Fresh air-flow controller broken

To cool off your Toyota after it has been parked in the hot sun, drive with the windows open for a few minutes. This vents the hot air, allowing the air conditioning to cool the interior more quickly.

Make sure the air intake grilles in front of the windshield are not blocked (by leaves or snow, for example).

On humid, do not blow cold air on the windshield. The windshield could fog up because of the difference in air temperature on the inside and outside of the windshield.

Keep the area under the front seats clear to allow air to circulate throughout the vehicle.

On cold days, set the fan speed to high for a minute to help clear the intake ducts of snow or moisture. This can reduce the amount of fogging on the windows.

When driving on dusty roads, close all windows. If dust thrown up b the vehicle is still drawn into the vehicle after closing the windows, it is recommended that the in intake be set to FRESH and the fan speed to any setting except "OFF".

If following another vehicle on a dusty road, or driving in windy and dusty conditions, it is recommended that the air intake be temporarily set to RECIRCULATE, which will close off the outside passage and prevent outside air and dust from entering the vehicle interior.

HEATING

For best results, set controls to;
Fan speed ---- Any setting except "OFF"
Temperature----Towards WARM (red zone)
Air intake ---- FRESH (outside air)
Air flow ---- FLOOR
Air conditioning ---- OFF

For quick heating, select recirculated air for a few minutes. To keep the windows from fogging, select fresh after the vehicle has been warmed.

Press the "A/C" button on for dehumidified heating.

Choose floor/windshield air flow to heat the voltage interior while defrosting or defogging the windshield.

AIR CONDITIONING

For best results, set controls to;

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards COLD (blue zone)
Air intake --- (outside air)
Air flow --- PANEL
Air conditioning --- ON

For quick cooling, move the air intake selector to recirculate for a few minutes.

VENTILATION

For best results, set controls to;

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards COLD (blue zone)
Air intake --- (outside air)
Air flow --- PANEL
Air conditioning --- ON

DEFOGGING

The inside of the windshield

For best results, set controls to:

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards WARM (red zone) to heat; COLD (blue zone) to cool
Air intake --- FRESH (outside air)
Air flow --- WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning --- ON

The outside of the windshield

For best results, set controls to:

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards WARM (red zone)
Air intake --- FRESH (outside air)
Air flow --- WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning --- OFF

On humid days, do not blow cold air on the windshield. The windshield could fog up because of the difference in air temperature on the inside and outside of the windshield.

DEFROSTING

The outside of the windshield

For best results, set controls to:

Fan speed --- Any setting except 'OFF"
Temperature --- Towards WARM (red zone)
Air intake --- FRESH (outside air)
Air flow --- WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning --- OFF

To heat the vehicle interior while defrosting the windshield, choose floor/windshield air flow.

This tip pertains to maximizing the cooling efficiency from your Toyota's Air Conditioning system.

(The info that follows is for vehicles that are not equipped with "Auto" AC.)

On really warm days, nothing is better than getting in a hot vehicle, and turning on the AC for a nice comfortable driving experience.

In our service facility, we continually see customers who are not totally satisfied with their AC output. Hopefully, this tip will address those issues, and just might be useful to you.

The number one reason for poor cooling with the AC on, is neglecting to select the "Recirculate" function on the heater/AC control panel.

What is Recirculate?
That mode is where the AC system 'recirculates' the air contained in the car, thru the AC box, over and over, until the desired temperature is reached. The Recirculate button, knob, lever or slide is easily identified by seeing a picture of a little car, with an arrow doing a 'U-Turn" inside the car. This is the opposite of the "Fresh" mode, which is an arrow going 'straight through' the little car icon.

If you are using the "Fresh" mode, you are actually admitting ambient air into the car. Ambient air is much warmer, and makes the AC work harder, and you will see a 10 degree rise in the air temperature from the dash vents. Also, some vehicles admit the 'Fresh' air from under the hood, so, leaving the 'Fresh' mode selected could actually draw in the much hotter underhood air into the AC system.

So, what to do? Anytime you use the AC, please verify that the Recirculate function has been selected. As stated above, this uses the air in the car over and over, and your cooling efficiency will be 10 degrees colder. You can easily check and verify this with an 'instant-read' thermometer. Put the thermometer in the center dash vent, start up the car, turn on the AC, select Recirculate, and watch the temperature drop. It should stop dropping around 34-36 degrees F (depending on humidity, sun load, and a few other things). Now, when the temperature is as low as it will reach, turn off the Recirculate device. You will see the temperature actually rise, maybe 10-12 degrees.

Some additional info: As long as the car is in Recirculate mode, the AC compressor will eventually turn off, when the interior makes the selected temperature. This saves you gas. If you run the AC with the fresh mode selected, the AC compressor runs all of the time. This wastes gas, and costs you more money.

The best way I can easily sum up Fresh versus Recirculate is this:

Running the car with 'Fresh' selected is like running your refrigerator with the door open. It works, but it does not work good. Choosing 'Recirculate' is like running the fridge with the door closed.
If this tip helps you, please leave a positive helpful rating. Thanks!