Climate Control Solution - Gain Control of your Heater!

[N952JL]

the mode foot to vent works OK if there is only one person in the car and the need is slight, but with four I am forced to turn on the fan and that brings the climate control on. I had hoped the new software upgrade would address this problem, but it doesn't. What is the status on the kit to give control back to the user.

[Ingineer]

Looks like I'll be able to Demo the upgrade at next weekend's BayLEAFs meeting in San Francisco. I should also be able to offer upgrades to a few people that want to become the first to receive it. (I can assist with the installation after the meeting if you like.)

-Phil

[TomT]

Do we have a price yet? What is involved in the install?

Looks like I'll be able to Demo the upgrade at next weekend's BayLEAFs meeting in San Francisco. I should also be able to offer upgrades to a few people that want to become the first to receive it. (I can assist with the installation after the meeting if you like.)

-Phil

[Ingineer]

Do we have a price yet? What is involved in the install?

This upgrade is now available to every Leaf owner for $138! I've updated the first post with a new video and ordering instructions. Installation and operation details are also shown.

-Phil

[DaveEV]

The final version of the upgrade differs a little from the prototype, you will now NOT have heater operation, regardless of set temperature / car temperature, unless at least one of these is true:

1. A/C button is illuminated.
2. Rear Defroster is on.
3. Climate Control timer engages.

I found that controlling the heater with the A/C button is the best and most intuitive.

Sounds great, but (sorry!) - one known issue is that the heater will come on with the A/C when the system isn't working hard to cool. You can see this typically when ambient temps are 65-75* and the interior of the car has cooled off already. HVAC will register 500-750W or so, but if you drop the temperature a degree you will actually see power draw go down.

I presume that this is done to help dehumidify the air, so humidity levels probably play a role here as well.

It doesn't sound like there's a way to keep the heater from coming on in this situation where you want a small amount of A/C but no extra dehumidification with your mod? Am I missing something?

[Ingineer]

Sounds great, but (sorry!) - one known issue is that the heater will come on with the A/C when the system isn't working hard to cool. You can see this typically when ambient temps are 65-75* and the interior of the car has cooled off already. HVAC will register 500-750W or so, but if you drop the temperature a degree you will actually see power draw go down.

I presume that this is done to help dehumidify the air, so humidity levels probably play a role here as well.

It doesn't sound like there's a way to keep the heater from coming on in this situation where you want a small amount of A/C but no extra dehumidification with your mod? Am I missing something?

Yes, I did not see this happen as you say when I had the Leaf fully instrumented. It will sometimes run the A/C for dehumidification when the heat (especially for defog) is on, but I've *never* seen it run the heater when the A/C is called for! I had instrumentation in the car to tell me the current heater PWM values, and I did not see this. I suspect for whatever reason, this is actually just the A/C running at a low idle to keep the system's high side/low side pressures at their optimum balance to ensure the expansion valve is doing the most efficient transfer. Disturbing the temperature may make the system back off for a bit to reset the algorithms. If you can come up with an exact and reproducible set of test parameters, I'll be happy to test it both the PTC duty cycle as well as the compressors and see if I can confirm it. Maybe it's due to our fair Bay Area weather here!

If I am somehow wrong and this turns out to be true, and you simply can't tolerate the heater, the "fix" is to just turn the A/C off for a bit until the delta T is a bit larger and then turn it back on. Or, if you that concerned about the power, you probably don't want anything using extra power!

If you can propose a better way to implement this without needing to drill holes and add switches, I'm all ears!

-Phil

[garygid]

A very clearly instructive install video, Thanks.

It makes me think that even I could do it.

[dgpcolorado]

Definitely interested in this upgrade; I wish I lived close enough to be one of your first guinea pigs! I agree that the AC button is an intuitive choice for the main heater control and have often wished that pushing it would knock out the heater as well as AC.

Thanks to preheating and the steering wheel/seat heaters, I am finding that I almost never need the cabin heater while driving save for occasional defogging (and that could likely be accomplished if I could just blow unheated air on the windshield/side windows).

[Ingineer]

Definitely interested in this upgrade; I wish I lived close enough to be one of your first guinea pigs! I agree that the AC button is an intuitive choice for the main heater control and have often wished that pushing it would knock out the heater as well as AC.

Thanks to preheating and the steering wheel/seat heaters, I am finding that I almost never need the cabin heater while driving save for occasional defogging (and that could likely be accomplished if I could just blow unheated air on the windshield/side windows).

I did a DIY install of seat heaters in my 2011, and I too find that most of the time I can get by by with the A/C button off, but I like a little fresh air on my face. I like that I can adjust the fan and don't have to worry about anything turning on I don't authorize. Wish I could easily add that wheel heater though!

-Phil

[QueenBee]

Neat idea, I like how simple and inexpensive it is. One issue I've had when precooling on a mild day is even though it's sunny out and warm my garage can stay cool from the night before and so the precool will actually cause the heat to run. Is there any good way to control that?