high_rpm

I know that the dealership does a courtesy one-time programming on our cars where they can turn the auto recirc on or off.

I bought my RX330 used, and the local dealer has not been helpful. Right now, my recirc turns on whenever I set the climate control to its coldest setting. I can turn it off, but the recirc turns back on every time I start the car.

Is there any other way to disable the auto recirc feature? Most cars have a set of prcedures that you can use (like turn the key four times, hold the recirc button, etc.) that can disable something like this.

lexus114

You may not want to hear this, but That is the best a/c setting for hot humid day`s. It`s actually the max a/c setting. And no smells from outside i.e diesel fumes etc. Mine is on the recirculate setting all summer long. Work`s the best their. And its much better for the a/c compressor too,does not have to try and cool the outside air all the time.

Lil4X

To achieve the "coldest" setting, your AC is doing exactly what it was designed to do, i.e.: recirculate the pre-chilled cabin air to get that temperature down fast. To keep the system from defaulting to "recirc", raise the thermostat setpoint one degree above that "cold" setting.

Many people believe that air conditioners chill the air faster when the thermostat is set to the coldest position. While systems that do not have a thermostat may work this way, those with thermostats, if they are working properly, do not. Your AC can only deliver air at a temperature of about 55° from the vent, although this requires a perfect set of conditions to do so. As a rule of thumb, don't look to be able to sustain more than about 25° below outside air temperature in the cabin.

If, on a 100° day you set your thermostat for about 72° you will probably never achieve it, especially driving at moderate speeds in direct sun. Setting the thermostat to 65° is simply wishful thinking. Your car won't get any colder any faster set for 65° than for 72° for two reasons: First your AC is running full blast anyway, until it reaches the setpoint, where your system will begin to bring in outside air or even air over the heater core to begin to moderate the temperature of the delivered air in the ducts and the compressor begins to cycle on and off as it is needed to maintain that setpoint.

Second, you can pull the temperature down faster by setting the system to "recirculate" and the fan speed to "high", which will give you the fastest turnover of air in the cabin and keep recycling cabin air to allow the evaporator coil to work with cooler, drier air with each pass.

My wife keeps the setpoint on our RX330 at about 67° when she's driving alone, and I humor her with a couple of degrees (about all you can sustain) differential on her side when we are driving together. We did a little experimenting in her van, a Grand Voyager, the long-bodied minivan, by adding limo tints to all of the back windows, and the darkest allowable (35%) tint on the driver's and passenger windows, with a limo tint dark band across the top of the windshield. I had a local interior shop strip the factory headliner and insulation, replacing with heavy, foil-backed insulation and a new headliner for temperature control.


The "Project Cheapskate" Van

The results have been pretty impressive. By painting the van a lighter color, combined with the tint and insulation, she can get the interior down to about 72° on a hot summer day cruising at freeway speeds in full sun - even with a single evaporator serving that big cabin. About what we can do with the much newer and more sophisticated technology in the smaller cabin of the RX.

Grumpa72

It has always been my understanding that you set the switch to the recirc setting when entering a really hot or cold car. That way, each pass through the system moderates the internal car temperature more quickly as opposed to cooling/heating the outside air. However, and in my opinion this is a big however, once the temperature starts to moderate, you then select outside air to preclude the car from getting stuffy and having excess exhaled moisture present. I recall once when my daughter was complaining that her car was always getting moisture on the inside windows. When I checked the car, she had her switch in the recirc position and always left it there.

As a side note, what does the owner's manual say about temperature regulation on very hot or very cold days? In ALL of my other cars, it recommends the process that I described above.

I can't help you with the auto settings as set by the dealer. Perhaps try another dealer?

lexus114

Grumpa,I agree with you,But it depends a lot on what time of the year it is. i.e you dont want the recirc. pos. on in winter time,as it will do just as you mentioned (fog up windows).As far as the recirc. off after vehicle cools down inside,let me mention on humid days I can tell when my recirc. goes off with out even looking at the button.The humid feeling returns right away,and the outside smells return also.When I keep the recirc. button engaged,I have a nice crisp air-conditioned/low dew point air inside the car.

high_rpm

Guys thanks for the tips, but I'm looking specifically for advice on how to change the default setting for auto recirc.

I know that the dealer can change this setting along with things like how long the interior lights stay on after you close the door, but they want to charge me for this service since I bought the car used and from a Toyota dealer.

On most other makes of cars, there are ways to do this. Maybe something like turn the key to ON and OFF four times, then hold the recirc button for 15 seconds. Something like that.

Any help?

lexus114

I know now what you are talking about.How much do they want to do this? On my 01 300,it says on what setting you want.But you have to train it that way,meaning I just kept using the recirc. button until it learned to stay on by itself.Sounds ridicules but it works on mine anyway.

AM1

iTrader: (6)

ive personally always hated when the system would switch to fresh air by itself. i aksed the dealer to make it stay in recirc all the time, they said it wasnt [possible to do that.

lexus114

Seem`s like these car`s have a mind of their own at times

grouch

I can't stand the fan noise in "recirculate".

My recir only engages when it's in "auto" or A/C mode. In vent, no recirulate.

lexus114

Cool,you go grouch!!!........: D

high_rpm

See, my system ALWAYS goes into recirc mode if I have the climate control temps set to LO. Even if the A/C is off. So on a mild day, when I would normally not use A/C, I wind up driving for a few miles with the recirc on. I finally notice when the air inside the car starts getting stuffy.

There has to be a way to change this setting.

biff44

I agree. Next to the seatbelt chime, that is the 2nd most obnoxious thing about the R350!

MadDawg350

When I had my RX350, I would set the system on "auto" at 75 degrees. The recirc would click on when first turned on. After several minutes, it would switch over to outside air when the cabin reached the set temp. But would switch back to recirc if the system senses that it needs to, back when set temp was reached again. I have the same settings on my GS350, and as some say, I'm "cool as a cucumber"

Todd

being an option in the initial setup option, at least on an 06 but I could be wrong.