[MaxSmart]

Is there a way to control whether the car is heating or cooling?
When the temperature is hovering around "nice" it's hard to stop it from wasting energy. I don't want to turn it off completely, because it might get too hot/cold, the windows fog up, and lack of air circulation makes it unpleasant inside.

I don't know how to set it to be efficient. For example, on a warm day, if I set my thermostat to 75, and the temperature drops to 70, the heat kicks in. If I set it to 68 on a cool day, but then I park in a heated garage or in the sun so it's 74 in the car, the A/C turns on when I start up.

Am I missing a "heat/cool/vent only" option?

 

[aspomwell]

Pressing max or eco will turn on HVAC (and the little light will go on). Press it again to turn it off (the display will say fan only).

 

[MaxSmart]

Pressing max or eco will turn on HVAC (and the little light will go on). Press it again to turn it off (the display will say fan only).

Thanks!!! That will prove most helpful!

 

[caskConditionedAle]

Just my $0.02...

Don't over-think it. Just let the car do what it needs to do. What's the big deal if you "waste" 10 cents of electric? Is it worth putting yourself through all this agony and aggravation?

 

[emartin00]

The climate controls are by far the worst aspect of the car. I have said it since day 1. Finally adding the dedicated buttons to the Gen II was a big step up, but still not great.
In my Gen I, it can be 50F outside, and 75 in the car due to sun, and the car thinks it needs to turn the A/C on to drop the temp to 72 degrees... Also the heat doesn't seam to come on until I bump it up to 74 in the car.

 

[ChevyEMF]

The climate controls are by far the worst aspect of the car. I have said it since day 1. Finally adding the dedicated buttons to the Gen II was a big step up, but still not great.
In my Gen I, it can be 50F outside, and 75 in the car due to sun, and the car thinks it needs to turn the A/C on to drop the temp to 72 degrees... Also the heat doesn't seam to come on until I bump it up to 74 in the car.

Agree 100%, the worst aspect of the car! I hate that!

 

[rand49er]

... it can be 50F outside, and 75 in the car due to sun, and the car thinks it needs to turn the A/C on to drop the temp to 72 degrees ...

Both of our other cars ('05 Cadillac CTS-V and '12 Cadillac SRX) do this. What else should they do?

 

[jsmay311]

Both of our other cars ('05 Cadillac CTS-V and '12 Cadillac SRX) do this. What else should they do?

Sometimes I find myself missing my '95 Civic's analog/no-thermostat temperature controls. (Only half kidding.)

Sometimes all you want is "hot" or "cold" coming out of the vents, rather than trying to set a particular temperature on a thermostat. Set it too low and the air will only be luke-warm and won't warm up my cold hands. Set it too high and 15 minutes later the whole cabin will be too hot and I'll have wasted a bunch of energy.

That said, I have a Gen 1, which has far worse (IMO) climate controls than Gen 2. Gen 2 has dedicated climate buttons and knobs instead of buttons for controlling temp and fan speed, which makes it a lot easier to make quick adjustments. I imagine I'd be perfectly content with the Gen 2 controls.

 

[MaxSmart]

Just my $0.02...

Don't over-think it. Just let the car do what it needs to do. What's the big deal if you "waste" 10 cents of electric? Is it worth putting yourself through all this agony and aggravation?

It isn't just the cost, it is comfort. If my car gets hot in the sun on a winter day, I don't want A/C blasting in my face.

Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

 

[MaxSmart]

Both of our other cars ('05 Cadillac CTS-V and '12 Cadillac SRX) do this. What else should they do?

Button to select AC or heat is simplest solution. Don't want it heating the car in the summer or cooling the car in the winter.

Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

 

[voganni]

Actually I love the gen 1 climate controls. I admit there is no heat/cool separation feature, but the a/c uses so little battery range that it's a non-issue. After trying to out-think the car for a year, I did what the manual said to do, set it to 74°, push the auto button, and ignore it from then on. Car is a comfortable 74° year-round. Just like the auto-changeover t-stat in my house, only better, because I get dehumidification with heating. BTW, I've found the car almost never overrides the heat with excessive A/C unless the interior has gotten quite warm, and then it needs it. I leave auto-defog off. The car still senses humidity and keeps the windows clear. Auto defog will run heat and a/c even in "fan only" mode.

 

[WallyVolt]

Speaking of the control panel, I also think it's odd that the largest button is the button that directs airflow to the dash vents. Why is that so large? I almost never press it!

 

[emartin00]

Speaking of the control panel, I also think it's odd that the largest button is the button that directs airflow to the dash vents. Why is that so large? I almost never press it!

That's because you're in LA and have never heard of humidity
I use it quite frequently when it rains, or even last night when I got in the car and was sweaty. The windshield immediately fogs up if you're wet when you get in.

 

[ChevyEMF]

Both of our other cars ('05 Cadillac CTS-V and '12 Cadillac SRX) do this. What else should they do?

My BMW has a simple on/off switch for the AC along with a thermostat style temperature setting. If the AC button isn't on, the AC won't turn on, even if the cabin is 75 degrees from sitting in the sun on a cool day and the thermostat is set for 70. That's the system I like.

 

[caskConditionedAle]

It isn't just the cost, it is comfort. If my car gets hot in the sun on a winter day, I don't want A/C blasting in my face.

Climate control is a very personal thing. If you are hot or cold at the moment, adjust the temp setting. I'm usually ok with a single setting. When my wife is along for the ride, she needs to adjust the temp when one of her hot flashes kicks in...

 

[2VoltFamily]

Climate control is a very personal thing. If you are hot or cold at the moment, adjust the temp setting. I'm usually ok with a single setting. When my wife is along for the ride, she needs to adjust the temp when one of her hot flashes kicks in...

Agreed. no one is satisfied.

 

[2VoltFamily]

Both of our other cars ('05 Cadillac CTS-V and '12 Cadillac SRX) do this. What else should they do?

I agree. What else should they do but read your mind. I think Volt owners are over sensitive since they are worried about every electron. I like being able to set it an forget it. However, for those that don't, the climate controls are within arms reach.

 

[2VoltFamily]

My BMW has a simple on/off switch for the AC along with a thermostat style temperature setting. If the AC button isn't on, the AC won't turn on, even if the cabin is 75 degrees from sitting in the sun on a cool day and the thermostat is set for 70. That's the system I like.

On the Volt you can use the red and blue button on the Gen 1 to do the same thing basically.

 

[snic]

My BMW has a simple on/off switch for the AC along with a thermostat style temperature setting. If the AC button isn't on, the AC won't turn on, even if the cabin is 75 degrees from sitting in the sun on a cool day and the thermostat is set for 70. That's the system I like.

Agreed. My Infiniti has this as well, and I really appreciate the level of control it gives. It's really too bad that the Gen 2 volt doesn't have this simple feature - it's as bad as my other pet peeve, which is that some airlines don't provide individual air vents at every seat!

 

[wws]

My BMW has a simple on/off switch for the AC along with a thermostat style temperature setting. If the AC button isn't on, the AC won't turn on, even if the cabin is 75 degrees from sitting in the sun on a cool day and the thermostat is set for 70. That's the system I like.

My old Porsche does too. But really, the Volt isn't that much different. As long as the system is in AUTO mode (two top buttons on), just pressing either ECO or MAX will turn the AC on as needed. Just dial in the temperature you want and the car does the rest. If both ECO and MAX are off, the system is in "Fan Only" mode.