Training Seminar for Climate Controls
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2017 Volt Manual page 158.
Just say thanks for small favors and figure it out. At least you have real knobs and buttons. it isn't the Gen 1 Volt Climate Controls. That doesn't require a class - it requires a degree program - IF you can get past the confused layout and flakey haptic touch controls.
But other than that, LOVING my 2013 Volt
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If that would provide heat then it would be simple. I can't figure out how to consistently get heat and keep my feet warm. I thought it could be the set temp, but I have set it to max and still no heat. Hit the max button, no help. Maybe turn the fan up manually? Any tricks?
If you're not getting heat, there's something wrong with your car. On a 40-degree-Fahrenheit day, I can turn the temperature to 75, leave it on Eco, and within 5-10 minutes the cabin starts getting nice and warm. The seat heater and wheel heater help make you more comfortable while the cabin is warming up.
If it's colder than 35-40, I'll use Max instead and turn it up to 76, but it still gets warm within a few minutes.
It would help to know the range of winter time temperature you are experiencing.
Tips:
Always precondition the Volt in the morning before you leave home.
The night before, preset the climate control to Hi temperature, Auto, Max, and Recirculate before shutting off the Volt
10 - 20 minutes before you need to leave in the morning use the remote start feature to precondition the Volt. The preconditioning cycle lasts 10 minutes. You can run the 10 minute preconditioning cycle a second time in colder weather, this will make a huge difference.
In the morning, when you get into and start the Volt set the climate control to a comfortable temperature. I find 74 or 75 to be comfortable. Select Economy or Max, either mode should be able to maintain the temperature for your morning drive if you have preconditioned the Volt.
Use the heated seats and heated steering wheel if your Volt has these.
Optionally, you can use Hold mode to start the ICE (gas engine), this will generate heat albeit at the cost of burning some gas. The Volt will automatically start the ICE due to cold temperatures (either 35 F or 15 F) depending if you have chosen to turn on the Defer Engine Heat Assist when the Volt Engine Running Due to Temperature (ERDTT) program determines that additional engine heat desirable as this is more efficient that using electric heat. You can observe the engine coolant temperature on the Driver Information Console. Once the engine coolant reaches 140 F air that has been warmed from the engine's waste heat will start blow into the cabin.
My experience with the 2017 Volt started in the summer. On very hot days I would feel the road heat through the floor of the Volt. This is with the standard carpeted Volt floor mats. Once I installed a set of Husky Liner floor mats I no longer noticed the road heat. I think that the reason your feet are cold is partially to blame on the poor thermal insulation provided by the Volt carpet and mats. It might be worth giving different floor mats a try. Also, electric socks.
Tips:
Always precondition the Volt in the morning before you leave home.
The night before, preset the climate control to Hi temperature, Auto, Max, and Recirculate before shutting off the Volt
10 - 20 minutes before you need to leave in the morning use the remote start feature to precondition the Volt. The preconditioning cycle lasts 10 minutes. You can run the 10 minute preconditioning cycle a second time in colder weather, this will make a huge difference.
In the morning, when you get into and start the Volt set the climate control to a comfortable temperature. I find 74 or 75 to be comfortable. Select Economy or Max, either mode should be able to maintain the temperature for your morning drive if you have preconditioned the Volt.
Use the heated seats and heated steering wheel if your Volt has these.
Optionally, you can use Hold mode to start the ICE (gas engine), this will generate heat albeit at the cost of burning some gas. The Volt will automatically start the ICE due to cold temperatures (either 35 F or 15 F) depending if you have chosen to turn on the Defer Engine Heat Assist when the Volt Engine Running Due to Temperature (ERDTT) program determines that additional engine heat desirable as this is more efficient that using electric heat. You can observe the engine coolant temperature on the Driver Information Console. Once the engine coolant reaches 140 F air that has been warmed from the engine's waste heat will start blow into the cabin.
My experience with the 2017 Volt started in the summer. On very hot days I would feel the road heat through the floor of the Volt. This is with the standard carpeted Volt floor mats. Once I installed a set of Husky Liner floor mats I no longer noticed the road heat. I think that the reason your feet are cold is partially to blame on the poor thermal insulation provided by the Volt carpet and mats. It might be worth giving different floor mats a try. Also, electric socks.
And depending on how extreme the outside temp is, either ECO, MAX, or neither. If both are off, then you are in "Fan Only" mode. ECO uses about half the power of MAX.Set temperature value
Press AUTO
Class dismissed.
