Not sure if this is normal operation or not but everytime I press the auto button for the climate control, the AC always turns on. Even this morning when the temp outside was 37 degrees and the car temp was set to 65.

This normal?

 

Are you sure it wasn't just blowing the existing cold air in the system (which would be 37 degrees) before it got warmed up? My girlfriend's Lexus RX does the same thing, it blows the existing cold air and takes a bit until the air warms up.

 

Yes, it is "normal" (that's just the way it is with this car)
It has been discussed many times before in numerous threads.

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

The heater core needs hot coolant flowing through it in order to radiate heat. It takes a while for the coolant to warm up, especially I it's close to freezing temperature outside.

 

My understanding is that the CC in auto mode can only control the temp. It's not smart enough to turn the compressor on and off yet.

So the CC drives the temp by mixing hot and cold (compressed air), so the A/C compressor will and is always be on.

 

All you have to do is press the "AC" button to turn off the compressor and let the system run as normal.

 

^whs. Press auto, then press A/C to turn it off, the auto light will still be on.

 

It automatically turns the AC compressor on to reduce the humidity. Warm air when it's cold is nice, but warm wet air is sticky and icky and just plain bad.

 

speaking of itchytoe... awhile back somebody posted a thread talking about a smell of sweaty socks coming from his vents. i said he was smelling his own stank feet blowing up through the vents but it was because his climate control was running with the a/c turned off

 

I LOL'd

But I always cut the a/c off when I'm runnin the heat.
I dont have those stank feet, so no probs

 

Newer vehicles run the AC with the heat and the cold. The auto button will run at any temp with the A/C on, unless the inside cab degree (foot and roof) changes to warmer.

When I press the button on my left (driver side) to turn the air on, the auto button comes on, and the a/c. If I shut the A/C off, only the air will blow. And outside smells come into the cabin. With recirculation ON, the Auto button will leave the A/C on, as you are recirculating. If you try to do anything to leave the recirculating on, it will always shut off, if you shut the A/C off.

I have tried 10 different ways to leave recirculating on, but you cannot, unless the A/C is on.

So this may be your problem OP. If you like to leave recirculating on, then you cannot run the system without the A/C on. Heat or Cold.

 

I don't like that we can't recirculate w/o the a/c being on. I would like to have the option to turn it off and have the air recirculate.

 

i thought the a/c clutch only engages when needed (cool air and dehumidify) when the a/c light is on. so if a/c light is off then the clutch never engages.