Auto Climate Control

[Mark W]

I have a Lariat and do not believe the auto climate control is working properly. Could once again be me not understanding how it is supposed to work on the Ranger.

I thought all I had to do was push the auto button and chose my temperature and the system would do whatever it needed to do to maintain my set temp. Doesn’t seem to work this way.

It has finally warmed up here in MN and the interior was hot. I hd the auto button pushes and no cold air was coming out the vents. I lowered the temperature set point and all that happened was the fan speed increased. It still no cold air.

I pushed the A/C button in addition to the auto button and cold air came out. Fan speed auto adjusted but the air coming out was always very cold.

This can’t be right is it?

Thanks -

Mark

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[VAMike]

It's possible to have the system set to auto but ac off. If the ac light is off, hit auto a second time and it will come on.

 

[Mark W]

It's possible to have the system set to auto but ac off. If the ac light is off, hit auto a second time and it will come on.

I don't know if this is correct. I've read the manual and tried your suggestion. The manual says to hit the auto button and then choose your temp and the climate control automatically adjusts hot and cold air to get to the correct temperature. Double pushing the Auto button twice does bring on the A/C but it doesn't regulate the temperature. I may have an issue, or I may be just plain wrong on this as well.

 

[VAMike]

I don't know if this is correct. I've read the manual and tried your suggestion. The manual says to hit the auto button and then choose your temp and the climate control automatically adjusts hot and cold air to get to the correct temperature. Double pushing the Auto button twice does bring on the A/C but it doesn't regulate the temperature. I may have an issue, or I may be just plain wrong on this as well.

works for me. you can toggle ac on and off in auto mode which is nice if you don't need full-blown ac but just want the truck to do the best it can without ac.

 

[DHMag]

On my XLT, when I select max a/c, the fan goes to high and temp drops to 60*. Any attempt to raise the temp drops the system out of max a/c.

 

[chasvs]

I don't know if this is correct. I've read the manual and tried your suggestion. The manual says to hit the auto button and then choose your temp and the climate control automatically adjusts hot and cold air to get to the correct temperature. Double pushing the Auto button twice does bring on the A/C but it doesn't regulate the temperature. I may have an issue, or I may be just plain wrong on this as well.

If the system automatically turned on AC when needed there’d be no need for an AC button. It doesn’t work the way you’re expecting it to. If you leave the AC button on, it will regulate to Hot and Cold. But with AC button off the coldest it can get is ambient air temps.

 

[CoastieN70]

In the auto setting below 55 deg F the A/C will be off in Auto. Above 55 deg F the A/C should be on in Auto. It works that way in every other Ford with Climate Control...

 

[Mark W]

In the auto setting below 55 deg F the A/C will be off in Auto. Above 55 deg F the A/C should be on in Auto. It works that way in every other Ford with Climate Control...

This is what I thought. It makes no sense to me to have to push the A/C button when I have auto climate control. No other car I have owned worked this way. Every other vehicle you just dial in your temperature and the climate control just managed everything.

 

[chasvs]

This is what I thought. It makes no sense to me to have to push the A/C button when I have auto climate control. No other car I have owned worked this way. Every other vehicle you just dial in your temperature and the climate control just managed everything.

EVERY Car with Automatic Climate Control has an A/C ON/Off button. If YOU turn it OFF, the A/C will NOT come on by itself no matter what temperature it is. So turn it on, and leave it on and it will work as you think it should. Just don't ever turn it off or it won't come back on by itself.

 

[t4thfavor]

This is what I thought. It makes no sense to me to have to push the A/C button when I have auto climate control. No other car I have owned worked this way. Every other vehicle you just dial in your temperature and the climate control just managed everything.

It's logical for people like me who despise AC on all but the hottest days. We only get four AC days a year in Michigan, I'm not going to waste it the rest of the year.

 

[VAMike]

It's logical for people like me who despise AC on all but the hottest days. We only get four AC days a year in Michigan, I'm not going to waste it the rest of the year.

yup, it's a way to offer choice. the worst implementation is one I had where if you turned off the ac because that's what you wanted, then you had to manually manage the fan etc. as suggested above, some people want to be able to control whether the ac runs but still have the truck manage the fan speed and hot/cold mix. why is allowing the choice an issue?

 

[CoastieN70]

It's logical for people like me who despise AC on all but the hottest days. We only get four AC days a year in Michigan, I'm not going to waste it the rest of the year.

Just because the light says it's on doesn't mean it is engaged. Compressor engagement is required for A/C to actually do "its thing." Unless the temp you set requires the A/C to maintain that temp the A/C is basically in "standby mode" and not doing anything...

As to turning it off and it not coming back on, that is only semi-correct. If you have the Climate Control set in "Auto" and you shut the engine off, once you perform a restart the A/C will be again "ON" but in standby mode if not needed to maintain selected temp...

 

[VAMike]

Just because the light says it's on doesn't mean it is engaged. Compressor engagement is required for A/C to actually do "its thing." Unless the temp you set requires the A/C to maintain that temp the A/C is basically in "standby mode" and not doing anything...

Every car with auto climate that I've ever owned tends to use AC more than I need it to. In theory, sure, you can raise the temp to prevent it, but I don't want to raise the temp to the point that it starts mixing in hot air in order to turn off the AC--I just want to turn off the AC. Again, if you don't like that functionality just don't use it...others are happy it's there.

 

[Mark W]

EVERY Car with Automatic Climate Control has an A/C ON/Off button. If YOU turn it OFF, the A/C will NOT come on by itself no matter what temperature it is. So turn it on, and leave it on and it will work as you think it should. Just don't ever turn it off or it won't come back on by itself.

Actually you are not correct. Prior vehicle was a Jeep Grand Cherokee and all you had to do was push the auto button and set the temp and temp was automatically controlled. Same thing with the Dakota before it and same thing with the wife’s Audi Q5 and her Lincoln MKX before it. So every vehicle does not work as you describe.

Not trying to get in a kissing match here. I even read the manual and it says to run the auto climate just push the auto button and nothing more. Even the dealer didn’t think it was working right.

 

[BillinPCB]

Actually you are not correct. Prior vehicle was a Jeep Grand Cherokee and all you had to do was push the auto button and set the temp and temp was automatically controlled. Same thing with the Dakota before it and same thing with the wife’s Audi Q5 and her Lincoln MKX before it. So every vehicle does not work as you describe.

Not trying to get in a kissing match here. I even read the manual and it says to run the auto climate just push the auto button and nothing more. Even the dealer didn’t think it was working right.

I agree with Mark, In both my 2012 Kia and my 2016 F350 just put the climate control on Auto and the system did what was needed to maintain the set cabin temp.

The manual in my 2019 Ranger XLT says: "Switching Auto Mode On and Off Press and release the button to switch on automatic operation, then set the temperature. The system adjusts the blower motor speed, air distribution, air conditioning operation, and outside or recirculated air to reach and maintain the temperature you have set."

Mine just does not work that way. Dealer says the system is operating with no indicated faults. I showed them the owner's manual and got a shoulder shrug. I asked them if there was a process/procedure to report to Ford that the the system does not operate as described in the owners manual - got another shoulder shrug.

Anyone know how to go about reporting this to Ford? Either the owner's manual is incorrect of the system operation is incorrect.

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