Inside outside air button keeps turning itself off

[Briebee72]

So since it got colder outside and the heated stuff now comes on automatically. I have noticed my inside /outside air button keeps turning itself off and letting outside air in? why? How? I looked in manual but guess im looking in wrong place can't find info on it. How do I get it to stop turning off and letting outside air in. And also do the heated steering wheels auto come on at a certain temp? Mine just comes on automatically and I can't find where to turn this off. Again I can't find any info in the manual about what conditions makes this happen automatically.

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[Bikeman315]

So since it got colder outside and the heated stuff now comes on automatically. I have noticed my inside /outside air button keeps turning itself off and letting outside air in? why? How? I looked in manual but guess im looking in wrong place can't find info on it. How do I get it to stop turning off and letting outside air in. And also do the heated steering wheels auto come on at a certain temp? Mine just comes on automatically and I can't find where to turn this off. Again I can't find any info in the manual about what conditions makes this happen automatically.

Hope this helps.......Also are you using remote start? How do you have it set?

Recirculated Air

Press to switch between outside air and recirculated air. The air currently in the passenger compartment recirculates.
This may reduce the time needed to cool the interior (when used with A/C) and reduce unwanted odors from entering your vehicle.

Note: Recirculated air may turn off (or prevent you from switching on) in all air flow modes except MAX A/C to reduce the risk
of fogging. Recirculation may also turn on and off in various air distribution control combinations during hot weather to improve
cooling efficiency.

HEATED STEERING WHEEL (IF EQUIPPED)

Switch the heated steering wheel on and off using the touchscreen.
Touch the button to switch the heated steering wheel on and off.

Note: You can use the heated steering wheel only when the engine is running.

Note: The system uses a sensor and is designed to control the temperature of the steering wheel and to prevent it from overheating.

Note: In warm temperatures, the steering wheel quickly reaches its maximum temperature and the system reduces the current to the heating element.
This could cause you to think that the system has stopped working but it has not. This is normal.

 

[Briebee72]

Hope this helps.......Also are you using remote start? How do you have it set?

Recirculated Air

Press to switch between outside air and recirculated air. The air currently in the passenger compartment recirculates.
This may reduce the time needed to cool the interior (when used with A/C) and reduce unwanted odors from entering your vehicle.

Note: Recirculated air may turn off (or prevent you from switching on) in all air flow modes except MAX A/C to reduce the risk
of fogging. Recirculation may also turn on and off in various air distribution control combinations during hot weather to improve
cooling efficiency.

HEATED STEERING WHEEL (IF EQUIPPED)

Switch the heated steering wheel on and off using the touchscreen.
Touch the button to switch the heated steering wheel on and off.

Note: You can use the heated steering wheel only when the engine is running.

Note: The system uses a sensor and is designed to control the temperature of the steering wheel and to prevent it from overheating.

Note: In warm temperatures, the steering wheel quickly reaches its maximum temperature and the system reduces the current to the heating element.
This could cause you to think that the system has stopped working but it has not. This is normal.

Thanks, Yeah thats the same stuff I read. Lots of if and maybe and various. Like whoever wrote the manual wasn't sure either on the recirculating part. Does not give you any real info there. As for the heated wheel. lots of info on if and or why it will turn off but nothing on what triggers it to turn on. If its cold out it just come by itself and then when I'm driving i realize it's on and have to go through 3 menus to find that tiny little wheel icon to turn it off. But again no info on how any of it works. What temp does it come on auto? can I stop it from doing that? is there a way to disable it?

Yes I use a fob to auto start and I set stuff to my settings for that (which air and steering wheel were not part of) but even that does not work right. My seat sometimes goes back to its position and the my color won't stay on what color I set it too it resets to default each time I start the car. Seems these cars have lot of little stuff don't work as intended.

