It's that time of year in my area where temps swing greatly, and sometimes I want to use my heater, other times I want to use my A/C. But, I'm confused as to how to actually use my system. I have read the owner's manual over and over, but it doesn't really explain things as clearly as it should.

Auto - When I press my Auto button, the temp displayed is ALWAYS 76, the direction of flow is ALWAYS defrost and floor, and the light on the "snowflake" button ALWAYS lights up, even if the ambient temps are in the 60's. Whenever I press the Mode button to try to select a different flow option, or change the temp, the word, "Auto", displayed on the panel always goes out. Needless to say, I can't seem to change any of the settings in the Auto mode, like I would expect to be able to. Are the Auto settings in fact pre-programmed, and unchangable? If not, how do I set the Auto settings?

I also can't seem to get the "snowflake" light to go off, even if I press that button. When I press it, it just starts blinking at me. If I keep pressing it multiple times, at some point (I can't remember when), it eventually turns off. Although I thought it was weird, in the past I used to think that that light is always on, even when using the heater, but after fiddling with the system today, I heard the a/c compressor actually turn off when the snowflake light finally turns off. So, all this time I've been running the compressor, even in the winter, which really pisses me off!

As far as I can tell, the system is functioning properly, but for the life of me, I just can't seem to figure the damned thing out. Too bad there's no help button...but, then again, if it can't be documented in the owner's manual very well, I guess a help button wouldn't be much help, would it?

Anybody out there know how this thing really works?

Thanks.

 

The way it is supposed to work is, you press AUTO, turn the temp **** for the driver side until the temperature displayed is what you want, then leave it alone.

It will change modes, but the A/C will always be on, unless the temp gets below about 50 deg. That is to help keep the windows from fogging. When it gets hot, it will go to recirculating (or MAX) until the car cools, then it will revert to outside air.

If you want a different temp on the passenger side, rotate the passenger **** to make it warmer or cooler on that side.

After a few moments, the temp display should show outside air temp with some caveats. To keep the display from always reading way hot when you are in traffic, it will not increase in temperature until you have gone for a short distance over 40 MPH or a longer distance at a lower speed. It will, however, go down in temp even when idling, if the actual temperature is lower than the current dispaly.

So, when you start in a garage in the morning, it will read garage temp. If it is cooler outside, it will quickly go to the correct outside temp as you drive. If it is hotter outside, it will take some time to read correctly, depending on your speed.

You can also adjust the fan speed, even in auto mode, by using the fan button. Pressing AUTO again will return the fan to auto control. If you want to use the system manually (I never do) the MODE button will allow you to do whatever you want.

If when you press AUTO and adjust the temp, it doesn't keep the car at the temperature you've selected, it is broken.

 

Thanks for the input. Everything you said makes sense to me, but I'm not sure if I learned anything new about how Auto mode works.

For example, when I press Auto, then manually adjust the temp for some reason, the "Auto" indicator turns off and the temp in the car adjusts to what I set it for manually. However, when I press Auto again, the system resets to whatever the settings are under Auto.

I'm not sure I'm explaining this right, but let's say when in Auto my temp is 76, and the direction of flow is defrost and floor. When I manually set the temp to 74, and change the direction of flow to "face", the Auto indicator goes out, and the system adjusts the flow direction to face, and proceeds to work to get the temps to 74. However, if I press the Auto button again later, the system goes back to 76, defrost and floor. I would think I should somehow be able to set the temp and flow direction of the Auto setting, don't you? Or, am I not doing things in the right sequence?

 

You can program your Climate control the same way you program your seats...to a point. Put the temp to where you like it, and hold the "1" or "2" button on your memory package to program it. It will blink twice when programmed, and remember your temp. In regards to where the air comes from, it ALWAYS comes from the same locations in "Auto" mode. You switch it, it will turn off auto and do what you want, put it back in Auto, and it will revert back to front vents, and a little to the floor. Hope this helps.

 

I don't think that's quite right...because in AUTO, my "mode" indicators SHOW defrost and floor.

Hmmm... seems like many of us are pretty much in the same boat, in that we're not quite sure how the damned thing works.

 

I don't know about this dual climate control. I mean my wife is a handbrake away, and she gets her own climate

 

This system confuses me also, but I think anytime you have it in AUTO and change the mode, it goes to manual.

