Normal HVAC behavior?

[mikehmb]

What do we consider “normal” behavior for the cabin hvac?

Scenario: 35 degrees F outside.

• Set cabin temp to 70 (from the truck, or the app), wait a few minutes. It’s warm - yay!
• Get in and drive, and once the truck hits the set temp, it switches from warm to cold blowing out the vents - boo!
• I have to -manually- set the heater to “Hi” and fan to low to keep warm air blowing out the vents
• Anything else - cold air hitting my body

None of my other vehicles behaved like this. It was - automatically: warm up, reduce fan speed, mix hot/cold to “about right” and blow softly, if at all. This is in EVs and ICE.

Note that I haven’t operated the truck in hot enough conditions yet to see how it operates in inverse conditions.

Is this your experience? I hate it. Filed a ticket today, but wondering what others’ experience is.

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[EBEG]

My HVAC acts like yours. I kind of assumed operator error figured in somehow, but I hadn't bothered to try and tease out what I might be doing wrong. Please post what you discover.

 

[goldburger]

The system sucks. So bad. It was 43 degree cabin temp HVAC set to 66 and full on blowing cold air. Bumped it to 75 to turn the icon to bacon and the fan up and got some heat…

having to fight this system sucks. Just because the interior cabin temp is the set temp doesn’t mean I want the AC running… another thing rivian overthought.

 

[mikehmb]

The system sucks. So bad. It was 43 degree cabin temp HVAC set to 66 and full on blowing cold air. Bumped it to 75 to turn the icon to bacon and the fan up and got some heat…

having to fight this system sucks. Just because the interior cabin temp is the set temp doesn’t mean I want the AC running… another thing rivian overthought.

Aye. Yeah, love the truck, but this behavior is immensely stupid and needs to be addressed.

 

[Jay565]

Yes mine also shows cold air blowing in yet its warmer cold air than the outside air so somehow it still warms the truck

 

[mikehmb]

Yes mine also shows cold air blowing in yet its warmer cold air than the outside air so somehow it still warms the truck

But it’s blowing warm, correct? Rivian is aware of the issue where the AC icon shows when it’s blowing warm-ish air. But I’m getting cold air blowing immediately after warming up.

 

[Flannelpants]

This has been my experience as well. For what its worth, toggling auto to off then back on gets warm air again, at least for me.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Did you get the latest update? I believe I read there were HVAC fixes coming in it

 

[Jay565]

But it’s blowing warm, correct? Rivian is aware of the issue where the AC icon shows when it’s blowing warm-ish air. But I’m getting cold air blowing immediately after warming up.

Well feels warmer than outside air and inside air, but not like typical hot air from the heater so even I am confused what is happening

 

[Jay565]

Well feels warmer than outside air and inside air, but not like typical hot air from the heater so even I am confused what is happening

Maybe I’ll try and see the temperature coming out with an IR gun, my wife borrowed the car today, so pretty sure will have lots to fix later tonight

 

[DetroitRed]

I experience the same behavior. I'm typically determined to keep it in Auto mode, so once it starts blowing cold air, I start creeping the setpoint up to keep warm. Eventually it seems to reach an equilibrium and I can leave it alone.

 

[johnmcgrann]

I've seen some of this same behavior.

One thing I *think* I've noticed is that it might be worse when I turn off the rear system? I drove twice recently with one passenger from PA to VT and on both trips, I turned off the rear system thinking it would help with range. But almost immediately, I felt like the thing we're all complaining about started/got worse. And then when I turned the rear system back on, things got better.

I haven't really had another good opportunity to experiment more with this, but if any of you are also driving with the rear system off, consider turning it on and see how it goes for you?

 

[Marchin_MTB]

What do we consider “normal” behavior for the cabin hvac?

Scenario: 35 degrees F outside.

• Set cabin temp to 70 (from the truck, or the app), wait a few minutes. It’s warm - yay!
• Get in and drive, and once the truck hits the set temp, it switches from warm to cold blowing out the vents - boo!
• I have to -manually- set the heater to “Hi” and fan to low to keep warm air blowing out the vents
• Anything else - cold air hitting my body

None of my other vehicles behaved like this. It was - automatically: warm up, reduce fan speed, mix hot/cold to “about right” and blow softly, if at all. This is in EVs and ICE.

Note that I haven’t operated the truck in hot enough conditions yet to see how it operates in inverse conditions.

Is this your experience? I hate it. Filed a ticket today, but wondering what others’ experience is.

You have succinctly summarized this problem. We have the same issue in the truck and I find myself fighting with it. There is at least one other thread on this subject so many people have experienced it as well. The theories run from incorrect placement of the temperature sensor(s) to an under tuned temperature control system. I am interested to hear what the SC tells you.

 

[elektrode]

Mine is constantly turning on defrost and overriding inside/outside air.

It’s also becomes even louder when it’s making an executive decision to turn on defrost. I’ve frequently thought “why the F is the fan so loud when it’s set to 2 out of 8?!”. Each time it’s because it’s turned on defrost without me asking.

And yes, it’s been frequently blowing cold air when I think it shouldn’t and I’ve had to adjust the temp even higher to get it to switch to heat.

This all happened two OTA updates ago IIRC.

 

[mabowden]

I've often turned off the hvac and used the seat heaters for heat instead. Or faught with the system.

In previous posts, I've argued a simply hot/cold toggle on the hvac controls would be MUCH preferred over the current system which doesn't work as intended.

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