Recirculate cabin air? Oh no you won't!

ByTheLake · 10-30-2007, 08:53 AM

Dear GM,

Have you ever suddently found yourself driving behind a smoke-belching diesel semi? Thankfully, cars are equipped with a recirculate button to avoid pulling in the outside air. I use my recirculate button in two situations ... the lung-choking exhaust avoidance situation described above, and when the northern Michigan winters are at minus 20 degrees, to recirculate the warmer cabin air for a while.

But my GM car likes to argue with me. I press recirculate only to see it flash its silly light at me a few times and refuse to acknowledge my simple request. My car is trying to be smarter than I am, avoiding my request to recirculate cabin air for whatever reason. Maybe it's to avoid a build-up of humidity that might fog my windshield.

But, PLEASE, GM ... let me press my friggin' recirculate button when I want to. I'm so, so tired of seeing a black cloud of smelly exhaust ahead of me, pressing 'recirculate', having my car refuse to obey, then gagging on truck exhaust for the next 5 minutes. I might have just a few seconds to make the decision, so I don't want to spend it taking my eyes off the road to perform a thorough review and analysis of my current HVAC settings to ensure that they are 'recirculate' compatible.

Just switch to recirculate when I ask, for goodness sake.

coaster.n3rd · 10-30-2007, 09:05 AM

What air direction setting are you trying to do this on?

The recirculate will not operate when using floor, floor/window defrost or window defrost. I believe the compressor is on in those settings anyway.

Triple-X08 · 10-30-2007, 03:15 PM

probably has it on defrost mode or something. user error. see it all the time

**paul8488** · 10-30-2007, 03:47 PM

Ha! The same people that designed your vehicles recirc function wrote the coding for Microsoft Word! I HATE when stuff like that thinks it's smarter than me... if I tell you to do something, do it, dammit!

Triple-X08 · 10-30-2007, 03:51 PM

or if it is acting up, there is probably a reason for it, so pushing the button and getting pissed at it isnt going to help your repair bill. get it fixed and quit complaining, a problem like this will happen with any car. just depends on what is wrong with it. could be something small, could be something major. dont know till its diagnosed.

atomicshark · 10-30-2007, 04:04 PM

Thank God my GTO's recirculate setting works when needed. One thing that annoyed me about my '02 Explorer was the fact that there was no recirculate option at all. Well, at least I don't have to worry about that anymore.

coaster.n3rd · 10-30-2007, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomicshark

Thank God my GTO's recirculate setting works when needed. One thing that annoyed me about my '02 Explorer was the fact that there was no recirculate option at all. Well, at least I don't have to worry about that anymore.

Are you sure the explorer didn't have a max A/C function?

likearock00 · 10-30-2007, 06:02 PM

Why are you guys getting so upset over the OP, triple-x?? Someone piss in your Wheaties today?

Whenever I want it to go to recirc, I just hit the fan button once and then hit the recirc. It takes it out of auto and lets me do it. Then after the stench has passed I hit auto again and it return to it's original mode. I'm assuming you have the auto A/C.

Oh, and I got ya beat on the smell. Try driving through NC in the spring right after they spread all the chicken crap over the fields. It'll gag a magot!!

rearden82 · 10-30-2007, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomicshark

Thank God my GTO's recirculate setting works when needed. One thing that annoyed me about my '02 Explorer was the fact that there was no recirculate option at all. Well, at least I don't have to worry about that anymore.

As coaster.n3rd mentioned, the Explorer would have had a Max A/C setting. That's Ford-ese for "recirculate".

01cavalier · 10-30-2007, 06:45 PM

As irritating as it might be, if it's on defrost or floor/defrost, it could cause the windows to fog up pretty quick. Not very safe, especially since it can take a lot longer to clear it in bad weather.

F14CRAZY · 11-13-2007, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rearden82

As coaster.n3rd mentioned, the Explorer would have had a Max A/C setting. That's Ford-ese for "recirculate".

Um, if it helps, my '92 and '93 Explorers had a MAX AC position but the compressor is controlled independently. I could also put it to floor/defrost without the compressor on

