1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Single zone vs. Dual zone A/C

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by au_prius, Jan 2, 2017.

  1. au_prius

    au_prius Australian Prius Driver

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    67
    55
    0
    Location:
    Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I notice that most markets (including Japan) get a single zone A/C unit, however some markets (such as the UK, from memory) appear to get dual zone A/C units. I am surprised that the Prius' home market (Japan) only gets single zone!

    Does anyone know why this is the case?
     
  2. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,041
    7,580
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    They've done a very odd regional mix - Japan gets more stuff out of the toybox than other markets, including a much wider range of paint colours.

    We do reasonably well with some equipment not offered in USA or Canada, but we aren't offered automatic parking, sunroof, different coloured upholstery (black or ... black), dual Climate or solar roof.

    Our base model with auto-fold mirrors, RADAR Cruise etc is better equipped than the base USA model, though their 2017 model is apparently getting more goodies as standard - which, knowing Australian trends will drift in a mid-cycle update, I'd guess more likely to be in another year or so.
     
  3. au_prius

    au_prius Australian Prius Driver

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    67
    55
    0
    Location:
    Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It is an interesting mix.

    I have seen so few Priuses on the road here in Australia (and even fewer Corolla Hybrids), that I really wonder whether Toyota Australia are making a lot of money from them. I'm worried that Toyota Australia will scrap the Prius in the next year or two due to poor sales.....
     
    alanclarkeau likes this.
  4. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    The dual-zone system in the US can almost be considered 3-zone. When Front-only is selected, the climate control detects if no passenger is present and focuses on the driver side front, with more limited air flow to the passenger side.
     
    #4 Prodigyplace, Jan 2, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2017
  5. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,041
    7,580
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yes, ours is the same - it just swaps side of the car ;)
     
  6. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,041
    7,580
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    No, I don't think so - TOYOTA has just announced a ramping up of ELECTRIC technology which will include Hybrid. There have been quite a few Corolla Hybrids I've seen around here - probably because it's about $8000??? cheaper - my local dealer has 2 in stock, hasn't had another PRIUS since mine in June. I don't know why supplies have been so slow with PRIUS, though - there was the earthquake in Japan put back production by a couple of weeks, but that was well over 6 months ago.

    Petrol prices went down a few years ago - artificially - but with OPEC changing their quotas, and Russia changing theirs too, I'm suspecting that petrol will skyrocket in the not-too-distant future. I pity those who lashed out on thirsty SUVs and Twin Cab Utes when fuel goes up - PRIUS will be much more attractive.
     
  7. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2016
    391
    415
    0
    Location:
    Israel
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The decision about which markets got the dual zone option was based on ethnic profiling. Dual zone option was delivered in those countries where spouse disputes over the cabin temperature could have serious consequences.
     
    repnatl, Gen4BP3, RCO and 5 others like this.
  8. au_prius

    au_prius Australian Prius Driver

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    67
    55
    0
    Location:
    Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Well I hope you're right! It would be very sad if Toyota abandoned Priuses in Australia. Now that every 2nd Taxi seems to be a Camry Hybrid, that will probably be the ongoing volume seller, but I am sure there will always be a place for our beloved Prius!

    I am currently in the market for a ZVW50R Prius in Australia and I am constantly surprised how apathetic many Toyota dealers are about the Prius, in terms of organising test drives and selling them.

    Corolla Hybrids are a bit hard to distinguish from their non-hybrid brothers from a distance, so maybe that's why I haven't been spotting them!
     
    alanclarkeau likes this.
  9. au_prius

    au_prius Australian Prius Driver

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    67
    55
    0
    Location:
    Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I suppose that's why Japanese folks, being so polite and accommodating, get the single zone AC!
     
    alanclarkeau likes this.
  10. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    The dual-zone switch on my car selects between front-only or front & rear. It sounds like yours just does left/right side zones.
     
    alanclarkeau likes this.
  11. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2016
    391
    415
    0
    Location:
    Israel
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Depending on what options you have installed, there can be two switches. One does as you say: selects between front-only or front and rear. The other (additional) switch allows each front-seat passenger to control the temperature on his (or her!) side of the car.
     
    alanclarkeau likes this.
  12. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    My low end Trim Two just has the switch, not the dual zone temperature control. I believe higher trim levels have that as a feature here, though.I forgot about dual-zone referring to temperature controls.
     
    alanclarkeau likes this.
  13. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,041
    7,580
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Ha - dealers and salespersons in general. In my search for a car January to June this year, I ran into far more ignorant (as in didn't have a clue about product) sales people than I've ever done before, and, in general didn't seem interested. In anything much. When I knew my local dealer had a car in stock, I said to the receptionist "if you put me onto a salesperson who doesn't know the product, I'll be leaving immediately" - she did her homework and, I suspect the salesman did too - he knew what he was talking about when I went there the next day.

