how to stop the aircon from switching to re-circ?

[clarkyinaus Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close clarkyinaus]

Anyone know how to stop the aircon from automatically switching to re-circ mode when temp inside is higher than outside?

I have to remember to turn it off everytime I drive, otherwise after a couple of kms of gravel roads you can smell the dust getting sucked into the car (we live in the bush)

Another PITA feature:evil:

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

Anyone know how to stop the aircon from automatically switching to re-circ mode when temp inside is higher than outside?

I have to remember to turn it off everytime I drive, otherwise after a couple of kms of gravel roads you can smell the dust getting sucked into the car (we live in the bush)

Another PITA feature:evil:

I always run recirc mode on dusty roads to stop the dust coming in so I don't understand why the opposite happens on your Prado.

I haven't found a way to stop the auto mode and yes it is a PITA.

[starbuck76 Member Find all posts View Profile Close starbuck76]

It is one of the programmable options that can only be turned off by Toyota. See your owner's manual.

[derek11 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close derek11]

I just learnt something new, i didn't know that, having the air con set to open and not recirc helps stopping dust from coming in the vehicle, i have tried it both ways and recirc is alot worst. Also have your fan on high helps.

Cheers Derek

[clarkyinaus Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close clarkyinaus]

I always run recirc mode on dusty roads to stop the dust coming in so I don't understand why the opposite happens on your Prado.

I haven't found a way to stop the auto mode and yes it is a PITA.

Certainly in mine within 5km I will be smelling dust and have a fine layer over everything......and this is NOT when travelling in dust, just on a gravel/dirt road.

Might have to have a yarn to the dealer about turning it off.

Cheers

[fourbyfour Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close fourbyfour]

hi guys, I run mine on fresh air as that pressurises the cabin and only put it on recirc if there is a car coming in the opposite direction, where I live here its Prado land and all the guys I have spoken to say the same

[Rodolinski Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rodolinski]

Certainly in mine within 5km I will be smelling dust and have a fine layer over everything......and this is NOT when travelling in dust, just on a gravel/dirt road.

Cheers

Perhaps you need to clean your fan & vents? This 120 thread talks about installing a filter in your cabin (or cleaning/replacing if you have a VX or Grande). And from about p5 there's good instructions on how to access the fan under the dash & clean the dust out of it.
http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...highlight=cond
As krypto said, recirc should be effective at keeping the dust out. So of your system smells of dust on recirc, I would think there's too much dust in the vent pipes.

Cheers
Rodolinski

[clarkyinaus Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close clarkyinaus]

Perhaps you need to clean your fan & vents? This 120 thread talks about installing a filter in your cabin (or cleaning/replacing if you have a VX or Grande). And from about p5 there's good instructions on how to access the fan under the dash & clean the dust out of it.
http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...highlight=cond
As krypto said, recirc should be effective at keeping the dust out. So of your system smells of dust on recirc, I would think there's too much dust in the vent pipes.

Cheers
Rodolinski

Thanks R, 150's have a filter, was replaced when I got the vehicle 6k ago (it came from bris and had never been a gravel road....not an ounce of dust anywhere).....not sure if you have a 150, but the rear door doesn't seal particularly well.....and I suspect that it is sucking dust in.

I do alot of dirt road driving and have always found that not driving in someone else's dust, and having aircon set to fresh is the best way of keeping dust out....unfortunatly the computer knows better and wants to automatically revert to re-circ at every start up.

[Whitey1 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Whitey1]

Yeah keeping it on fresh pressurizes the cab and keeps the dust out.

[jayden82 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jayden82]

I'm really confused - fresh means no dust in / re-circ means dust in.
Kinda seems opposite logic???

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

On recirc a small amount of air is still drawn in. I've done 100s of kms on dusty roads like this without getting dust in and my rear door doesn't leak dust.

Cars are designed to use recirc in dusty conditions, it's what we use on all the mine sites where I've worked particularly underground where you want to avoid fumes.

The theory with using fresh to 'pressurise' works provided there is minimal dust or fumes being thrown up around the front of the car and may help if you've got dust leaks in other places.

[winniliss Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close winniliss]

If you don't get dust in on recirc then use it. If you don't get dust in on fresh then use it. Some cars are different. Most new cars seal a lot better (the last door is harder to shut) compared to the old ones.

Winston

[clarkyinaus Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close clarkyinaus]

Got dealer to re-program re-circ off and no more dust!!! He also suggested to run rear aircon on full fan as the front fan doesnt pressurise the cab enough to stop dust from coming in through the back door.

[Pearl150 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pearl150]

Good job mate, it was only today doing a run around town, stop start driving, kids in, kids out, shops in, shops out, in heat, that I was starting to get the shittttts with having to punch the dash for some of the fresh stuff. Dealer eh? I'll be talking to him at the first service then. Thanks for the timely thread.

[brogers Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close brogers]

On recirc a small amount of air is still drawn in. I've done 100s of kms on dusty roads like this without getting dust in and my rear door doesn't leak dust.

Cars are designed to use recirc in dusty conditions, it's what we use on all the mine sites where I've worked particularly underground where you want to avoid fumes.

The theory with using fresh to 'pressurise' works provided there is minimal dust or fumes being thrown up around the front of the car and may help if you've got dust leaks in other places.

I confirmed it myself folks, with a 3,000km+ trip in central Queensland over the past week.

I drove over 1,000km on the dryest, hottest dirt roads, during a heatwave, in the middle of the day, and not a single grain of dust in the Prado (except from my feet)....Clouds of dust billowing behind me, the car covered in dust outside, and not another car for miles, didn't pass another car in either direction all day, and I covered lots of miles on the dusty, corrugated dirt roads....When I first hit the dirt I had the aircon on "recirc" and I immediately got a dusty smell, so, after having read this thread just before I went away, I switched the aircon to "fresh", increased the fan speed, and blow me down....not a grain of dust, anywhere inside the car, all day. I was ready to switch the aircon back to 'recirc' if a car came the other way, but it didn't happen, so no need, just left it on fresh all day.

So, who would have guessed? not me thats for sure. Clearly if there is lots of dust in the air or if you are following a car or a truck, this won't work, as you will get "fresh dusty air" coming in the car....but with no one else about, not much wind, settled dust on dry tracks, then having the aircon set to 'fresh" to 'pressurise' the cabin keeps dust out, absolutely no dust came in at all....I've just finished washing outside and underneath,and on top, and the engine bay, and around the outside of the door seals, and inside the spare wheel cover, but seriously, no dust inside...thanks folks. Car looks like new, didn't miss a beat, 3,000km in 4 days in central Queensland in 42 degree heat...love my Prado...especially when the dust stays outside, and its cool inside!