10-30-2007, 08:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
ByTheLake 6.2 Liter Vortec V8 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: North Western MI Drives: '04 Corvette, '08 CTS Posts: 2,645	Recirculate cabin air? Oh no you won't! Dear GM, Have you ever suddently found yourself driving behind a smoke-belching diesel semi? Thankfully, cars are equipped with a recirculate button to avoid pulling in the outside air. I use my recirculate button in two situations ... the lung-choking exhaust avoidance situation described above, and when the northern Michigan winters are at minus 20 degrees, to recirculate the warmer cabin air for a while. But my GM car likes to argue with me. I press recirculate only to see it flash its silly light at me a few times and refuse to acknowledge my simple request. My car is trying to be smarter than I am, avoiding my request to recirculate cabin air for whatever reason. Maybe it's to avoid a build-up of humidity that might fog my windshield. But, PLEASE, GM ... let me press my friggin' recirculate button when I want to. I'm so, so tired of seeing a black cloud of smelly exhaust ahead of me, pressing 'recirculate', having my car refuse to obey, then gagging on truck exhaust for the next 5 minutes. I might have just a few seconds to make the decision, so I don't want to spend it taking my eyes off the road to perform a thorough review and analysis of my current HVAC settings to ensure that they are 'recirculate' compatible. Just switch to recirculate when I ask, for goodness sake.

10-30-2007, 09:05 AM	#2 (permalink)
coaster.n3rd 5.3 Liter LS4 V8 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: 5,059 Miles SE of Dutch Harbor Drives: 2008 Saturn Aura XE 2.4 I-4 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt Posts: 3,839	Re: Recirculate cabin air? Oh no you won't! What air direction setting are you trying to do this on? The recirculate will not operate when using floor, floor/window defrost or window defrost. I believe the compressor is on in those settings anyway. __________________ 'I've seen the next Cadillac STS replacement and it looks damn good... like a ****ing Bentley.' - Unclassified GM exec. 'I had no respect for the 55 mph limit and I took great delight in breaking the limit I can assure you.' www.32hours7minutes.com

10-30-2007, 03:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Triple-X08 5.3 Liter Vortec V8 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Michigan Drives: 2007 Saturn Ion, 83 Camaro Posts: 1,313	Re: Recirculate cabin air? Oh no you won't! probably has it on defrost mode or something. user error. see it all the time __________________ ASE Master Certified Technican current cars in garage- 07 Saturn Ion - daily driver 83 Camaro Z28

10-30-2007, 03:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
paul8488 GMI Staff Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: France Drives: 2007 MBK Flipper Scooter Posts: 12,958	Re: Recirculate cabin air? Oh no you won't! Ha! The same people that designed your vehicles recirc function wrote the coding for Microsoft Word! I HATE when stuff like that thinks it's smarter than me... if I tell you to do something, do it, dammit! __________________ *The department of redundancy department.*

10-30-2007, 03:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
Triple-X08 5.3 Liter Vortec V8 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Michigan Drives: 2007 Saturn Ion, 83 Camaro Posts: 1,313	Re: Recirculate cabin air? Oh no you won't! or if it is acting up, there is probably a reason for it, so pushing the button and getting pissed at it isnt going to help your repair bill. get it fixed and quit complaining, a problem like this will happen with any car. just depends on what is wrong with it. could be something small, could be something major. dont know till its diagnosed. __________________ ASE Master Certified Technican current cars in garage- 07 Saturn Ion - daily driver 83 Camaro Z28

Remove Advertisements Sponsored Links
GM Inside News Forum Advertisement

10-30-2007, 04:04 PM	#6 (permalink)
atomicshark 6.0 Liter LS2 V8 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 4,429	Re: Recirculate cabin air? Oh no you won't! Thank God my GTO's recirculate setting works when needed. One thing that annoyed me about my '02 Explorer was the fact that there was no recirculate option at all. Well, at least I don't have to worry about that anymore. __________________ 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt - 9,800 miles 2008 Saturn Vue - 6,300 miles 2004 Pontiac GTO - 71,864 miles atomicshark's flickr gallery

10-30-2007, 06:02 PM	#8 (permalink)
likearock00 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NC Drives: 2006 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab Z-71 Posts: 7,624	Re: Recirculate cabin air? Oh no you won't! Why are you guys getting so upset over the OP, triple-x?? Someone piss in your Wheaties today? Whenever I want it to go to recirc, I just hit the fan button once and then hit the recirc. It takes it out of auto and lets me do it. Then after the stench has passed I hit auto again and it return to it's original mode. I'm assuming you have the auto A/C. Oh, and I got ya beat on the smell. Try driving through NC in the spring right after they spread all the chicken crap over the fields. It'll gag a magot!! __________________ "You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." -George W. Bush Last edited by likearock00 : 10-30-2007 at 06:04 PM.

10-30-2007, 06:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
01cavalier 6.0 Liter LS2 V8 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Portland, OR Drives: 2007 Cobalt Posts: 4,818	Re: Recirculate cabin air? Oh no you won't! As irritating as it might be, if it's on defrost or floor/defrost, it could cause the windows to fog up pretty quick. Not very safe, especially since it can take a lot longer to clear it in bad weather. __________________ No longer have the Cavalier, now it's a Cobalt!

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode