Recirculate keeps turning off

[fseir]

I’m currently on 2020.40.8, but this started one or two firmware updates ago:

On my commute, there are a couple of areas that are notoriously stinky, so I keep recirculation turned on all the time. Prior to a recent update, this wasn’t a problem; the HVAC stayed in recirculate. Lately, it seems to turn off on its own, randomly, and I know immediately when I drive through one of those areas.

At first, I thought it was related to using the entertainment modes (YouTube, Netflix), which I’ve only recently started using more, but it seems to happen sometimes even when I don’t go into one of those modes.

Anyone else noticing this?

2018 RWD LR 2020.40.8 vin 94xx

 

[chrstna4]

I’ve noticed the same thing and it started when the smoke was still bad in the PNW. I try to remember to check it’s still on recirculate but miss it sometimes until I smell something. It seems to be on still when I start the car sometimes and off other times. I’m not turning it off and I’m the only one with a key. Hope someone on here has more insight because it is a little frustrating.

 

[fseir]

I’ve noticed the same thing and it started when the smoke was still bad in the PNW. I try to remember to check it’s still on recirculate but miss it sometimes until I smell something. It seems to be on still when I start the car sometimes and off other times. I’m not turning it off and I’m the only one with a key. Hope someone on here has more insight because it is a little frustrating.

I’m guessing it’s just a firmware bug that will eventually be squashed, but I’m surprised more people aren’t complaining about this. I always do the bug report thing whenever it happens, but I’ve heard that Tesla doesn’t necessarily see those, unless you take your car in and they actively search the logs. Anyway, thanks for confirming I’m not alone!

 

[dasn]

What I've noticed is that when you first turn on the AC, and leave it on auto, the car chooses when to turn recirculate on/off. Once you tap the recirculate button once (on or off) it'll remain on auto and keep whatever recirculate option you chose until the next time you turn AC on/off again.

 

[fseir]

What I've noticed is that when you first turn on the AC, and leave it on auto, the car chooses when to turn recirculate on/off. Once you tap the recirculate button once (on or off) it'll remain on auto and keep whatever recirculate option you chose until the next time you turn AC on/off again.

Hmmm, then maybe it IS related to going into entertainment mode? It seems like when you enter that mode, it momentarily affects the climate control. I wonder if it’s like restarting the AC, so it “loses” your preference, and allows the car to once again decide when it thinks it should be off recirculate?

If that’s the case, though, why should the car ever get to choose when to be on or off recirculate? Still feel like that’s a bug.

 

[gaswalla]

Lately, each firmware update messes with the hvac settings - turns ac off, recirculate is off, and foot vents turned on. My experience at least

 

[Salted]

We stopped using auto mode once we realized it was homicidal. Never fails, get stuck in heavy traffic and the car decides to flood the cabin with Diesel exhaust.

Always hated this behavior in other cars. I'd hoped Tesla would be on top of it. Now, since Covid and the fires... uh, Elon?

Does anyone know if the S with bio-weapon filtration behaves the same way?

 

[Perscitus]

Recirc should almost always be off... unless you enjoy high carbon dioxide levels and dozing off in the cabin, hopefully with beta FSD and NoA on.
We need more FSD memes afterall. Maybee its a 'feature' and not a 'bug'?

CO2 concentrations can rise to 4 500 ppm in as little as 10 min for a passenger car with 3 passengers during air-recirculation mode.

Carbon dioxide has generally not been considered hazardous to humans at low levels, such as those typically measured in vehicles. However, recent studies suggest that CO2 can have deleterious effects on cognitive function and decision making, even at low-to-moderate concentrations and with short exposure times.

 

[lUtriaNt]

^^^and if you are driving around wearing a mask whilst also in recirc mode...

if you are on demand driver and you've passengers in the car and feel safe to wear a mask, fresh air is highly recommended--even if you smell diesel.

 

[chrstna4]

Recirculating air was really useful when the air quality was dangerous here in the PNW. The particulate levels go way down in the car when you use recirculating air. But I also need to change out the cabin filters now.

 

[Salted]

Recirc should almost always be off... unless you enjoy high carbon dioxide levels and dozing off in the cabin, hopef....

Thanks for that edge case, but to me it's blame-the-user silliness. What I want is protection from actual hazards. You know, as opposed to my car using incomplete information to work against me.

