Fan Only: Peculiarities of the Model 3

[Uncle Paul]

No worries. Understand that you would like a fan only switch, but Tesla does not currently have one.

Some would say it is a classic first world problem for someone lucky enought to be drivng a Tesla computer on wheels.

With old analog HVAC is cars, a simple fan switch is usually available, but with fully computerized controls not all possible permutations are not currently available.

I remember having a little quarter window I could open forward and get a rush of fresh air in my face, but alas those also are no longer in vogue.

I was a little tongue in cheek with my "Open a window" comment. Should have used an emoticon.

 

[beachmiles]

Best work around is to turn off temperature control and open a window. Very energy efficient and controls are right at hand.

On the freeway opening windows is not the best for range. May be better to drive naked with a hand fan for cooling and pack an overcoat to warm up. That is until Tesla updates their software to add 2 human controllable temperature setpoints for running in automatic Eco HVAC mode.

 

[israndy]

I just want a climate control panel tab, like the seat heater tab, that allows us to manually slide the mix of air from outside air to air passed over the coolant lines and slide the fan from high to off. Never activating the AC or the Heat for cabin temp reasons. Call it EcoClimate or some such. Heck, call it Vent.

I know it still needs climate tools to Supercharge. Just let me be economical and put on a coat or gloves when the seat heaters are not enough or roll down the window when I am sweating after turning the vent fan to full.

 

[stevegu]

Maybe I am missing something, either in this thread or elsewhere, but if you want just air, turn the A/C off and then the temperature down below ambient, say to 60°F.

 

[SammichLover]

That’s correct. It annoys the heck out of me that the heater turns on and I have to lower the temp setting to about 3-4 degrees below outside temperature to get just “fan” when I turn off the AC.


Sometimes when it’s like low 70s outside I only need fan! But my climate temp is set to 74. So it turns on the heater.

I just drag the it all the way to "LO" to always get job done.

 

[SammichLover]

Outside of winter I set the thermostat to ~ 68 - 70F and turn the AC off.

I found that on cooler mornings this would unnecessarily us the resistive heating elements, so I just turn it down to the bottom to avoid any heating at all.

As for how to do this using the remote, I don't think it can be done. I've tried, and not really any way that I could find. It'll sometimes get to a blowing-but-not-heating-or-cooling state but that doesn't last long.

However with the newest app/patch you can open the windows to let out some of the built-up greenhouse heat if you've got some of that. Is that what you are trying to accomplish?

 

[SageBrush]

I found that on cooler mornings this would unnecessarily us the resistive heating elements

I have encountered that on occasion but ever since I learned how to swipe the temp setting, I find the required interaction trivial.

 

[SammichLover]

I have encountered that on occasion but ever since I learned how to swipe the temp setting, I find the required interaction trivial.

The interaction isn't the issue. The issue is not noticing it right away.

So I just do the "interaction" up front swiping it down to LO and leaving it there. That's good until it gets below 0C, then you have adjust when the windows start fogging a bit.

Frankly the highest pain point on all of it for me is setting fan speed is a bit finicky, as you have to drill down on then you have to tap those smaller arrow targets multiple times if moving more than one step.

 

[mswlogo]

Exactly. How does it make any sense to have a button to manually control A/C but not a button to manually control heat? Seems to me the dedicated A/C button is an anachronism dating back to when A/C compressors in cars were manually turned on/off via a single button and their control logic wasn't tied to a thermostat or cabin temp at all.

IMO Tesla should just change the A/C button to a "Climate On/Off" or "Fan only" button. That provides the control that I and many others want and I don't see any downside. More fiddling with tiny touchscreen buttons and/or wasting energy when heat/cooling is not wanted is not the right answer.

I prefer they leave it as is and add a “Heat” button just like the A/C button. That would be nice and clear with full control.

This way you get Heat Only, A/C Only, Fan Only or Heat and A/C.

Auto would grey out Heat and A/C.

With A/C and Fan Only buttons it would be confusing.

 

[SageBrush]

I prefer they leave it as is and add a “Heat” button just like the A/C button.

I find that confusing because I do not read "A/C" as cooling, I read it as 'condition the air to my thermostat setting and correct the humidity to a comfortable level."

 

[mswlogo]

I find that confusing because I do not read "A/C" as cooling, I read it as 'condition the air to my thermostat setting and correct the humidity to a comfortable level."

But that’s how it already is now !! And not very confusing to most people.

It would be really confusing to have A/C On and “Fan Only” On that basically turns A/C off.

