Don't want heater on, want vent

[beachmiles]

Not to mention the about of energy saved across the world if this feature was added to every tesla, and potential accidents saved from people like me fumbling with the AC controls all the time.
Seems bizarre that all Tesla models still have this feature missing, and some people think it's a bad idea because they don't care about power usage and that "Auto mode works so good".

 

[SleeperService]

I suspect that adding the requested heater toggle is likely the most intuitive solution since many owners already have the analogous AC toggle....

But, the engineer in me likes the house thermostat approach where I would probably have the heater setpoint at 60 F and the AC setpoint at 74 F. That would allow ambient conditions from 60F to 74F to NOT engage either AC or heater, only vent. Then if temperatures went beyond the setpoint I would not necessarily have to mess with the settings. I tend to tolerate a cold car a bit more than a hot one, but either way I really am tired of futzing with the buttons constantly

Somebody get this suggestion to Elon.

 

[gavine]

But, the engineer in me likes the house thermostat approach where I would probably have the heater setpoint at 60 F and the AC setpoint at 74 F. That would allow ambient conditions from 60F to 74F to NOT engage either AC or heater, only vent. Then if temperatures went beyond the setpoint I would not necessarily have to mess with the settings.

This wouldn't work in humid climates. AC is still sometimes necessary in that temp range for humidity control. Granted, if your idea was implemented, the driver can engage defrost if/when the windows get foggy so still feasible.

 

[beachmiles]

This wouldn't work in humid climates. AC is still sometimes necessary in that temp range for humidity control. Granted, if your idea was implemented, the driver can engage defrost if/when the windows get foggy so still feasible.

So would you be for or against having the option to have a heater on/off setpoint? Your seemingly negative response has its own positive solution. You could always set the heater on setpoint at the same temp as your AC cooling setpoint so it behaves as the system currently works which is 1 temp for everything. You started that other thread for a heater off button, I agree that would be nice as well but if you set the heater on setpoint to 32F or maybe the lowest end of the heat on range is just "off" you effectively have a heater off button.

Maybe another feature could be later added to set a check box to enable temporary heat for defrost if it is detected via autopilot cameras and the temp is above your heater on temp setpoint.

 

[gavine]

Maybe another feature could be later added to set a check box to enable temporary heat for defrost if it is detected via autopilot cameras and the temp is above your heater on temp setpoint.

The autopilot cameras can't sense interior fog.

 

[gavine]

So would you be for or against having the option to have a heater on/off setpoint? Your seemingly negative response has its own positive solution. You could always set the heater on setpoint at the same temp as your AC cooling setpoint so it behaves as the system currently works which is 1 temp for everything. You started that other thread for a heater off button, I agree that would be nice as well but if you set the heater on setpoint to 32F or maybe the lowest end of the heat on range is just "off" you effectively have a heater off button.

That would work. Sounds better now that you explain it that way.

 

[derotam]

I don't think I am going to expect a complex and exhaustive heating control system here...a simple On/Off button same as the A/C would at least get us to the status quo for vehicle HVAC control.

The problem with having setpoints too close together is that the cabin temperature easily swings in temperature depending on environment, rain, sun, clouds, etc, and just like Home HVAC control, getting set points too close together(if allowed by the system) can cause flip flopping between heating and cooling.

Would it be nice to have that full range of control-ability, yes for some people. Unfortunately making that type of system as default will cause A LOT of complaints by people that don't understand how to set it properly for their situation.

Maybe a mode like "I'm an engineer(or wannabe engineer) and I want to mess up every setting I possibly can and have to hit preset to normalize everything out again to start over" would be good for some of us. haha.

 

[gavine]

I don't think I am going to expect a complex and exhaustive heating control system here...a simple On/Off button same as the A/C would at least get us to the status quo for vehicle HVAC control.

The problem with having setpoints too close together is that the cabin temperature easily swings in temperature depending on environment, rain, sun, clouds, etc, and just like Home HVAC control, getting set points too close together(if allowed by the system) can cause flip flopping between heating and cooling.

Would it be nice to have that full range of control-ability, yes for some people. Unfortunately making that type of system as default will cause A LOT of complaints by people that don't understand how to set it properly for their situation.

Maybe a mode like "I'm an engineer(or wannabe engineer) and I want to mess up every setting I possibly can and have to hit preset to normalize everything out again to start over" would be good for some of us. haha.