 

[Perscitus]

Thats clear and also the reason I dispise anything 'auto'. No longer holding out on full headlight control (off), but glad I never have to put climate control on auto.

 

[nvx1977]

you can report UI bugs by logging into your tesla account online, then going here:

Tesla SSO - Sign In

 

[XLR82XS]

Update could be commanding a reduction in RECIRC due to musty smell problems that have been reported. As I mentioned in other threads I have NEVER had the smelly A/C problem -- I NEVER use RECIRC even in hot humid Florida summers.

 

[fseir]

Hadn’t really considered CO2 buildup being significant during my 40ish minute commute, but I guess it makes sense that could happen in a car that is fairly airtight. So for the past few days, I’ve been trying to get in the habit of turning recirc on only when I approach stanky areas.

Doing this, I’ve learned that “recirculate” works quite well as a voice command to turn it on, but turning it off requires the very specific “turn off recirculate.” Other permutations, such as “turn recirculate off” or “recirculate off” or “stop recirculation,” don’t work...

Just got 2020.44.10.1. Will have to see if it changed anything.

 

[dbs_alex]

Quite annoyed by the same problem here. My daily commute is a major truck road hence the smell of diesel exhaust is a larger concern than slightly higher CO2 ppm. I know there are sensor monitoring temp. and humidity on the system, maybe that's why the recirculate being auto-adjusted accordingly?

I noticed the recirculate button has 3 modes (clear/grey/blue), but none can lock to recirculate mode while using auto AC. Is there any way to do that?

 

[texas_star_TM3]

Update could be commanding a reduction in RECIRC due to musty smell problems that have been reported. As I mentioned in other threads I have NEVER had the smelly A/C problem -- I NEVER use RECIRC even in hot humid Florida summers.

living in north texas which gets quite humid in spring and early summer and *always* have AC on auto which periodically turns recirc on/off and with 15k miles on it now never experienced the musty odor issue...

 

[mooo]

Quite annoyed by the same problem here. My daily commute is a major truck road hence the smell of diesel exhaust is a larger concern than slightly higher CO2 ppm. I know there are sensor monitoring temp. and humidity on the system, maybe that's why the recirculate being auto-adjusted accordingly?

I noticed the recirculate button has 3 modes (clear/grey/blue), but none can lock to recirculate mode while using auto AC. Is there any way to do that?

You can. The button actually has 4 modes:
Clear - manually disabled
Bright blue - manually enabled -> this is the mode you want
Grey - disabled by AUTO A/C
Light blue - enabled by AUTO A/C

To set it up (lock to recirculate mode while using auto AC), simply enable AUTO A/C, then tap the recirculate button until it's bright blue.
The custom setting will persist until some software bug resets it.

On a related note, I've observed that some custom settings often gets reset after waking up from (deep?) sleep.
For example, when the manual circulate setting is reset, I notice the "shuffle" mode for my USB music playlist gets reset as well.
So I've chalked it up to a software bug, it has actually been present ever since I got my MY2020 Oct/2019-built car.
None of the software updates so far have fixed it, either they aren't aware of the bug, or it's very low priority.

 

[dbs_alex]

On a related note, I've observed that some custom settings often gets reset after waking up from (deep?) sleep.
For example, when the manual circulate setting is reset, I notice the "shuffle" mode for my USB music playlist gets reset as well.
So I've chalked it up to a software bug, it has actually been present ever since I got my MY2020 Oct/2019-built car.
None of the software updates so far have fixed it, either they aren't aware of the bug, or it's very low priority.

Exactly what's happening here. Everytime the recirculate gets turned off next day.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Update could be commanding a reduction in RECIRC due to musty smell problems that have been reported. As I mentioned in other threads I have NEVER had the smelly A/C problem -- I NEVER use RECIRC even in hot humid Florida summers.

You're doing the opposite of what you want.

In a humid climate, the air inside the cabin on recirc is much less humid than the outside air. How do you know? That's why the coils are wet and water is dripping on the ground -- you're removing the moisture in the cabin air with the AC running.

So why would you want to "wash" the evaporator coils with humid outside air in an attempt to reduce musty smells on wet coils?

What you really want to do is continue to run the interior A/C fan in recirculation mode while the AC compressor/heat pump off after the drive. That will dry out the coils, so musty, smelly things don't grow on your coils.