It doesn’t matter what A/C is being used for. It is the “Air Conditioner” and sometimes you want it and some times not. Same with heat.

It’s also consistent with the cabin overheat. With or without A/C.

Adding Heat button would be consistent with how it already is.

Or have a heat Temperature and a Cool temperature. Which would get a little tricky to do UI wise. How do they show and control that on the main screen.

 

[beachmiles]

If you enable the 2 temp setpoints mode maybe just display 2 temperatures on the main screen. The left temp is the heater on temp colored light red and the right temp is the AC on temp colored blue.
And you could change those values just like how you change the current 1 temperature.

Ideally the add the inside temperature next to the current outside temperature as well to let you know where you are within your setpoint range.

 

[israndy]

Too many cooks, perhaps this is why it's still the way it is, too many opinions inside Tesla too. Or all these opinions mean they just cannot tell what we customers want.

Where is the Steve Jobs voice inside Tesla telling them the right way to do it?

 

[beachmiles]

This is still an issue a couple years later on my 2019 M3. The cabin heater is still constantly used if the temperature setpoint is within ~0-15 degrees of the interior temperature. Although now it's only averaging like 500 watts to the cabin heater instead of over 1000 watts a couple years ago. Some progress but still absolutely ridiculous Tesla hasn't fixed this terrible bug. Wasting power and feeling heat coming out of the vents when it's crazy hot outside is insane.
The just set it to Auto and forget it crowd hopefully also don't leave 100 5 watt LED bulbs on at their home when no ones home because they don't care about wasting 500 watts at home as well.

A good write up here.

Case for Tesla Pilot Mode: Tesla Model 3 Energy Efficiency & Use of HVAC

How do we find out how we are doing in any endeavor in a complex machine? The need is for specific performance data that allows an informed decision — at least, if we wish.

cleantechnica.com

 

[vickh]

I say we all tweet @Elon " Us Fans want Fan only setting".

 

[3sr+buyer]

I hate this too. Another example of Tesla making me unnecessarily fiddle with the center screen while driving. Having to adjust the climate temperature setting to match the outside temperature to avoid the heater from engaging. Oh and it's a constantly changing target. I just want the fan sometimes!

They could fix this by adding a button to turn the heat on/off, just like the one to turn AC on/off.

 

[insaneoctane]

They could fix this by adding a button to turn the heat on/off, just like the one to turn AC on/off.

That’s exactly what I want

 

[skygraff]

I’ve gotten in the habit of setting it to LO (manual & AC off) in the summer then leaving it off with windows open unless I’m at highway speeds. If I have to precool for some reason, I raise the temp to desired via the app then return it to LO when I get in. Even though precooling turns on AC it switches back to my manual (no AC) mode when I open the door.

For some reason, this season, I noticed that AC came on at least the first couple of times I set it to LO/manual. I don’t know if that’s a software change or a glitch but I’m keeping an eye on it.

Absolutely need a fan only option without having to fool the system and agree we should have an interior temp display other than the app. I do like the notion of a temp range between which heat and AC are automatically off but also like the idea of manual control since auto fan speeds can be too high (loud).

Side note, sure wish the window vent button from the app would be added to the internal controls and not limited to parked state.

 

[danarcha]

Silly me. I have the climate controls set to "auto" and I adjust the temperature to what I like. I live in an area where it can be 90 degrees and humid in the summer and -10 in the winter. It has always worked great for me. Am I under-thinking this??

 

[stopcrazypp]

This is still an issue a couple years later on my 2019 M3. The cabin heater is still constantly used if the temperature setpoint is within ~0-15 degrees of the interior temperature. Although now it's only averaging like 500 watts to the cabin heater instead of over 1000 watts a couple years ago. Some progress but still absolutely ridiculous Tesla hasn't fixed this terrible bug. Wasting power and feeling heat coming out of the vents when it's crazy hot outside is insane.
The just set it to Auto and forget it crowd hopefully also don't leave 100 5 watt LED bulbs on at their home when no ones home because they don't care about wasting 500 watts at home as well.

A good write up here.

Case for Tesla Pilot Mode: Tesla Model 3 Energy Efficiency & Use of HVAC

How do we find out how we are doing in any endeavor in a complex machine? The need is for specific performance data that allows an informed decision — at least, if we wish.

cleantechnica.com

Doesn't throwing it into LO and AC off basically turn it into a fan-only mode, just like practically every ICE car? At least that's my experience. It's unfortunate Tesla chose the old ICE convention (I have mentioned in other threads they really should abandon this or at least give a fan-only toggle), but there is a way to activate fan-only.