Exactly!!!!

 

[vickh]

So why not have a Heater button like the AC button. Also why is the AC threshold 81 (too cold for me)

 

[gavine]

So why not have a Heater button like the AC button

That's the basic consensus of what we want.

 

[vickh]

That's the basic consensus of what we want.

Yeah I wasn't sure since i'm late to conversation. Also curious why the AC switches over @ 81 seems arbitrary. I want a "warmer" AC temp

On the other hand my wife routinely turns of the fan on our highlander but leaves the AC button on. I wonder if that wastes fuel?

 

[gavine]

Yeah I wasn't sure since i'm late to conversation. Also curious why the AC switches over @ 81 seems arbitrary. I want a "warmer" AC temp

On the other hand my wife routinely turns of the fan on our highlander but leaves the AC button on. I wonder if that wastes fuel?

I'm not sure what you mean by the AC switching over @ 81. Are you saying that the AC switches-off if you set the temp @ 81 or above? If so, I guess they figure you don't want AC anymore if you set it that high. Sort of like the heat turns-off when you set to LO. I guess they could make a HI setting instead of 81, but it would essentially be the same thing. So 80 is too cold for you?

Regarding your Highlander, I would say that the AC compressor will turn-off if the fan is off.

 

[vickh]

I'm not sure what you mean by the AC switching over @ 81. Are you saying that the AC switches-off if you set the temp @ 81 or above? If so, I guess they figure you don't want AC anymore if you set it that high. Sort of like the heat turns-off when you set to LO. I guess they could make a HI setting instead of 81, but it would essentially be the same thing. So 80 is too cold for you?

Regarding your Highlander, I would say that the AC compressor will turn-off if the fan is off.

Yes low humidity here in AZ so 81 still feels really cold to me. The HI setting starts the heater and I don't want hot hair. Turning off the AC is warm air and gets that mold smell going

I would be happy if AC worked to 82-3 (maybe less compressor usage to save range?). Now if I was back in Philly I'd want the temp cooler with the humidity

Thanks for clarifying re: Highlander, I won't tell my wife b/c I want her to get in the habit of pushing the AC button off as well

 

[camalaio]

Just saw this thread for the first time, yes please.

I have a button to toggle the less power-drawing AC, but not the monster draw heater. At 65F with the sun beating in and the temp set to 70, I'm quite fine without heat. I could also just turn of the climate control, but because of the sun I will likely need the AC to engage later on to keep the car cool.

I suspect that adding the requested heater toggle is likely the most intuitive solution since many owners already have the analogous AC toggle....

But, the engineer in me likes the house thermostat approach where I would probably have the heater setpoint at 60 F and the AC setpoint at 74 F. That would allow ambient conditions from 60F to 74F to NOT engage either AC or heater, only vent. Then if temperatures went beyond the setpoint I would not necessarily have to mess with the settings. I tend to tolerate a cold car a bit more than a hot one, but either way I really am tired of futzing with the buttons constantly

So, this sorta works for houses but I'm not sure it's great for cars. The sun factor is a big problem (some manufacturers increase AC power in sun, for example). There are so many factors for what the comfortable climate is in a car (more so than a house), and they're all individual preference.

Honestly, I would like just a a good ol' temperature slider that mixed AC, vent, and heat. I usually actually want to control the air stream temperature, not necessarily the cabin average temperature.

That said, something like this might be intuitive enough and simple to implement? (no recommendation for how it would work for two-zone climate control).

Credit to https://jspaint.app for the above abomination which was very easy to create and upload.

 

[Tres_Azul]

Just read the whole thread. +1 on the Heat button/toggle added to existing menu... I f I ever need it... Never had it kick on.

I think the auto settings for all the things in this car are basically worthless.
(...what I would give for some real physical buttons and plain old 'dumb' cruise control...)

Here in PHX, I keep the temp set to Lo, even on this morning's commute. I cycle the AC on/off and adjust the fan speed to improve comfort and to 'dry' out the smell-causing moisture in their poorly designed system. Guess I might use the heated seats eventually when heading up north.

 

[beachmiles]

Some ideas for names for the advanced HVAC menu mode thats hopefully already in development with the 2 temp setpoints with nice text based instructions. Also reporting inside and outside temperatures and maybe even a chart showing the inside and outside temps recorded by the Tesla? I think having a name for the mode hastens its rise in the development queue like dog mode, Joe mode, etc.

