Air recirculation button

[hangtime23]

hey...just wondering if anybody else has noticed this - when I press the button to turn on air recirculation in my coupe, it automatically turns on the A/C...and if I try to turn off the A/C, it turns off air recirculation as well, basically meaning that I can't use the air recirculation by itself (ie. without A/C)...

wondering why this is? or is it just a glitch in my car?

[ctrlaltcoupe]

I'm not sure about that... try checking the owner's manual. I don't have my coupe yet, so I couldn't tell you.

But it is probably programmed that way for a reason. I had a 2001 Honda Civic, and the A/C would turn on automatically whenever I put the front defroster on. I think it's supposed to help the windows defrost quicker. There was a special sequence with the key that would turn it off. So I'm not sure if this would be the same way.

[Cold_Zero]

Our old 2.5S Altima use to have dials for the A/C. You could leave the A/C off but keep the recirculation button on. Not sure why you would actually want to recirculate the air with the A/C off. If you wanted to do that, you would just keep the vent on with the A/C off.

My 03 Altima has the climate control system and it weirded me out at first, since there was no A/C button. I figured out that you had to put it on "Auto" and turn the temp down low to get the A/C to come on. I dont think its a glitch, but I will check tomorrow in my Altima.

[hangtime23]

yeah, I checked the manual already, but it didn't make any mention of the A/C going on whenever recirculation was turned on...

ColdZero - what if I want to recirculate the air in my car, ie. when I'm driving by an area where a skunk sprayed, but I don't want the A/C to be on either, cuz it could be in the winter? it probably wouldn't happen too often, but that's a scenario I could think of where I would want to have air recirculation on, but A/C off...

[Cold_Zero]

Good point. When I drive by the sewage treatment plant, I turn off the vents and we all hold our breath.

What kind of Altima do you have?

[Buzzman]

FYI: Don't know about the coupe in particular, but about 20 years (or so) ago, most manufacturers started programming their cars to have the A/C pump cycle on and off while defrost was selected. The main reason for this was to keep the compressor and A/C system lubricated and functional during the winter months.Where I live for example, you don't use the A/C for about 6 months. If the system sat idle for that long, it usually didn't work when you fired it up on the first hot day. In hotter climates where the A/C is used year round, it's not really necessary. But then again, when they build them, they never know where they will end up.Things have gotten a little more sophisticated in the last 20 years, but that is essentially the reason for the cycling A/C compressor in defrost mode.

[hangtime23]

Cold_Zero - I have the 08 coupe...

Buzzman - I can see how it makes sense to have the A/C go on when defrost is selected...that happened with my previous car too. However, I'm talking about just turning on recirculation, NOT defrost...

[flipr]

yeah, I checked the manual already, but it didn't make any mention of the A/C going on whenever recirculation was turned on...

ColdZero - what if I want to recirculate the air in my car, ie. when I'm driving by an area where a skunk sprayed, but I don't want the A/C to be on either, cuz it could be in the winter? it probably wouldn't happen too often, but that's a scenario I could think of where I would want to have air recirculation on, but A/C off...

I've got a 2.5s with premium (dual) air package, got recirc only.I hit the OFF button on the air system, shuts off the fan, and the zones (floor/face, etc).Then I hit the recirc button, and the air didn't come on. As soon as you choose floor or upper vents, the air kicks on.

Don't know if that helps you or not, but recirc will come on without the air.

[hangtime23]

I've got a 2.5s with premium (dual) air package, got recirc only.I hit the OFF button on the air system, shuts off the fan, and the zones (floor/face, etc).Then I hit the recirc button, and the air didn't come on. As soon as you choose floor or upper vents, the air kicks on.

Don't know if that helps you or not, but recirc will come on without the air.

Good to know that it's not just me that has this happening...I tried what you suggested, and yeah, the recirculation did go on without the A/C kicking in...but the fan wasn't going at all, so doesn't that mean that there's no air being recirculated? As soon as I turn the fan on to level 1 or above, the A/C kicks in again...

[flipr]

Then again, recirc without the fan..... whats the point? No air movement at all.....

[Cold_Zero]

The air recirculation button works with the fan and the A/C off in the Pathfinder. But my Altima has the climate control system so nothing tells me that the A/C is on when I hit the recirc button.

[hangtime23]

so I tried the air recirculation button in my co-worker's 06 2.5SL Altima sedan...

same thing happens, as soon as you press the air recirculation button, the A/C goes on. So it looks like this is how Nissan wants air recirculation to work, at least in Altimas!

[Ormand]

In my car, if you hit the button for recirc, it does turn the AC on. BUT- if after that, you turn off the A/C, the recirc stays on. So it is possible to have recirc without A/C.

[CoupeLover]

Then again, recirc without the fan..... whats the point? No air movement at all.....

I guess a reason for that would be when you're driving by an area with a really bad smell to it. At least you wouldn't be smelling the bad air and once you passed that area, you can hit that button again to get the outside air.

[hangtime23]

In my car, if you hit the button for recirc, it does turn the AC on. BUT- if after that, you turn off the A/C, the recirc stays on. So it is possible to have recirc without A/C.

See, that's where my car is different, as is my coworker's 2006 Altima...if you turn off the A/C, the recirc goes off again as well...

[Ormand]

See, that's where my car is different, as is my coworker's 2006 Altima...if you turn off the A/C, the recirc goes off again as well...

That's really odd. Mines a 3.5SE, without climate control. I just went out and checked it- again. If you press the center of the left button (fan speed button) the recirc comes on, and so does the A/C. At that point you have a light on in the center of each button. Then, if you touch the center if the right side button (temp control) the A/C goes off. Then you have the light on in the center of the left button, the light is off in the center of the right button. You are in recirc, without A/C. The owners manual recommends using this mode for "dusty conditions"- kind of like passing by a bad smell.

[hangtime23]

That's really odd. Mines a 3.5SE, without climate control. I just went out and checked it- again. If you press the center of the left button (fan speed button) the recirc comes on, and so does the A/C. At that point you have a light on in the center of each button. Then, if you touch the center if the right side button (temp control) the A/C goes off. Then you have the light on in the center of the left button, the light is off in the center of the right button. You are in recirc, without A/C. The owners manual recommends using this mode for "dusty conditions"- kind of like passing by a bad smell.

Well...I've got climate control on mine so I have the numbers showing on the 2 dials instead of the lights...

and I'm unable to get recirc going without A/C being on at the same time...

[Tomsoxfan]

I live in Mass & this might be a stupid question but if the AC comes on when i put the defrosters on....how will that defrost ice in the winter?

[Ormand]

I live in Mass & this might be a stupid question but if the AC comes on when i put the defrosters on....how will that defrost ice in the winter?

The A/C comes on, but the compressor won't run for long. The air will be heated, and dehumidified, so the fog on the inside of the window goes away, and the ice on the outside. The heater will "reheat" the air, after the A/C evaporator cools it and dehumidifies it.