Hey everyone, I'm new to this board and have a question regarding a nice little "feature" that I've noticed on my '07 Outlander now that the temperature is starting to drop. It seems that my A/C light stays on quite a bit in AUTO mode, even when the temps drop below 45 deg (a pretty cold day here in Houston). I can manually turn the A/C off and it will stay that way. What I am wondering is:

1. Is the A/C light supposed to cycle on and off in AUTO mode as temperature is regulated, or will it stay on constantly?
2. Does the AUTO mode attempt to compensate for humidity?

I guess the reason I'm asking is because my last car was a Santa Fe and it would do both of these in AUTO mode.

Thanks in advance!

 

I've never noticed the light cycling during AC use.

The AC will run while set to defog/defrost to remove the humidity..I'm not sure the logic behind the AUTO modeand the what modes it uses and why

 

I noticed that when its on auto mode if you have the temp at the coldest setting your ac will turn on. If you turn it up one notch and turn off the ac then you can have auto mode on. But no matter what mode its on, if the temp is maxed out at the lowest point then the ac will turn on.

 

Yes, the AC will cycle on regardless of the temperature outside when in heating mode. This is because it is conditioning the air to remove humidity, etc. and then heating it back up to the desired temp.

 

I Just read thru the serv manual and here what I got from it.

You know that temp warning of 37 Degrees F (3 C) thats shows watch for Ice is the Outside Air Thermo Sensor.. (33.8F (1C) Manual)

This also controls the ac clutch via ECM. At that temp it is shut off.

As you read the manual, it seems sensors changes names at times. You need to compare the Manual AC to Auto AC to understand. There is no Interior Sensor for Manual thus the sensor is the one outside.

Here is the Manual qoute:
ï½*The fin thermo sensor, which senses the
temperature of the air flowing out of the evaporator
directly, deactivates the compressor at 1°C (33.8°
F) or below
fin??? = air?

The Auto qoute:
When operating the A/C switch
ï½*The air thermo sensor, which senses the
temperature of the air flowing out of the evaporator,
deactivates the compressor at 3°C (37.4°F) or
below.

The Photo Sensor ties in this for how much sun light effects the AC and the INTERIOR
TEMPERATURE SENSOR helps the interior.

CUSTOMIZE FUNCTION
Depending on the user's preference, the following
functions can be adjusted. The programmed
information is held even when the battery is
disconnected.
_Automatic control for inside/outside air selection
Press and hold (approximately for 10 seconds) the
inside/outside air selection switch to cancel the
automatic control for inside/outside air selection.
_A/C automatic control
Press and hold (approximately for 10 seconds) the
A/C switch to cancel the A/C automatic control.

Hope this helps..
Old

 

This is good info on disabling the AUTO functions. Must have missed that in the manual.

So just to summarize:

The A/C AUTO function will be disabled at 37deg outside temp, and above this temp, I can expect the A/C to cycle as it thinks necessary based on temp, light, and humidity. And I have noticed that at the coldest setting, the A/C will be locked on.

So my next question is, in A/C AUTO mode, if the AC light is on, does this always mean the A/C is engaged, and should I expect this light to sometimes turn off when it is cold enough (but still above 37deg). OR, is it like some systems with climate control where the clutch will cycle on and off to regulate temperature, but the light stays on constantly?

Thanks.

 

Yes, this is right...
I always have mine in "Auto" mode and my AC light is always on. Last night drove home, ouside temp was 29 deg, had heat on 75, AC light on whole time.

 

If it is anything like the 08 Lancer (the two systems are very similar), I've found that in "AUTO" mode the A/C light is on nearly all the time. I've never noticed the light turn off even in < 37 temperatures, but at cold temperatures I do notice the A/C clutch no longer cycles (compressor stays off). Additionally, if its like the 08 lancer, it uses a two-stage compressor so it has a barely noticble effect on fuel economy and performance -- its just trying to dehumidify the air, not give you max cooling (unless its the summertime). Just experiment and see what you like best, and reread that section of the manual to see how it all works now that you are more familiar with the controls & will know what to look for

In my case, i've left the temperature dial at 75 (+/- few degrees), Fan & Air on Auto (except when quick defrosting or cooling is needed) since i bought the car in april and it JustWorks(tm)! I seldom have to change anything.