Zeus mode or EcoZeus mode
Thor mode or EcoThor mode
Nirvana mode
EcoFlex mode
Advanced Eco mode
MaxEco mode
King/Queen Mode depending on user profile gender?
Royal Mode
RoyalEco Mode

If they could just add the heat off button in the meantime that would be great.

Also about detecting frost on the windows I'm not 100% sure the autopilot cameras can't detect fog on the glass already. But if not it could prob detect in the future by giving the windows a quick auto wash and if they are still cloudy It could use the outside and inside temps to get an idea, ideally along with some humidity sensor somewhere on the car it could make a decent guess at what's causing the windows to loose clarity and act accordingly.

 

[beachmiles]

Found 2 more threads on TMC with this request. Is there a way to combine threads?
Fan Only: Peculiarities of the Model 3

turn off heater?

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

Set it to LO.

 

[beachmiles]

Set it to LO.

This only is half of it, you also have to turn off the AC. Then turn the AC back on and set the temp when the temp raises, then vice versa. Too many button pushes daily, and not really safe when autopilot is off.
I use the Tesla tasker plugin to turn off the HVAC when the inside temp is less than 70 for me, but that also disables the fan. The plugin only turns the whole HVAC system on or off. It can't just turn on/off the AC on the M3.
For optimal power usage you want to use less heat and AC, and just use the fan when the air is comfortable for you. In my case that's 60-72. In that range I do not want any heating or AC, and only the fan option(Vent mode). The best way to do this is with 2 temp setpoints like the Nest.
1) low setpoint. Below this the heater comes on.
2) high setpoint. Above this the AC comes on.

If the you allow the low setpoint to go to off then the heater will never come on. If you are worried about survival you could add a check to see if the seat detects someone and if so raise the low setpoint to say 50F.

Lets reverse the case in a situation where you don't want the AC to come ever. Say your car gets semi buried by an avalanche and you only have half a 25% charge and it's below freezing outside with no cell coverage. So you set your temp to 40F to conserve power while waiting for rescue cause you have your winter clothes on. The sun is coming in and out due to clouds. When the sun comes out from behind a cloud and the car starts to warm you def don't want the AC to turn on to bring you back to your 40F setpoint. Yes you can manually continue to adjust the 1 temp setpoint up and down as the sun comes in and out to conserve power but that is a royal pain in the ass.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could tell the car to never turn on the AC till it got to 72, and only heat if it went below 40 in this example? Basically puts the HVAC in auto mode for people who are interested in saving power and extending range.

 

[5_+JqckQttqck]

This only is half of it, you also have to turn off the AC. Then turn the AC back on and set the temp when the temp raises, then vice versa. Too many button pushes daily, and not really safe when autopilot is off.
I use the Tesla tasker plugin to turn off the HVAC when the inside temp is less than 70 for me, but that also disables the fan. The plugin only turns the whole HVAC system on or off. It can't just turn on/off the AC on the M3.
For optimal power usage you want to use less heat and AC, and just use the fan when the air is comfortable for you. In my case that's 60-72. In that range I do not want any heating or AC, and only the fan option(Vent mode). The best way to do this is with 2 temp setpoints like the Nest.
1) low setpoint. Below this the heater comes on.
2) high setpoint. Above this the AC comes on.

If the you allow the low setpoint to go to off then the heater will never come on. If you are worried about survival you could add a check to see if the seat detects someone and if so raise the low setpoint to say 50F.

Lets reverse the case in a situation where you don't want the AC to come ever. Say your car gets semi buried by an avalanche and you only have half a 25% charge and it's below freezing outside with no cell coverage. So you set your temp to 40F to conserve power while waiting for rescue cause you have your winter clothes on. The sun is coming in and out due to clouds. When the sun comes out from behind a cloud and the car starts to warm you def don't want the AC to turn on to bring you back to your 40F setpoint. Yes you can manually continue to adjust the 1 temp setpoint up and down as the sun comes in and out to conserve power but that is a royal pain.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could tell the car to never turn on the AC till it got to 72, and only heat if it went below 40? Basically and ECO Autopilot for the HVAC if you happen to be concerned about saving power and extending your range.

Sounds like a sub menu that could be a future update. It is after all - a mobile computing system. Pitch it to Tesla