When defrosting the windshield is necessary, I generally can get by with regular defrost. It works fairly fast. But in extreme cases, use the max defrost button.
The recommended setting of 74 degrees is laughable. At that temp, I have cold feet also. Presently, I have it set at 87 degrees to have warm feet.
I also bought a heavier set of floor mats. The problem is that I can feel cold air across my knees. Try to figure out where that is coming from. I have a feeling that in order to keep weigh off, there is no insulation installed around the cabin area of the vehicle. Following the instructions in the manual gets you no where comfortable.
I complained to the dealership about the issue. Their resolution is to have the heat at maximum temp and in Max mode. Then why publish in the manual for comfort set temp to 74 degrees. I do believe that 74 degrees should be comfortable. In fact in my other car with temp setting, 74 degrees is too hot. Maybe the Volt uses a different measurement to get to 74 degrees.
I also bought a heavier set of floor mats. The problem is that I can feel cold air across my knees. Try to figure out where that is coming from. I have a feeling that in order to keep weigh off, there is no insulation installed around the cabin area of the vehicle. Following the instructions in the manual gets you no where comfortable.
I complained to the dealership about the issue. Their resolution is to have the heat at maximum temp and in Max mode. Then why publish in the manual for comfort set temp to 74 degrees. I do believe that 74 degrees should be comfortable. In fact in my other car with temp setting, 74 degrees is too hot. Maybe the Volt uses a different measurement to get to 74 degrees.
Sometimes I think back to the heater in my last vehicle, 2011 Ford Fusion. The salesman touted that "Great Ford heater" when I test drove the vehicle in January of that year. He was right, the Ford had a very powerful heater once the engine warmed up. My Ford had heated seats but no heated steering wheel. It took about 2 miles of driving for both the heater and heated seats to generate heat I could feel. I prefer the instant cabin warmth that comes from preconditioning my Volt in the morning. Also, the Volt's heated steering wheel that generates heat you can feel within about 30 seconds.
Do you have the climate control set to auto select, not directed down to the floor? I find the Volt's climate control works best when you let the Auto setting do its thing. Sometimes I limit the fan speed to a middle speed setting. If your fan is blowing at its highest setting you may be feeling the air current.
I wish it were as simple as the "set-and-forget" and "read the manual" people keep posting! (suspect they live in consistently hot desert climates like southern CA) Getting it to blow air on the windows so it defogs requires hitting the "defrost max" button, and then after you turn that off and try to return to auto-vents or regular defog, it turns on either "eco" or "max" buttons. There's no heat versus cool setting - a home thermostat has this - to prevent AC from turning on in the middle of winter or heat from turning on in the middle of summer. The auto-fan and auto-vent modes behave oddly. You think you have it set to just do gentle air circulation, and it's giving you a -5.0 on your "climate settings", even if it's 70 degrees outside. I've driven many cars with auto-climate and this is the only one I've struggled with.
Temp setting for heat is about -6-10 degrees off.
setting to 76 gets about to ~68 degrees cabin air temp, for my 2013 volt.
I've taken my volt in twice, but they keep claiming that it functions per design.
Any design that keeps both the AC and heater on at 40-50 outside temp, is downright silly. And I am not talking about running the AC to defrost, when there is no frost and the cabin humidity is already low ~20%.
The heater is one of my only gripes about this car.
setting to 76 gets about to ~68 degrees cabin air temp, for my 2013 volt.
I've taken my volt in twice, but they keep claiming that it functions per design.
Any design that keeps both the AC and heater on at 40-50 outside temp, is downright silly. And I am not talking about running the AC to defrost, when there is no frost and the cabin humidity is already low ~20%.
The heater is one of my only gripes about this car.
Nope. I live in Milwaukee. Same climate as you. Either Gen 1 does it massively better, or it's down to personal taste, because I exactly do the "turn everything on auto, set to 74, and done." The auto-defog turns on when the windshield starts getting foggy, air moves around reasonably, and the thing is reasonably comfortable after a precondition.
I would argue a colder climate G2 Volt driver has a warmer experience than those here in the Pacific NW. Colder climates trigger more ERDTT events where the Pacific NW often hovers around 34F or so and the Volt is conditioned based on non-ICE heat which results in a colder experience.
My post was about Gen 2, which boasted a complete redesign of the HVAC controls (apparently Gen1 owners didnt like theirs). Ours are all hardware buttons, and confusing as heck!
The irony, because they "fixed it" for gen2 when people complained about gen1 on-screen controls, and being confusing as heck!
(I personally like the screen controls and prefer them, but I like technology...)
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