Fan Speed and Temp Controls on Steering Wheel - GreenHybrid

pitokhato · #1 (**permalink**) 04-25-2008, 07:11 AM

Hello Happy TCH owners,

Are't you glad that you bought hybrid car?

Look at the gas price

Anyway, I am starting this post to get some ideas/suggestions on missing Fan control speed mounted on stering wheel.

TCH has temp control on steering wheel. According to me we need Fan speed control instead of temp control or both on steering wheel. Reason is that you don't change set Temp that often. But you need to change fan speed more often.

Anyone has any suggestion if it is possible to change wiring so that temp control buttons can contro fan speed instead of temp.

Thanks and wish everyone to get best MPG from TCH.

mikieboyblue · #2 (**permalink**) 04-25-2008, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitokhato

Hello Happy TCH owners,

Are't you glad that you bought hybrid car?

Look at the gas price

Anyway, I am starting this post to get some ideas/suggestions on missing Fan control speed mounted on stering wheel.

TCH has temp control on steering wheel. According to me we need Fan speed control instead of temp control or both on steering wheel. Reason is that you don't change set Temp that often. But you need to change fan speed more often.

Anyone has any suggestion if it is possible to change wiring so that temp control buttons can contro fan speed instead of temp.

Thanks and wish everyone to get best MPG from TCH.

Amen dude! Amen! I hate the temp control...it is useless....unless you leave it in auto I guess...but sometimes auto is not that good and I mess with the fan speed and would love to have the button be the speed instead of temp.

UPDATE:

Attached is the AC electrical diagram (2007 repair manual). According to it, I don't think there is an easy way. But, someone who can read this stuff better than I could say for sure. (page 318)

Freeze · #3 (**permalink**) 04-25-2008, 09:04 PM

I think there are too many buttons on the steering wheel. I'd lose all the HVAC buttons. Heck, I'd reduce the stereo controls to 'mute' only. Do you really use the volume on the steering wheel? I find it frustrating.

haroldo · #4 (**permalink**) 04-26-2008, 01:00 AM

I use volume control all the time (some stations broadcast louder than others, and I'd rather listen to music at one volume, talk at another and commercials at a third).
As to HVAC's fan controls, when you adjust the temperature higher or lower, more often than not, the only thing that changes is the fan speed. Once heat is on, your only choice is more heat or less heat (assuming, of course that heat is properly directed to the floor for maximum efficiency...heat rises). So if your set to 68 and your cold, changing the temp setting to 70 will cause the system to spin the fan faster. Heat is produced by the engine and forced through the ducts by the fan. You want it hotter, the fan goes faster.
I'd rather adjust the temp up a degree or two, or even resort to moving my hand the fifteen inches to the manual controls, rather than monkey around with the wiring on the car. But hey, it's your car.

mikieboyblue · #5 (**permalink**) 04-26-2008, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haroldo

As to HVAC's fan controls, when you adjust the temperature higher or lower, more often than not, the only thing that changes is the fan speed. Once heat is on, your only choice is more heat or less heat (assuming, of course that heat is properly directed to the floor for maximum efficiency...heat rises). So if your set to 68 and your cold, changing the temp setting to 70 will cause the system to spin the fan faster. Heat is produced by the engine and forced through the ducts by the fan. You want it hotter, the fan goes faster.
I'd rather adjust the temp up a degree or two, or even resort to moving my hand the fifteen inches to the manual controls, rather than monkey around with the wiring on the car. But hey, it's your car.

Using AUTO yes. If you don't want to use AUTO then it wont do a thing.

Of course....we do have to remember the real controls as only a few more inches away and I end up using them more than the steering wheel controls.

SPL · #6 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 10:21 AM

Mikieboyblue — Everything is controlled by computer code in the ECUs. The buttons just serve to activate already-programmed options. There's thus zero possibility of changing the behavior of the buttons without reprogramming the ECUs, and that's just not on.

Stan

mikieboyblue · #7 (**permalink**) 05-02-2008, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPL

Mikieboyblue — Everything is controlled by computer code in the ECUs. The buttons just serve to activate already-programmed options. There's thus zero possibility of changing the behavior of the buttons without reprogramming the ECUs, and that's just not on.

Stan

That's what I figured.