    CAMRY prices are artificially low, have been for a few years, lots go to fleet and government sales, and, with the latest model they only ½ did the upgrade - exterior, but didn't put in the new interior which the likes of USA got. There has never been a day when Camry hasn't been on "SALE" or "SPECIAL OFFER" When production ends at the end of this year, it'll become fully imported, and I suspect 1) upgraded; and 2) quite a lot dearer. Which will affect the pricing on PRIUS, making it much more competitive.

    The biggest difference in Corolla is inside, with a PRIUS-like gear selector, a POWER Button and these gauges. There were some exterior differences, but I can't remember what they were - might have included wheels & tyres, spare wheel etc. The Corolla is basically a Gen 3 PRIUS in a Corolla body.

    upload_2017-1-2_23-7-28.png
     
  14. au_prius

    au_prius Australian Prius Driver

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2008
    67
    55
    0
    Location:
    Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Existing Prius owners (myself included) would know FAR more than virtually all salespersons unless they were Hybrid gurus themselves (I am yet to meet one), but I would still expect them to show some degree of enthusiasm when faced with a potential sale!

    I considered the Corolla Hybrid but passed on it because the Australian model is missing safety gear which I consider essential (e.g., Autonomous Emergency Braking), and can't be optioned with them. Otherwise I would have seriously considered going for it as it's very good value.

    I do wonder what Australian Camry (Hybrid and non-Hybrid) prices will do when they end production and shift to (presumably) Thailand. At least the free trade agreement between AU and TH will mean zero tariffs, but not sure if the lower Thai labour costs will be offset by higher shipping costs? I wonder if we will ever get Thai-built Priuses in the future (previous Prius generations have been assembled in China and Thailand, but for their own domestic markets only)?
     
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,768
    16,017
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Fuel efficiency. I asked that question before and @HTMLSpinnr educated me on it.

    If you have dual-zone on, the climate control will work on the value set which is further away from the current temperature (so the lower of the two in the summer and the higher of the two in the winter). That means, your climate control will use more energy than it needs to, even with S-Flow set to Driver Priority. Unless you always turn dual-zone off when there's no other passengers in the car, you will end up using just that little bit more fuel due to heat/cool the car down.

    You're thinking of the Smart-Flow function.
     
    RCO, HTMLSpinnr and alanclarkeau like this.
  16. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,041
    7,580
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I had a THAI built FORD Fiesta Diesel - build quality was great - 100% over my previous South African built FORD.
     
  17. bhtooefr

    bhtooefr Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2016
    1,396
    1,489
    0
    Location:
    Newark, OH, USA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Well, and S-Flow wouldn't be able to be set to driver priority if there's someone in the front passenger seat. The options are either to apply HVAC to the occupied front seat(s) or to all seats regardless of occupancy.

    Now, if S-Flow isn't ignoring dual zone settings when a zone is unoccupied... That's dumb.

    And, S-Flow isn't a true dual (or triple) zone climate control - it merely tells the HVAC system to focus air delivery to occupied seats. I'm curious what it would actually take to retrofit true dual zone to a US Gen 4, as I could use it...
     
  18. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    My climate control has a switch to restrict rear air flow. Doesn't yours?
    From the manual:
    upload_2017-1-3_8-35-5.png
     
  19. bhtooefr

    bhtooefr Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2016
    1,396
    1,489
    0
    Location:
    Newark, OH, USA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Mine has that as well, but that's just for restricting airflow (it's not just for rear seats - it's occupied front seats vs. all seats, so if you have a front passenger, you can't select driver only, and if you have no front passenger, you can't select both front seats).

    In any case, I've looked through ToyoDIY's parts catalog, and I've come up with three differences in parts between a US car and a LHD R-134a European car, as far as the HVAC system.

    Those parts are:

    Control assembly: 55900-47190 for US cars, 55900-47220 for European cars (I was expecting this)
    #2 damper servo: 87106-47180 for US cars, 87106-47170 for European cars (interestingly, the 2015+ Lexus NX and 2016+ Lexus RX are sources for this part in the US)
    Evaporator assembly: 87050-47330 for US cars, 87050-47340 for European cars with R-134a refrigerant (note that this includes all damper servos, the heater core, the evaporator core, and a thermistor)

    Wiring harnesses and everything else appears to be the same.

    So, my suspicion is that the actual HVAC box (the box that all of the evaporator assembly parts go into) is the same between US and European cars (and I think S-Flow requires it to be the same due to how it works). If that suspicion is true, then it should be possible to install the #2 damper servo from those aforementioned Lexus vehicles, install the European control assembly, potentially do something in Techstream to get it working, and get dual-zone climate control.

    For those in RHD countries, the control assembly for single-zone is 55900-47250, for dual-zone is 55900-47230. The servos are the same, but the whole evaporator assembly is 87050-47300 for single-zone, 87050-47310 for dual-zone R-134a.
     
    robsnyder20 and RCO like this.
  20. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,041
    7,580
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Do you have face-level vents in the back? I didn't think any PRIUS Gen4 had that available. The only way to get air flow to the rear on mine is by directing it to FLOOR+FACE.