutes before we leave. It works well, when I remember to do it. But even without that, the AC works just fine.

jim256

Another difference is that the h has an electric compressor, not driven off the engine rpm like the 350 and other gas vehicles. As a result you do get immediate a/c, even at idle or in creeping traffic, while the gas engine rotates the compressor faster as it builds rpm. In ECO mode on the h they definitely limit fan speed and weight it toward recirculate. I am pleased with the a/c, even in ECO mode, quickly gets to the set 75 and the air is very cold.

The manual says this but does not differentiate hybrid/gas:
Operation of the air conditioning system in Eco drive mode
In the Eco drive mode, the air conditioning system is controlled as follows to prioritize
fuel efficiency:
●Engine speed and compressor operation controlled to restrict heating/cooling
capacity
●Fan speed restricted when automatic mode is selected

Lexusxoxo

I'm soooooo glad I read this. I was about to take my 300h in for the A/C because it didn't blow very cool this weekend when we were out running around. I believe I was in ECO mode..
Didn't know that made a differents..
I will try it again without it being in the Eco mode.

jim256

We just went through some 95 degree temps with heat index over 100, and mine was very cold set at 75, in ECO mode, in Auto climate mode, recirculated air chosen by the system. If you aren't getting cold air I'd have it checked.

lsher

Thanks for all the feedback, I will have to see if my car is in ECO mode.

jollick

Same here in GA, I believe the AC in my ES300h is the coldest of any Lexus I have owned, even in ECO mode. I usually leave it at 75 and that feels just fine .

Lexusxoxo

Thanks! I'm going to take it in.. It really was blowing warm...

mcomer

While you are there have them enable the "remote window roll down" and its companion feature of "key in the door/close windows and sunroof. Now you can crack open the windows as you approach to pre-ventilate the car.