[sosmerc]

Is there anyway to monitor inside cabin temp other than installing a thermometer of some type? I see the outside temp on the center stack, but no inside temp. I did buy a small unit that installs into the power outlet in the dash and it gives me temp, volts and amps draw (if something is plugged into one of the two USB charge ports. But the temp seems to read pretty high which I chalk up to getting some temp from the engine firewall or perhaps from the unit itself when powered up. So then I installed a cheap analog dial thermometer just for comparison, but it picks up the slightest vibration while driving and moves around so much it is hard to read. If I have the temp dial set at 65 does the car automatically try to maintain 65 degrees no matter what mode I have the climate control on??
Doesn't seem to work that way according to my cheap temp monitors.

 

[TheBlueFlash]

Are you using AUTO and pressing either ECO or MAX? That will activate the air conditioning or heat automatically to maintain whatever temperature you set it at. If you're not pressing AUTO, then the temperature gauge only adjusts the temperature of the air coming from the vents, it won't correlate to the cabin temperature and it won't self adjust.

 

[jcanoe]

Are you using AUTO and pressing either ECO or MAX? That will activate the air conditioning or heat automatically to maintain whatever temperature you set it at. If you're not pressing AUTO, then the temperature gauge only adjusts the temperature of the air coming from the vents, it won't correlate to the cabin temperature and it won't self adjust.

The Auto setting will automatically adjust the blower fan speed and auto select windshield, center or lower vents. If you turn off the Auto setting you can manually control the blower fan speed and select which air vents are active. The Volt's temperature control has no effect on the cabin temperature without also selecting either Economy or Max heating/cooling unless you are using the gas engine. In that case, with the gas engine running or cycling on and off when ERDTT is active, the temperature control can be used to adjust the cabin temperature warmer or colder by using the heat generated by the gas engine. If Auto is selected when the gas engine is not running and you do not press either Economy or Max heating/cooling the climate control system will attempt to use the fan to reach the desired temperature but this will only result in running the fan at the highest speed, with minimal effect on cabin temperature.

 

[JRRF]

I did buy a small unit that installs into the power outlet in the dash and it gives me temp, volts and amps draw (if something is plugged into one of the two USB charge ports. But the temp seems to read pretty high which I chalk up to getting some temp from the engine firewall .

Most cheap thermometers are just that -- cheap. The firewall won't have any effect on temperature unless you have been running the engine. Otherwise this car runs very cool.

Ever notice how when you pull into the garage that the place does not heat up like a furnace? I love that.

 

[sosmerc]

Thanks, I appreciate the information. In a nutshell it seems the temperature adjustment dial does nothing unless I am in "auto" or "Eco" or "Max"?

 

[JRRF]

Thanks, I appreciate the information. In a nutshell it seems the temperature adjustment dial does nothing unless I am in "auto" or "Eco" or "Max"?

"Auto" AND "Eco" or "Max".

 

[Loboc]

You'd need an oven thermometer in Texas.

 

[Dutch]

I installed a small indoor/outdoor thermometer and ran the "outdoor" probe to various places in the car trying to figure out where it gets its reading from. If I stick the probe on the bottom of the steering collumn, near the footwell area, I seem to get temp readings that more or less equal what the climate control is trying to accomplish.

However, if it's sunny I find I have to crank the settings to offset the energy radiating in from the windows.

 

[sosmerc]

My wife thinks I am getting a little too anal about this car. She may be right, but I just want to know when I have the climate control dial at 65 degrees how best to get it to 65 inside and I wanted a cheap easy way to verify the "actual" inside temp I was getting. My next experiment will be with a laser temp gun that I have and use at work. I know it is accurate as far as showing the actual surface temp of an object.

 

[jcanoe]

Any thermometer reading taken near the center console will read warmer than normal due to the proximity of the high voltage traction battery underneath this area of the Volt's interior.