Why No Steering Wheel Fan Speed Control?

fanspeed is a contolpanel thing yes..

But the speed is usually on auto. So if You adjust the temp, or outside temp goes up or down, the fanspeed will adjust automaticly to needed speed.



Cheers
Ola Andreas

 

Right. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the auto feature is capable of adjusting fan speed - it doesn't just cycle the compressor on and off like the thermostat in a house.

I am finding that trusting the auto A/C and using the temp +/- on the steering wheel to fine-tune it works really well.

 

I guess they can't put but only so much on the wheel. I agree with the above posts, use the "auto" feature, that takes care of it.

 

In fact, if you adjust the fan speed, doesn't it kick the system off automatic? That would be a good reason to NOT have the fan speed on the wheel.

 

The prius does a great job using all the paratmetes it has to maintain or reach set temperature. It will try to minimize fan speed to reduce noice as much as it can. It does this by varying how much the compressor for air conditioning is working *NOTE* this is different from the average car that only can turn the air conditioning ON/OFF. It will also change how it outputs air depending upon heating or cooling the car. and find a steady state where it doesn't have to work much.

I'm REALLY impressed with how good this system is. In the winter I set it to the lowest temperature I can stand (67 or 68) and forget it. In the summer I keep the windows open (and the system OFF) for the first 5 minutes (if I'm driving <35 mph) and then I set the system to the highest temperature I can take (between 74 and 82) and forget it.

I tried manually setting fan speed, turning the system ON/OFF but it increased my fuel consumption over-all so now I just enjoy the system and focus on pulse and glide instead.
edited last sentence to make "sense"

 

You mean increased consumption, or decreased economy.

I too find the automatic system works very well. Any manual adjustment of fan speed, AC, or air direction will cancel full-automatic operation. (You can use Recirculate at will and auto will stay in effect.)

With about two dozen functions on the wheel buttons, I think there are plenty there.

 

Thanks Rick, I changed it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SomervillePrius @ May 8 2007, 08:28 AM) [snapback]437504[/snapback]</div>

I always felt like the Prius tended to sway towards more air flow and less a/c compressor for a given set temperature. It tends to frustrate me because I'd much rather have the lower air speed and higher a/c compressor setting for the resulting lower noise level. Sometimes wheen I am on a bluetooth call, less noise is important, so I tend to manually set temperature to LO and fan speed to it's lowest (or next to lowest) setting...that tends to keep me equally as comfortable as in AUTO, but with reduced noise...

Mike

 

Mike,

I think you are correct. The Prius will use more fan rather then AC when it can as it's (probably) more fuel efficient. I'm impressed how slow the fan runs and the prius still maintain the temperature. My friends mazda 6 seem much more agressive/noisy when in full auto mode.