Auto heating with AC Off?

6875 Views 20 Replies 7 Participants Last post by AppleKnocke, Nov 11, 2017

Sandy

Discussion Starter · Nov 26, 2016 (Edited)

I've spent about a year now trying to get to the bottom of this, a few times I've managed to get auto heating mode with AC switched off.

Here is the way to set it up (Kudos to all the members on RZOC who tested my various iterations of this while I was trying to work out the hack).

1. Start car.
2. Dial desired temp and press auto
3. Press AC off and wait a minute.
4. Switch car off, lock up and go away for a while.
5. Go back to car, unlock, start car.
6. Press windscreen max and then press it again.

Once in place this hack will remain persistent on restarts, you can change temp but if you press any other heating buttons it will go back to normal and you'll need to follow above process again if you want auto with AC off.

It's the delay and locking the car that makes it work.

Vehicle Car Auto part Speedometer Compact car

Reason to use this hack?

Well I think it perhaps heats up a little quicker and it uses a smidge less power over a trip. but that's just my gut feeling. why not try it yourself and report back.

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Philip Pronto

· #3 · Nov 27, 2016

CaptFish said:
Is the a/c not the heat pump in reverse to heat?

Exactly. The A/C is simply a reversible heat pump. In summer it pumps the heat out of the car as a conventional AC unit does. It compresses a gas in the compressor which gets hot outside the car and then decompresses it in the condenser, which gets cold and that cooling is used to cool the ventilation air on its way to the interior of the car.
Renault took this one step further. In winter the AC system is run in the same way as in summer, but the ventilation air is diverted by valves to the hot compressor and is heated on its way to the interior of the car.

I suspect the 'AC' button is a throwback to the conventional AC systems and stops the car being cooled in summer.

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Philip Pronto

· #5 · Nov 27, 2016

Auto mode will always be more efficient. To flip flop between hot or cold is only the movement of an internal flap to divert the air between the compressor or condenser. It also varies fan speed without any input from the driver and has already started to make the adjustments before you've thought you're getting too hot or cold. The clue is in the name, 'Auto'.

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