 

[Johnnybee]

Your car knows if it is cold out. When you remote start the car and the temperature is low enough, it will turn on the heated seat, the steering wheel and the rear window. If your HVAC is set to auto, it will turn on the defroster at a medium fan speed. When you get in the car and press the start button, the HVAC will revert to auto and will start blowing air (to your feet) once the coolant temperature reaches a certain temperature. I have never watched it but the system probably runs on inside air initially to speed heating of the interior and then switches to outside air to prevent interior fogging of the windows. This is what my car does in Canada and I presume the US cars are the same. Since the above functionality is what I want, I have never looked into whether you can alter how it works. I suspect if you simply turn off the HVAC or at least take it off auto, that may terminate the other functions operating. If you have a premium (as I do) and have the large centre screen, the control for the heated wheel is always on the home page, as well as on the climate page.

 

[engineermike]

I’ve been wondering about this myself. One thing that doesn’t add up is if the vent is on, it will stay in recirc indefinitely. But if the defrost is on the recirc turns off after a few minutes. If the purpose were to prevent fogging I would think it would apply to both vent and defrost.

 

[Briebee72]

Your car knows if it is cold out. When you remote start the car and the temperature is low enough, it will turn on the heated seat, the steering wheel and the rear window. If your HVAC is set to auto, it will turn on the defroster at a medium fan speed. When you get in the car and press the start button, the HVAC will revert to auto and will start blowing air (to your feet) once the coolant temperature reaches a certain temperature. I have never watched it but the system probably runs on inside air initially to speed heating of the interior and then switches to outside air to prevent interior fogging of the windows. This is what my car does in Canada and I presume the US cars are the same. Since the above functionality is what I want, I have never looked into whether you can alter how it works. I suspect if you simply turn off the HVAC or at least take it off auto, that may terminate the other functions operating. If you have a premium (as I do) and have the large centre screen, the control for the heated wheel is always on the home page, as well as on the climate page.

Thank you , Yes I know the heated steering wheel is on the home page but my car starts on a music page and if my phones plugged in then android auto starts and its a pain in the back side to get to the homepage to turn off the heated steering wheel.. IM usually already driving once i realize the heated wheel is on and its such a pain to go back to home page and find that 1/4 inch button while driving ( why is that button almost hidden? and not on the steering wheel itself?). I would rather just turn it off permanently and not have it come on auto as I don't like (I guess im only person on planet) the heated steering wheel, just feels like someones warm change they just handed you.

Yes I have the premium and no auto air is not on. The problem Im having is I set the temps I want and vents I want which includes the outside air off (as I don't want exhaust and whatever other smell outside coming in) but for whatever reason it turns itself off every couple mins. I turn it back on and it will again turn itself off. It just keeps doing it. It only started once it got colder outside. if it is turning itself off automatically for fog or whatever that is silly to not have control of your own vents. I don't like outside air when Im in traffic and my stupid car keeps turning the outside air on for whatever reason. If I manually push the button to turn outside air off why in the world would the car keep turning outside air back on. One sec its ok and then the next big nose full of outside exhaust smell cause it turns back off again. Its just aggravating.

 

[Briebee72]

I’ve been wondering about this myself. One thing that doesn’t add up is if the vent is on, it will stay in recirc indefinitely. But if the defrost is on the recirc turns off after a few minutes. If the purpose were to prevent fogging I would think it would apply to both vent and defrost.

I mean it's fine I guess if they would at least explain it in the owner's manual instead of the car just doing things with no explanation or way to turn it off. Like I said in my other reply IM not a fan of the heated steering wheel. it just feels like when someone else was holding something and now it has that weird warm feeling like someone else was handling it. Its just not for me and would prefer to turn off whatever automatic feature is turning it on.

 

[Gregs24]

The main issue is that in cold weather you can't have AC on and so recirculation will cause fogging inside the car.

Just set the climate to Auto and leave it. In my last half a dozen Ford's I have pressed auto on day one, set the temperature and never changed it again. It just works, hot or cold weather.

