zes

So one thing I really dislike about the climate control is that to access it one has to mess with the mouse and menus to navigate to the correct page every time one has to adjust it. I wish Lexus provided some user programmable physical buttons to directly go to the correct page with the press on a single button. Has anybody discovered an easier way to get to the climate control page?

Mike728

I must be missing something. I just set the temp, via the direct control, and the rest is taken care of. I pretty much leave it set to 72 degrees year round. The system maintains this temp really well, as expected. If it's nice out and I open the windows, I just hit the physical "Off" button. I've never had to mess around with the menu's for the climate control in my over 4 years of ownership.

lesz

I'm among those who does like to make manual adjustments to the climate control settings. Especially, there are times when I prefer to have the AC compressor turned off but to leave the fan and auto temperature control on, and doing so requires going to the climate control screen.

I don't have many complaints with regard to the ergonomics, design of controls, etc. with the Generation 6 ES, but my very short list of complaints does include the controls for the climate control system. My older GX has a dedicated button on the dash that takes you directly to the climate control screen. I would find such a button on the ES to be much more useful than the radio button or a few of the other buttons that are on the dash. Other models, including the current NX have, at least, a button on the dash that allows you to turn the AC compressor on and off.

With the ES, on the other hand, I do find that making manual climate control adjustments is more cumbersome that it needs to be, but I've come to accept such inconvenience as a first world problem.

roninlexus

Like lesx, I like to manually adjust as well however this has not been a issue. A dedicated button for the compressor would be handy. I went into climate control and turned off AC months ago. I leave the car set at 75. If we have a sunny afternoon I turn it off and crack the sunroof. I don't see this as overly cumbersome and I just don't like the idea of the compressor on all year. no need here in Colorado but in hotter or more humid climates it may be a different story. Soon that AC will be on and probably stay that way for months as well. I tend to adjust temp manually but auto comes in handy at times... I also like to keep it on outside air vs recirc.... But I get your point, it is a different way to access the A/C control and may be cumbersome to some. There have been a few related threads to that point.

zes

I have had problems with odors in the climate control system and was only able to get rid and of them by 2x treatment of a very nasty smelling chemical by the dealer. Apparently in this gen EX, if the AC evaporator remains wet, mold grows on it and this causes odor issues. The suggestion by the dealer and others on this site was to shut off the AC compressor a few minutes before the end of a trip to let the evaporator dry out. Since I hated the mold related odor issues, I am now paranoid about knowing when the compressor is on or off and want to turn it off well before the termination of a trip, while keeping the fan running to dry out the evaporator. I have no way of knowing whether the AC is on or off, or turning it off unless I go to the climate control page. This is a pain to do as I usually like to either have the nav on, or the fuel economy bar chart running.

zes

I used to be in Columbus, Ohio, where humidity related moisture was causing mold issues. Just moved to Colorado, so I hope that those problems are behind me if I use fresh air rather than recirc!

Mike728

I had this issue early on. My solution was to turn the system off, not just the AC. Pretty much does the same thing, without having to go through all the hassle. I haven't smelled the mildew since.

RayLS

I don't know a shortcut to go directly to the climate control screen.
I use the voice command on my 08 LS and 17 ES to turn on the AC - then adjust temp manually using the up or down button.

jollick

I must be lucky, I just leave my climate control on Auto (on both ES vehicles) and occasionally change the temperature up or down as need and have not had any issues with smells or mold odors. My 2006 GS300 did have this issue though with the smell of stale water for the first few minutes after starting the car.

amphiprion

Same as Jollick, climate control on AUTO has worked for me with occasional adjustments to temperature. In the summer though, I do have a habit of turning off RECIRC before I shut the car down and that has prevented any moldy stale or off smells. Only the pleasant scent of aniline leather.

Universe93

On my 2013 ES350, the climate control system is very powerful! The A/C compressor can easily keep up in 90+ degree days in the North Carolina heat. However, I pretty much have to control it from a car from the 1990's -which is manually.

Also, I really hate they have no A/C button on the dashboard, to turn the compressor on and off. But there are tons of people who have complained about that here.

amphiprion

What is it not doing that you are having to manually adjust all the time?

Kijug

I've had my 2014 for almost three years now and leave the A/C on automatic almost all the time and have not had any problems. The only time it turn the compressor off is when I roll all the windows down and open the sunroof. Otherwise, simply adjusting the temperature has always worked and seems to cool or heat well.

zes

You probably live in a dry climate. In Columbus Ohio there is so much humidity that the ac evaporator get wet after every trip and then mold grows on it.

mrBillFL

Living in So Fla, there's only a few months that the A/C isn't used.

But those few months, its kinda a PITA.

in the morning, its in the 50's or 60's, so just the fan is good, or even open the windows a bit. need to drill down for the a/c compressor...
In the afternoon, temps in the 70's or 80's and I need to drill down through the menu and turn on the a/c compressor.

-A button would really be better to disengage the compressor, Like on most cars....

And, what's up with the slow temperature reading?
Sometimes I'll start up with the a/c on because the dash temp reads 76, and I've got the a/c on 74, but it changes to heat, in a good 2-3 min later when it reads the outside temp correctly in low the 60s... my garage isn't that warm & I don't believe the car holds that much
heat overnight.