I Like Manual Heat

It's not so much that I dislike climate control, but I really like manual heat on a cold day. I don't want the whole cabin to be 76, I want it to be cooler than that because I'm dressed warmly. At the same time I want the heater vents to be pushing out a slow stream of lava temperature air for me to dangle my cold fingers in front of. One of the great joys in my life is brushing off snow with bare hands and then melting my fingers to the bone a couple of minutes later. I love manual heat controls.

I have Raynaud's. Heat that bitch up to 95 degrees! (yes, I prefer manual as well)

In reply to N Sperlo:

My wife has that. Drives me crazy.

In reply to mazdeuce:

My E46 has that feature. You can adjust the temp and airflow of the dash vents independently of the climate control. I have neuropathy in my legs that make my feet feel like they are burning. I put cold air on my feet and blow warm air at my hands.

Gonna drop the rangers engine on Saturday, I hope. Hopefully I don't loose sensation too quick. Easy way to smash a finger under a couple hundred lbs.

I think duel zone climate control is one of the best inventions in the last 20 years for cars. The females in my family all run colder than me. It's great to be able to set my side of the car to 66 or 68F and theirs to 74+F Love it, I hate that the Mustang doesn't have it (we cheaped out, next years will for sure)

1200 miles this past weekend in a dual climate controlled vehicle was nice. I barely broke a sweat and my wife was warm enough to be comfortable.

bravenrace wrote: In reply to mazdeuce: My E46 has that feature. You can adjust the temp and airflow of the dash vents independently of the climate control. I have neuropathy in my legs that make my feet feel like they are burning. I put cold air on my feet and blow warm air at my hands.

My E39 does as well. Such a simple addition to the system, but so useful in staying comfortable.

Someone on the Mercedes forum I think once said that manual heater controls are best for short trips, and automatic controls are best for long trips. I think they might be right, except the automatic climate control units on old Benzs is a major POS!

+100 FOR MANUAL HEAT!

Every 'automatic' system I've seen just blasts cold air on the highest fan setting until the engine finally warms up.

'12 Sierra has the dual zone. Set to preferences and left in auto it just does it's thing which ain't bad at all.

Out of auto, changing temp and vents is basically the same as on manual controls it's just done electronically. I don't see a real difference here.

In the case of GM/Chrysler auto hvac systems, the temp number is bullE36 M3 and has no bearing on what comes out the vents temp wise. It is there to just appease the masses who wished to know more about a vehicle they have zero desire in keeping up.

What's heat? My Olds hasn't had working HVAC for a couple years now... Every once in a while it comes up but it's rare, I haven't seen it happen for a couple months now. The control head doesn't seem to be getting power.

I should really just set that car on fire and walk away...

I really love the "auto" systems that require you to hit a button 22 times when you get into the car in order to get heat at the highest setting. So much more convenient than a lever that you can quickly slide into the red zone.

I hate automatic "climate control". Knobs let me adjust the temp, flow, and fan speed without taking my eyes from the road. Pushing buttons and looking at displays down on the dash make me look away from where I am going for several seconds at a time.

as I have low blood pressure.. the temps in the disco are on "HI" all the time and on the floor as I cannot take warm air blown into my face. I get too warm, I open the sunroof

I should add, that new Dodge vehicles have the auto setting and the normal fan speed and distribution settings still.

What is this "heat" you speak of?

e39s were available w/ 2 different HVAC systems:

• IHKR which used knobs and cables. You choose the proportion of floor/dash, floor/defrost or dash /defrost, how blue or red you'd like to be (which has temp numbers in degrees F which are accurate) and how blowey you're feeling. On/off switches for recirc/AC compressor. The dash vents have their own 3/2/1 blue dots - 1/2/3 red dots wheel for dash vent temp.

• IHKA which is impenetrably complex and has all manner of zones. I recall reading that the heater box on an IHKA-equipped car has 9 stepper motors controlling various baffles, flaps and plenums.

You'd get IHKA by ticking the "Convenience Group" option, so pretty much all the cars that weren't special orders had it.

The wonderfully enigmatic woman who ordered my car originally did NOT want to be convenienced, and I thank her every day that it's not 67 degrees and sunny. I've had to pop the control panel out to reconnect the floor flapper cable twice, and blow out the drains. Otherwise it works like aspirin.

Wanna see some crazy E36 M3 about early 2000s German HVAC? Page 13-17

20° here last night. At home, hit remote fob start, five or so minutes later truck is warming, get in n go. Fob out of range at work this morning, hit OnStar remote app to start from our maintenance shop, 5 minute walk or so to punch out and walk to the lot, blip wipers to clear windshield. Mirrors iced, hit button. Go.

Snowfall requires a little more effort.

Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Unless the heat control is electronic rheostat, like on my RX8. Something has gone out on it and it only has 2 settings no matter where you set the temp to, either full hot or full cold. Nothing in between and have to mess with the control to get it to change. This time of year I leave it alone and control temp with combination of fan speed, dash or defrost setting and lower the window.

I don't like climate control in cars, but I believe there is a solution to the problem. I have heard of some refrigerators that have a option if you have your fridge open or bringing groceries it has a quick freeze option, I think that a car could benefit from that option by pressing the button it quickly heats up or freezes.

mad_machine wrote: ... I cannot take warm air blown into my face.

I hate that, too. My wife always sets the flow to the dash vents at full heat/fan, and it drives me insane. My face is melting, while my toes are numb and the windows are fogged/frosted.

Gearheadotaku wrote: +100 FOR MANUAL HEAT! Every 'automatic' system I've seen just blasts cold air on the highest fan setting until the engine finally warms up.

...except older high-end GMs that had a thermoswitch on the back of the passenger side head that would prevent the fan from getting ground until the engine was warm.

NO. I don't care if the air is ice cold, I need some airflow over the windshield.. I don't want to sit in my driveway for ten minutes waiting for the engine to warm up enough to be safe to drive without holding my breath.

mad_machine wrote: as I have low blood pressure.. the temps in the disco are on "HI" all the time and on the floor as I cannot take warm air blown into my face. I get too warm, I open the sunroof

...huh? What's the correlation?

I ask only because I also have low blood pressure, and I can't handle any moving air to the face or my sinuses plug up like you wouldn't believe. I always figured that they were just two separate things and/or that anybody who actually likes moving air is mental.

I don't think there is a correlation. I simply can't breathe when hot air is blown into my face. It is an issue myself and my sisters both have. Blow hot air into our faces and it is like we are gasping to breathe..

The correlation between my heat and my blood pressure is that I am -always- cold. I wind up keeping the temps in the house at 74 or I get literally cold to the touch