How's your AC?

[mattmass]

Well that's really heartening to hear. I've never had another car with auto-climate control, so I have nothing to compare it to. I'm hoping Tesla makes some software adjustments in this area.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

There is a lot more than outside vs inside temperature. How much IR radiation hits the driver makes a very significant difference what feels like a comfortable temperature. There are different sensors in most cars today (that have climate control) that try to consider it and adjust the heating and cooling. Fan speed is also not as simple as 'faster when the delta is larger'. A comfortable temperature will feel too cold if the air is moving too much. So when heating the cabin, running to fan higher will have a counter effect. That's why the Model S climate control will use the lower vents (where the legs are) when heating the car and the upper ones when cooling the car. Less airfolow in the face will make it feel warmer. More airflow in the face makes it feel cooler.

There is also no way the car can know in what state of emotion you are. If you're late and nervous, you will feel much hotter. If you're relaxed the exact same temperature will feel just fine.

I think the climate control works just fine. I always leave it in Auto and just adjust the temperature up or down depending how I feel. I really don't pay any attemtion what the number is. It's irrelevant. If I'm warm, I dial it down. If I'm cold, I'll dial it up. Don't get hung up on the numbers.

No need for the car to sense your emotion. I think people here just want it to behave like every other HVAC system out there in this class of vehicle, and to maintain a set point temperature. I don't think that's asking too much, and doesn't require a multitude of sensors and complexities. It's a very simple concept to hit and maintain a target temperature. We aren't discussing how it "feels", we are discussing actual temperature.

 

[ElectricSpeed]

I missed this thread when posting about my own problem which is that AUTO mode will never use more than 7 for fan. This is my second summer with the car in FL and I can also agree that it did not work this way last year. Last summer, it would blow full speed until the car was sufficiently cooled.

 

[smilepak]

I get mixed feeling on the AC. Sometime in normal driving condition it works well. At times it seem to blow fairly week and I think the AUTO setting isn't doing a good job is max cool and turn on re-circulation when needed. Range Mode is OFF. I set it normally at 68.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Since receiving the .36 update, my AC seems to be cooling much better when it is first turned on. It's over 110 outside these days, and I'm needing to bump it up to 72 in order to not freeze.

 

[csr19us]

Here's my $0.02...
I just had all my windows tinted with IR-blocking ceramic film (even the windshield), and now my temperature is pretty accurate. I went from always set to "Lo" (with fan speed adjustments), now up to "68" and even "70" full automatic (it's been sunny, humid and 85~90 here lately).

It made me realize/wonder if most of the heat is of the radiative variety, rather than actual air temperature (which is, I assume, solely what the car measures).

Just food for thought.

 

[smilepak]

I did tint one hour after picked up the MS lol

 

[kmontoya]

After I first picked up my car I thought the AC was a little weak for 100+ weather, but after adding PhotoSync tint all around it cools decently. Prior to tinting I could feel the radiant heat coming the sun through the windows, which i'm sure would put an additional load on the AC system.


The exception is after I have been pushing the car hard for sustained periods of time, I can tell that some of the AC power is diverted elsewhere, similar to supercharging in the same 100+ weather.