Heat your seat!?
 

I have a 2007 TCH and live in (very cold) Milwaukee, WI. We are in the middle of another bitter coldsnap, and I have a few heating questions:
1. How much energy does it take to heat your seat?
2. Am I better off using "AUTO" (which often engages the fan in a big way) or manually controlling the fan (both options in ECO mode)?
3. I notice that when I turn on the heat, the A/C light goes on, too. This also happens in my husband's Lexus. Should I keep it on or turn it off?
4. Would anybody living in a similar climate share with me your gas mileage in cold weather? I do everything I can to try to minimize gas use (including using the seat heater instead of the whole-car heater), and I still find that my winter mileage is only 34 at best compared to 40+ in warm weather.

Re: Heat your seat!?
 

Welcome to the CLUB!

I know your Camry Hybrid has been a joy. Every year on Columbus Day we organize a tour of the Georgetown KY plant where they are made. Maybe a little geeky, I've been through it three times and every time learn something new.

I've moved your post to the excellent Carmy Hybrid forum, the experts in your make and model of car. I don't know the answer but these folks do.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

Re: Heat your seat!?
 

I cannot answer Q1-3 since I had my dealer change the defaults of the whole heating/cooling system.

#4 - I don't know what you call cold as it is relative to everyones location. Someone in Florida could consider 50F cold :) where for me right now cold is between -30 and -50 F!
Also mileage is very dependent on length of the trip. My commute is ~6 miles each way and in -30 weatherthe TCH doesn't get to stage 3 (engine stops at red lights) until I am a block from work/home. My mileage right now is in the very low 20s:omg:. In the summer the same commute is in the low 40s. When we are driving running errands and extend our running times the MFD stairstep guage gives me a trip mileage of about 32.

Re: Heat your seat!?
 

New cars in cold weather aren't going to register good mileage. Don't worry, when it warms up you will do better. AC light is normal, don't worry about it.
There is an FAQ in my signature that covers a lot of the new member questions, check it out.

Re: Heat your seat!?
 

:) Thank you all for your input! It was -11 degrees on my way to work this morning, and tonight we are expecting -17! Cccccccccold. I am trying my best to bundle up and use the seat heater while keeping the car heater at 65 with the fan on the lowest setting. Do you think that's a good approach?

Re: Heat your seat!?
 

Set the thermostat to a level that provides you with the most comfort. Don't worry about the effect on mileage. The difference in cabin climate wont amount to big swing in your fuel cost. Drive safely and comfortably. The mileage in winter is going to be lower, just accept it as the cost of driving.

Re: Heat your seat!?
 

The very first thing you should do is head off to your dealer and have the C-BEST, Customized Body Electronics...., factory default setting changed to something more befitting your actual environment and personal safety requirements.

Have the HVAC system set so that you can turn the A/C compressor off just once and it will remain off until you choose otherwise, until you need cabin cooling, say NEXT SPRING.

Also have the HVAC system set to "unlink" the A/C from operating for dehumidification purposes in defrost/defog/demist mode.

There is a third setting that prevents the system from automatically switching into "cooling" mode once the cabin temperature rises to close to your temperature setpoint. The problem with this "switch" if you allow it is that the interior windshield surface will no longer be warmed making it more likely the windshield will fog over.

Google for:

wwest defrost/defog/demist denso

And then...

Install a small thermostatically controlled 500 watt ceramic 120VAC heater/fan inside the cabin with a timer.

When you get into the car on a cold morning the seats and the cabin, and possibly MUCH more important, the interior windshield surface, will have already been warmed by the CHEAP power coming out of the wall plug. If you have leather surfaced seats and need them to be a bit warmer a small 12 volt power supply, 120VAC powered, spliced into the seat heater circuit will solve that.

Re: Heat your seat!?
 

Words of wisdom from Haroldo.

I drive with my heated seat on all of the time when it's cold. In early spring and fall I will drive with it on and leave the heat off. The only time I don't use "Auto" on the heat is when it is snowing, sleeting....etc and I need the heat up on the windshield. I usually leave mine set between 66 and 70 depending on how cold it is. With windchill this morning I think it was 20 below I had it set to 69 blowing on feet and windshield. Don't worry all of our cars get lower mileage in the cold. Look at the big picture. My lifetime mileage is just over 40MPG. I think that's very good seeing as my previous cars "lifetime" avg was right around 20MPG. I get higher in the summer and lower in the winter. It all averages out. No sense in being uncomfortable while getting good gas mileage.

Re: Heat your seat!?
 

I can't tell you how helpful you have all been. I wish I had connected to you when I first got my car almost two years ago! Better late than never. Thanks so much.

Re: Heat your seat!?
 

Don't worry about your mileage. I'm from Milwaukee too- and my mileage is about 33-34 right now- not much will help with the outside temperature is as low as it is right now.

As for the climate controls, I usually keep it set on 'auto' (68 degrees) year round. However, when it is this cold, I'll set it to auto so that it will gradually increase the fan as the engine warms up- and after it starts to blow full force I'll manually adjust it so the fan isn't so noisy.