I can't figure out how to have just the vent (no compressor) on to get fresh air. If I push the snowflake button, it starts flashing. I have to keep pushing it. sometimes it goes off other times it stays on. Sometimes the most simple things are the hardest to understand. lol
Jeff

 

There are only three adjusments you can make without taking it out of AUTO. 1) Driver's side temp. 2) Passenger temp 3) Max air on/off.

Whenever you change the fan speed or mode, it goes out of AUTO. These are things that must be controlled by the computer in order for AUTO to be effective, so when you change them it thinks you want it on manual. The only exception (besides temp *****) seems to be turning the MAX air on and off, this doesn't take the system out of AUTO.

Example: If you start the car and the temp is set at 76, and its too hot, turn the **** down to 68 or so. The car will need a second to adjust and then change the fan speed to high and the mode to all console. It may also change to MAX air, but you can take it off of MAX and still stay on AUTO. After the real temp is down to 68, the fan speed will be reduced, the MAX air will be turned off (if you didn't change it manually), and the mode may change to console & floor (although I have never seen this happen).

MrLeadFoot,
AUTO is being turned off because you are changing the mode yourself. Try just turning the temp down. The car should take a second and change the mode itself.
EDIT: Do you have the memory package? That could cause your problem. I don't have the memory, so I can't say. But it looks like some of these other guys may have an idea.

 

OK, combining ALL of your input (you gotta love this forum), I just went into the garage for one last stab at the HVAC Monster.

OK, here's how it works in my car (all options, including memory):

With the car running, ignore whether you're in auto or manual mode. Adjust everything the way you want it, then old the memory button for 2 seconds (just like when programming seat position). Both temp AND mode (flow direction) settings are stored under AUTO.

Keep in mind that this is NOT the same as turning off the car when you've manually set the system. For example, I set the temp and mode, then turned off the car. When I turned it back on, it came back to what it was last set at, but when I pressed AUTO, the program changed to the last PROGRAMMED-AND-SET-WITH-MEMORY-BUTTON setting.

Now, why the F**K doesn't the manual tell us this???????!!!!! Did Microsoft do the manual for the Corvette, or what? Something that simple should've been in the manual, don't you think?

OK, as far as the snowflake button is concerned, it now magically works. When I press the snowflake button it turns the compressor on or off. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to program the state of the compressor into the AUTO program settings. Even if you toggle the snowflake button so the compressor is off, then try to have that remembered, the next time you press AUTO, the compressor automatically comes on and the snowflake light becomes illuminated.

Now, I did NOT try every combo I could think of, so maybe one of you can figure out more variations for us. All I did was consciously try to remember each step as I tried a bunch of stuff, and when something worked, I stepped back in my mind to see what I did, then tried it again.

For those who have been following this thread, and are wondering why none of us bothered to try calling a dealer or GM Customer Service for advice here, "What.... are you kidding???!!! I would venture to guess that 99% of the employees of a dealership would not know!"

 

Sorry, still not right. In AUTO, there is no way to tell the system how to work. You can only adjust fan speed and temperature. You cannot store anything as with the memory system. When you want to adjust where the air goes, for example, you are in manual mode. When you press AUTO, the system will decide for you. So, it can be full manual or full auto (except for the fan setting). No other combination is possible.

 

I think I'll just roll the windows up or down

The only way I get fresh air with no air conditioner is to put it on striaght out the top vents only. any other mode puts the snowflake on.

I just put it on the striaght arrow and turn off the snowflake, again this only works in that on mode. In the book I believe it points out this, my wifes car is the same way, must have to do woth the auto feature

 

You got it. When you want the A/C to be off, you must go to manual mode by turning it off (or wait until a rather cold day).

 

Sorry, but you're wrong. If you use the mode button to direct airflow, then press your memory button, you do in fact lock in the the flow direction. So, if you later change the mode manually, which as you said puts you in manual mode, when you press AUTO again, you'll see that the flow direction you previously stored is now programmed into AUTO mode.

I did it myself and tested it several times. Try it yourself, and you'll see, too.

And, thanks for the response you put in at the top of this thread. I used that and the input from two others to help me test the system to determine how it works!