The filters are pretty good these days so no particulates will get to you from outside

 

[ForYourOwnGood]

The main issue is that in cold weather you can't have AC on and so recirculation will cause fogging inside the car.

Just set the climate to Auto and leave it. In my last half a dozen Ford's I have pressed auto on day one, set the temperature and never changed it again. It just works, hot or cold weather.

The filters are pretty good these days so no particulates will get to you from outside

This is actually incorrect, most cars from the last 30+ years run the AC with the defroster to remove the moisture.

 

[Gregs24]

This is actually incorrect, most cars from the last 30+ years run the AC with the defroster to remove the moisture.

Sorry you are incorrect. The AC will not operate with an outside temperature below about 3C to prevent damage caused by frosting.

Above that the AC will operate as both you and I suggested

 

[Johnnybee]

I said in my other reply IM not a fan of the heated steering wheel.

LOL, I'm a fan, especially last Friday when I drove home from the office with the top down with 36F showing on the gauge cluster, although I think it was actually a bit warmer than that.

 

[Briebee72]

The main issue is that in cold weather you can't have AC on and so recirculation will cause fogging inside the car.

Just set the climate to Auto and leave it. In my last half a dozen Ford's I have pressed auto on day one, set the temperature and never changed it again. It just works, hot or cold weather.

The filters are pretty good these days so no particulates will get to you from outside

Thanks for your reply. See this is the first car I have ever had that does this. fog or no fog, depends on climate. When the air recirculation is off and lets in outside air. the in cabin filter does nothing to stop the smell of the guy burning oil and blowing white smoke or the smell of the paper plant (rotten eggs) that hangs in the valley some mornings. Also I have what is called reactive airways, and car exhaust can trigger a coughing fit. So for me a system that constantly turns outside air back on for some undisclosed reason, is quite annoying.

 

[Gregs24]

Thanks for your reply. See this is the first car I have ever had that does this. fog or no fog, depends on climate. When the air recirculation is off and lets in outside air. the in cabin filter does nothing to stop the smell of the guy burning oil and blowing white smoke or the smell of the paper plant (rotten eggs) that hangs in the valley some mornings. Also I have what is called reactive airways, and car exhaust can trigger a coughing fit. So for me a system that constantly turns outside air back on for some undisclosed reason, is quite annoying.

All Fords with full Climate (Auto button) have done this going back at least 15 years when on Auto. I had a Mondeo (Fusion) Mk2 with Climate and that was a virtually identical control system then (2000). Maybe the manual recirculation button would over-ride when not in auto in those older cars but I never tried it.

The pollen filter is designed to trap the particles that trigger reactive airways - the smell per se shouldn't really do it.

From the 2019 Mustang Manual

Max Defrost Adjust the control to switch on defrost. Air flows through the windshield vents and the fan adjusts to the highest speed. You can also use this setting to defog and clear the windshield of a thin covering of ice. The heated rear window also turns on when you select maximum defrost. Note:To prevent window fogging, you cannot select recirculated air when maximum defrost is on. Recirculated Air Press to switch between outside air and recirculated air. The air currently in the passenger compartment recirculates. This may reduce the time needed to cool the interior (when used with A/C) and reduce unwanted odors from entering your vehicle.
Note:Recirculated air may turn off (or prevent you from switching on) in all air flow modes except MAX A/C to reduce the risk of fogging. Recirculation may also turn on and off in various air distribution control combinations during hot weather in order to improve cooling efficiency.

 

[Gregs24]

This is actually incorrect, most cars from the last 30+ years run the AC with the defroster to remove the moisture.

I checked on my Mondeo (Fusion) this morning as it was cold enough. On Auto the AC light stayed off until +3C at which point it came on by itself.

 

[GasPedal]

I use outside air whenever the AC isn't on and AC with Inside Air only in the Summer. It seems to work best.

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